Investing in Student Impact and the Liberal Arts

Like many first-year Wildcats, Mark Hayes ’81 worried about being out of his element at Davidson College, but the liberal arts curriculum proved to be the perfect foundation for his career in biotechnology drug development.

“It has troubled me over the last few years as I’ve seen the increasing distrust of science, academics and institutions in general,” he said.

“It’s caused me to double down on supporting an institution that creates and nurtures students to become leaders and critical thinkers as Davidson does. I’m reassured when I meet students who are being educated in the holistic way that a liberal arts education provides.”

Hayes always planned to pursue a science degree at Davidson, but he enrolled in the two-year Humanities program, taking full advantage of the immersion in liberal arts that the program provided.

“Science always came easy to me,” he said. “But Davidson’s rigorous liberal arts curriculum—with its emphasis on history, philosophy, religion and culture—helped me think about the world from a broader perspective.”

Robin Hayes dated her “Davidson man” while she was attending UNC Chapel Hill. “I had the benefit of spending weekends at Davidson, and it was an entirely different experience from the one I had at Carolina,” she said. “We both value a liberal arts education, no matter what a student’s ultimate interests are.”

The Hayeses created a scholarship at Davidson and have included additional support in their estate plans. They find the college’s commitment to supporting students without relying on loans to be increasingly important, and they were inspired by President Emerita Carol Quillen’s sharp focus on access and affordability.

“College is so much more expensive today than it was when I was a student,” Mark said.

“Our scholarship aims to support students who will make a difference as leaders in innovative scientific disciplines. I have so much gratitude for what Davidson did for me and what I hope it does for others whose contributions to society will make a meaningful difference in people’s lives around the world.”