Springfield COllege
263 Alden Street Springfield, MA 01109-3797
Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage P A I D
Saratoga Springs, NY 12866 Permit No. 462
Even a speck of dust, when it piles up, can be a mountain.
Hitomaru “Maru” Aoki ’08, G’11,—like many young people today— is looking to establish his professional career (read: job hunting in a bad economy). One of the many ways in which Aoki stands out is that he decided to become a donor to the Springfield College Fund in spite of that, sharing some of what he has saved.
From Kamakura, Japan, Aoki came to Springfield College as a physical education major after the athletic director and physical therapist at his high school in Westchester, N.Y., suggested he look at the College. He went on to get his master’s in sport management here.
So why has he chosen this time to become a Springfield College Fund donor? “That is not an easy answer,” says Aoki. “But at the end of the day, giving back to where you belong is just a normal thing you’re supposed to do. That’s what friends do. That’s what family members do.
“It’s not about the money that I give, it’s the way I communicate and the way I connect. It’s an investment for myself, an investment in Springfield College, and an investment in future students so they can receive the same or better opportunities than I did,” he says.
“In my culture, there’s a saying that even a speck of dust can become a mountain when it piles up. If there are a lot of people giving to the College, maybe my gift can be part of that. And I will know that I donated to something. You work hard every day and it pays off. When you train for a marathon … you start with a mile and at the end of your training you’ve finished the 26.2 marathon. It’s the same thing.
the Springfield College Fund New Year. New name. Same mission.
“This makes sense to me,” Aoki concludes. “I don’t hesitate to help people so why don’t I just extend that more?”
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