Donor Spotlight
Chris Mundy
I do not believe it is the size of the gift that matters, but the act and exercise of giving. The longer you can support something you believe in and love, the better. Being charitable or philanthropic is a choice, and more people need to be invited to participate. The benefits for all parties can be life-altering.
Michigan State Athletics has received a leadership commitment from alum Chris Mundy ('96) that creates a new endowed scholarship in honor of his parents.
The Gerald and Elizabeth Mundy Family Endowed Scholarship will support student-athletes from Michigan, with a preference given to those from areas north of Clare and playing an Olympic sport. The Mundy family's passion for MSU and all it embodies runs deep. Chris' parents met in East Lansing in 1965, dated their remaining years of college, and got engaged on Grand River Avenue. The couple had two children, Chris and Meaghan, both of whom attended Michigan State. MSU's land-grant roots, agricultural focus, diverse fields of study and competitive collegiate sports in the Big Ten and nationally are all things that make the Mundy family proud to support Michigan State University.
Chris Mundy: “Some of my youngest memories as a child were taking trips to East Lansing, walking Grand River, and going to Spartan Stadium to see George Perles with Lorenzo White and Dave Yarema leading the team. Visits to Jenison Field House were also special with stories of Earvin “Magic” Johnson and Greg Kelser and the '79 National Championship team. With my parents being alums and instilling in me at a young age the appreciation for MSU and the school's land grant roots, this only made my love, pride, and respect that much stronger.
Human relationships are central to the collegiate experience, especially the athletic team experience. As alumni, we cannot emphasize enough the importance of communicating your goals and dreams to your peers, professors, administrators, and fellow alumni. This allows us to support you in all that you dream to achieve.
I was raised by a family with strong values and convictions about giving back, helping others, sharing your resources, and being generous, empathetic, and compassionate. My family history combined with my own personal MSU experiences has ignited a flame of passion that I want to symbolize through my gifts and create a legacy that will live on in perpetuity honoring my family's love for MSU.
Reflecting on my time at Michigan State, I am most proud of working my entire way through college and helping my parents with tuition. I am proud of attending and graduating from the same university my parents attended and having that shared experience for the love of the green and white. I am super proud of the friends I made, some are my best friends to this day. The relationships I established in East Lansing have been vital to the growth of my business and its success in Chicago. Family and friends are the most important things to me, and these relationships all have ties to East Lansing and Michigan State University.
The goals of my philanthropic efforts are three-fold. I hope to see an immediate impact on the Spartan student-athletes we support, alleviating stress, and allowing more time to commit to academics and their specific sport. Finding a career and profession that you love allows you to thrive. I aim to be a role model for student-athletes and my peers alike, hoping they will be inspired to give back in some capacity, and realize the college experience is a foundation for their life, personally and professionally.
I hope the MSU collegiate experience can truly create tomorrow's leaders who think critically and are ambitious problem solvers, but at their core, realize the importance of helping others and giving back.”