Lasting Legacies
A cheerful scene of two students celebrating in front of a large yellow and black "WAR EAGLE" sign, surrounded by colorful balloon decorations in blue, yellow, and orange. One student is posing on the edge of the sign with an enthusiastic expression, while the other student takes a photo. The background shows a brick building and steps, enhancing the festive atmosphere of the event.

Auburn Family’s
culture of giving
brings mutual helpfulness and happiness for all

A place is only as good as its people.

The Auburn Family’s passion to give back to future generations makes our university special. Auburn is centered around the pursuit of knowledge, support to follow your dreams, instruction that will guide you forever and experience to make your mark in the world.

And because Auburn men and women support these things, our students are the happiest in the nation.

State-of-the-art facilities

Support from the Auburn Family is driving the creation of Auburn’s first recording studio, and it will be the fuel that propels the studio to reach its greatest potential.
A spacious, well-equipped music studio with polished wooden floors and modern acoustic panels on the walls. Three grand pianos are arranged in the center of the room, surrounded by various musical instruments, including guitars hanging on the walls and a drum set visible through a window in an adjacent room. The studio features professional lighting and a balcony above, giving it a sophisticated and inviting ambiance for music practice and recording.
Don strumming a guitar in the afternoon sun.
Don Clayton
Musician, entrepreneur and music education alumnus Don Clayton ’75 loves music and Auburn, which led him to support the Don and Alexandra Clayton “Lucky Man” Studio.
Lucky Man Studio Logo
The Lucky Man Studio will help Auburn’s music students achieve their goals, particularly if their ambitions include songwriting, performing or working on the business operations side of music.

Today’s music students aren’t much different from Clayton and his peers — they love music, want to chase their dreams in the industry and maybe change the world while they’re at it.

“It took many years for me to realize it, but Auburn was so developmentally important to me,” Clayton said. “Once I started getting pulled back into the fold a few years back, I thought about how important those formative years were to the man I am today. I know Auburn has had that same kind of impact on so many others. I’m hoping they will join me in supporting something extraordinarily special at Auburn.”

Student scholarships

Annual scholarships support deserving students who need help affording opportunities to succeed.

The Bessie Coleman Annual Scholarship, established by Walt, a 1969 and 1977 aerospace engineering alumnus, and Ginger Woltosz, is awarded to Auburn students in professional flight and aviation management. Their annual gift of $100,000 supports up to 10 students each year.

Breanna Amstutz at Auburn graduation shaking hands with Dean Hicks
BREANNA AMSTUTZ
“Telling my mom I got the scholarship, and seeing the relief and happiness in her eyes, was honestly the best for me,” said Breanna Amstutz, a 2022 Bessie Coleman Annual Scholarship recipient. “This has definitely allowed us to feel less stressed and more hopeful for the future financial-wise. This gives us an opportunity.”

Since graduating, Breanna has pursued a career in aviation management, and currently serves as a business development specialist at Wheels Up, one of the world’s largest providers of on-demand private aviation.

Infographic stating, "Since 2021, 40 students have received the Bessie Coleman Annual Scholarship," with icons of a trophy and an airplane, representing academic achievement and travel.

Giving Impact for 2023 Academic Year

Illustration of an Auburn University pennant flag in navy and orange colors, featuring the word "Auburn" in bold letters.
Text infographic with an orange line underlining the heading, indicating donor statistics or related information.
Text infographic displaying "Largest Gift" and "Average Gift" in orange text, highlighting donation amounts or gift statistics.
Illustration of Aubie the tiger, Auburn University’s mascot, holding a sign that reads "War Eagle!" with one paw raised, representing school spirit and pride.
Silhouette illustration of an eagle in flight with extended talons, symbolizing Auburn University’s spirit and strength.
Text stating, "For academic year 2023-2024, 574 scholarships were awarded to 480 individuals for a total of $1,471,682," indicating scholarship distribution and total funding.

Endowed professorships

Everyone remembers their great teachers. By supporting an endowed professorship, the Auburn Family provides them.

Ike and Rhonda Scott Endowed Professor of Piano Jeremy Samolesky teaches future competition winners and prestigious scholarship recipients. Samolesky’s excellence in teaching has been recognized by both Auburn University and Steinway & Sons.

Beyond the classroom, Samolesky’s endowed professorship also allows him to pursue projects such as the first-ever recording of Canadian composer Marjan Mozetich’s complete works for piano.

“This endowed professorship enhances my contributions as a faculty member and significantly supports Auburn University’s mission of fostering excellence in education, research and community service,” Samolesky said. “It allows for more dedicated time and resources to mentor students, guiding them in their academic, artistic and professional journeys. Additionally, it enables me to pursue my own creative projects, further promoting the excellence of music and the arts at Auburn on both national and international stages.”

Headshot of Jeremy Samolesky by piano.
Jeremy Samolesky

Real-world experience

In today’s highly technical and digital world, there’s something distinctly satisfying about digging in an Alabama pasture for a chance to glimpse history. Businessman and philanthropist Matt Ginn certainly thinks so anyway — so much so that he and the Ginn Family Foundation recently funded an Auburn archaeology field school on their property near Notasulga, Alabama.

Students from a variety of majors including anthropology and history experienced firsthand the work of archaeology — using metal detectors, testing soil, washing and cataloguing artifacts. These experiences equipped them for future employment and gave them a taste of the profession many planned to pursue.

“I never realized the power of philanthropy until I was given the ability to give,” Ginn said. “We give to Auburn and other places that in turn, go out and change lives. That’s why we give. So let’s do that here — discover artifacts, learn history, build something special and develop future archeologists. Let’s change lives.”
Tracy Roberts, Ginn Family and Dean Hicks at camp watts
Tracy Roberts, Ginn Family and Dean Hicks at Camp Watts
Make YOUR mark. Give to CLA.
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