Quite a few years ago, a community college student from Seattle, Washington, was nearing the end of his first year of college. He had done pretty well in his first year of classes and was enjoying his time on the track team. All in all, college was a much better experience than he had expected and he was enthusiastic about continuing.

The only problem was finances. He knew he was short of money for the coming year, he knew his parents weren’t in a position to help at that time, and he wasn’t sure what to do about it. Fortunately, while reading announcements on a bulletin board one day, he saw information about a scholarship and decided to apply.

Today, that student writes this column and serves as the eighth president of Humboldt State University. He was able to graduate from community college and then go on to earn his bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, and doctorate. And he is very, very grateful to the Salvation Army for creating that scholarship.

The cure for AIDS/HIV, cancer, dementia, and other human ailments will be discovered by a college graduate. The next energy source, maybe a better battery, will be discovered by a college graduate. The science behind agriculture, roots, DNA, and soils will be refined by a college graduate. And the people we ask to teach our children or help us when we are ill are college graduates.

Over the years, I’ve met many individuals who donated to create scholarships, and what strikes me is how amazing they feel about it. Scholarships, paid internships, and other donations that help students afford college are truly gifts from the heart. These gifts are expressions of optimism, of gratitude, and of trust in the capacity of today’s students to rise to the challenges ahead of them. These gifts represent hope for the future.

Not too far away from Seattle, Washington, is a place called Bridgeville. There was once a young man who would run and play in the hills of Bridgeville, and much later he decided to pursue a higher education. While it was sports that helped inspire him, it was learning and computer information systems that excited him inside the classroom. That young man was Dan Phillips, who has had a wildly successful career in the tech industry, most recently as the chief technology officer at Hulu. Dan went to Bridgeville School, and later to Fortuna High School, College of the Redwoods, and Humboldt State University. After HSU, he started his own business and later worked at TiVo before ascending to the role at Hulu.

I saw Dan’s energy, passion, and more on display recently when he announced a $1 million gift in support of scholarships for students from the Eel River Valley. It was a very special and moving moment when we announced the news of his gift. Dan was excited and proud to make the gift, and all of us were swept up in that same emotion. I can’t thank Dan enough, and I couldn’t be more grateful for the leadership he has shown in encouraging others to give as well.

With the $1 million scholarship, Dan’s goal is to inspire students from where he grew up to go to college.

This new gift expands the scholarship Dan and his wife Cindy previously created to include students from Fortuna, Ferndale, South Fork, and South Trinity high schools. Now students from all of those schools are eligible for a total of $4,000 in scholarships to attend HSU, either directly out of high school or after they transfer from College of the Redwoods.

Dan even included a challenge to others to create similar scholarships at other North Coast schools, saying he will match up to $100,000.

Simply put, Dan thinks young people and education are worth investing in. He says investing in young people is the best way to help a whole community. Every time I’ve had a chance to talk to him, he gets energized about the importance of “stepping up” to support students in their college dreams.

The next teacher, the next researcher, the next scientist, the next physician or nurse, the next Dan Phillips may already be right here, at HSU. Today, hundreds of HSU students each year benefit from scholarships created by donors like Dan. The scholarships open the doors and then help the students stay on track. Our goal is to find scholarships for hundreds more, opening up opportunities to even more students while spreading the word that college dreams are possible.

Be well.

Dr. Tom Jackson Jr. is the president of Humboldt State University.