Jim Jarosik ‘77

On a recent visit to Grosse Pointe, Jim Jarosik '77 toured University Liggett School for the first time in many years. In some ways, Jarosik saw the school with fresh eyes, as he experienced a whole new ULS, physically improved by many upgrades over the years. Yet the authentic feel of the school remained intact, strong enough to transport Jarosik right back to his own years as a student. 

ULS was instrumental in building the confidence and assuredness needed to work with individuals at the top of the business world, even from the age of 22 or 23, Jarosik says. "I went to school with Fords and Hudsons and Strohs, but also with kids from around metro Detroit," he says. Then, as now, everyone benefited from the blended diversity at ULS he says. "It's clear they are continuing to fulfill that mission."

Though he's long given back financially to ULS, Jarosik supports providing opportunities to those with ability and need, as well as enriching the music and economics programs at the school.

Through planned giving, Jarosik is helping secure ULS’s future, a taste of which he experienced when he walked the halls of the Manoogian Arts Wing, impressive, he says, in its size and breadth of focus. He looked in on the library, and the Middle School, before moving on to the Lower School, where he spent fourth and fifth grades, attending class with fellow students who remain his close friends, even today.

But what impressed Jarosik most was the positive energy he soaked up during his tour, courtesy of the current student body. Perhaps he even saw a glimmer of himself in each of them, and recognized that enthusiasm so common among ULS students."You can see it on their faces," Jarosik says. "They are making progress toward their individual purposes, and achieving purpose in life is pretty darn important."

Doris Ann Shover Brucker ‘47 CDS

Doris Ann Shover Brucker '47 CDS has always been deeply grateful to her alma mater, Grosse Pointe Country Day School (CDS), for fostering her love of lifelong learning and igniting a passion for discovery. To honor the school that had such a profound impact on her, Doris decided to include University Liggett School (ULS) in her estate plan, ensuring that future generations of students would benefit from the same enriching educational experiences she enjoyed. "By including ULS in my estate plan, my hope is that future students will experience the same exciting, far-reaching educational opportunities I had at CDS," she shared.

Doris's connection to ULS is personal and enduring, shaped by influential teachers who sparked her lifelong passions.

Her English teacher, Dorothy Arms, instilled a deep love for literature and writing, while her art teacher, Miss Gaines, opened her eyes to diverse artistic mediums and theories. 

Throughout her life, Doris has remained actively engaged with the school, serving as Vice President of the Alumni Association, a member of the Board of Trustees, and an active participant in the Parents' Association. Through her planned gift, Doris continues to give back to the school that gave her so much, ensuring a legacy of excellence for generations to come.