Joyce Buchheit, Washington University in St. Louis alumnus and trustee emeritus Joyce Buchheit and her husband, Chauncy Buchheit, have donated $845,000 to help the university attract more talented students from rural communities across the country. Missouri and southern Illinois, Chancellor Andrew D. Martin announced.

The donation will establish a free summer school preparatory program and fund two admissions officers dedicated to rural communities served by WashU Pledge, the scholarship initiative that provides free undergraduate education to admitted students from Missouri and Southern Illinois eligible for the Pell Grant or families whose annual income is $75,000 or less. Admissions officers will visit rural high schools and college fairs, where they will introduce students to campus and college life at WashU and demystify the admissions and financial aid processes.

“WashU greatly benefits from the talents, perspectives and experiences of our rural students, but the truth is that too few rural students know who we are, and fewer still know that a WashU education is available,” said Martin. “Joyce’s gift will help us reach more students in our area and show them what makes WashU so special.”

Launching next year, the summer program will be aimed at high school juniors and will include lectures with professors from the University of Washington, visits to St. Louis attractions such as Busch Stadium and the St. Louis and information sessions on the college application process. Families will also be invited to tour the campus and learn more about the University of Washington from Martin and Ronné Turner, vice provost for admissions and financial aid. The program will be free and includes accommodation, board and meals on the Danforth campus. Participants can also apply for funding to cover their travel costs.

“Research shows that students from rural areas are as talented and accomplished as their peers and yet they tend to outdo themselves when applying to colleges,” Turner said. “We hope the Summer School Preparatory Program will help these students imagine thriving at a world-class research university. »

About 1% of the Class of 2025 are from rural Missouri.

Program details, including dates and how to apply, will be announced in the fall. Information will also be shared with rural school counselors and principals.

Buchheit, who earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in commerce from the university, has long championed efforts to expand educational opportunities at the University of Washington. For the past year, she has led the university’s Student Access Advisory Committee with trustee Jay Jacobs, a 1992 alumnus who, along with his wife, Kelly Jacobs, funded scholarships for rural students.

In this role, Buchheit met one-on-one with rural students, including a rising junior who knew little about WashU despite living only 60 miles away. Buchheit was heartened to learn that the University of Washington provided the resources this student needs to thrive and broadened her understanding of the world while deepening her appreciation for her home.

“Talented students from rural communities belong at the University of Washington,” Buchheit said. “What makes this program exciting is that students will have the chance to meet other rural students like themselves and find that common ground. They will also get to know the campus and the many ways WashU supports its students throughout their education.

Buchheit was born in Arcadia Valley, Missouri and attended 14 different schools as a child. She enrolled at the University of Washington as a married mother of two children.

“I wasn’t a typical college student, but the scholarship I received was life-changing,” said Buchheit, who also earned her MBA from the University of Washington. “That’s why I’m always excited to give back and provide opportunities for students.”

In 1998, Buchheit and her former husband Howard Wood created a scholarship program to provide full scholarships to MBA students. They created a similar program for undergraduate business students in 2007, and made the principal gift of a simulation center to the School of Medicine in 2008. Buchheit has also supported chairs, including the Joyce and Chauncy Chair Buchheit in Public Health and the Joyce and Chauncy Buchheit. Emeritus Professor at Olin Business School.

Buchheit served on the board from 2011 until 2016, when she became a director emeritus. She is a member of the National Council of the School of Medicine and the National Council of the Institute of Public Health, which she led from 2018 to 2021.