Transforming lives through an estate gift

Growing up gay in a small town in southern Minnesota wasn’t easy for Kevin Grose ’72, who recalls being beaten up in school halls.

“At that time, there was nothing you could do. You couldn’t say a word,” he says.

Once on the Hill as a student, Grose found St. Olaf College was a more affirming environment. Even though the college’s stance at the time — the late 1960s — was “don’t ask, don’t tell,” students were more accepting and faculty members were supportive.

“St. Olaf was a first step in healing the wounds of my childhood,” Grose says. “I’m so appreciative of that.”

The opportunity to study abroad as an Ole had an immeasurable impact on Grose’s life. For six months during his junior year, he studied at the Institute for American Universities in Aix-en-Provence, France. He navigated living on his own for the first time and fully immersed himself in European culture, expanding his language skills and traveling to other parts of the continent.

“My eyes were opened to a more cosmopolitan, more engaging atmosphere in France,” he says. “My experience there profoundly changed my view of the world.”

Inspired by his own college experience and study abroad, Grose has named St. Olaf as a beneficiary of his estate, establishing an endowed scholarship that will provide financial aid to students who are participating in international and off-campus study, and who are committed to supporting LGBTQIA+ issues and campus organizations. Grose hopes his gift will encourage students to step into transformative opportunities that help shape their identities and prepare them for lives of impact.

“Studying and living independently in France absolutely had the biggest impact on me,” Grose says. “It was a very positive experience that left a seed in my mind about international opportunities that were life-enhancing and also congenial.”

Grose spent his entire career abroad after earning a B.A. in history from St. Olaf and an M.S. in library science at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. After serving in the U.S. Peace Corps, Grose worked in information management and communications in the United Nations Environment Program in Kenya, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature in Switzerland, and the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change in Germany. Grose retired from international work in 2012 and is now a communications consultant living in New York City with his partner.

Grose chose to include St. Olaf in his estate simply because he believes higher education as an institution is forward-thinking.

“By contributing to students’ welfare and their education, I’m offering an opportunity into the future,” he says. “I hope that the students who receive this scholarship are able to immerse themselves in another culture, to truly live there, and have their lives enriched or maybe even transformed by the experience.”

You can make the future brighter for Oles by making a gift through your estate, just like Kevin did. Please contact our Development Team, who can answer questions and partner with you as you consider how to structure your St. Olaf legacy, with no obligation. Simply call 800-776-6523 or plannedgiving@stolaf.edu.