Jeff and Lisa Sommer P’15 Parents Supporting Men’s Soccer and the Springfield College Fund
“We Could Not Have Found a Better Place for Our Son,” Say Soccer Player’s Parents By Claire Burns
“So, What do you think?,” Lisa Sommer asked her husband Jeff as they were driving home after a tour of Springfield College. Their high school student son Drew had just interviewed with Peter Haley, who was men’s soccer head coach. Jeff replied, “If I’m going to entrust my son to someone, it’s going to be that man.” The Sommers’ experience
with Haley, the men’s soccer program, and Springfield College “turned out to be even more than I expected,” says Jeff. “Drew had been looking for a college with a balanced value of athletics and academics, and also where he would be part of a group of young men who were good people in all connotations of the words. Clearly, he found that here. There’s an underlying ethos —a caring for others in the college commu- nity and beyond—that is well demonstrated and lived by Springfield College people, including his current coach Steffen Siebert,” he adds. Drew has long wanted to become a
program at the President’s Council level. “If our gift supports the athletics programs that most benefit Drew, then the College can use other donations that it receives for [need-based] scholarships,” Jeff reasons. Jeff and Lisa are active
Juniors (front from left) Brian Dunn, Tyler Allen, Joey LaBella and (back from left)
Mike Desroches, Kevin Nowak, Drew Sommer, and Logan Murphy celebrate after the ECAC Championship win.
academic program as very high. “I’m involved in the world of soccer, and people tell me they are amazed by Drew’s growth as a player, teacher, and coach. He gets his own summer jobs because of his qualifications.
physical education teacher and coach. “When our kids were younger, rather than ask ‘what do you want to do when you grow up’—and get the blank response typical of most kids —we said, ‘think of a person whom you’d like to be like.’ Drew would always name his physical education teacher and soccer coach. His twin Alex and older brother Matt would name their mother or grandfather, who are engineers, and that’s the field that they’ve pursued,” Jeff says. “The College’s support for Drew’s athletics
is nothing short of outstanding,” says Jeff, who also describes the quality of Drew’s
TRIANGLE 1 Vol . 85, No. 1
“There’s an underlying ethos — a caring for others in the college
community and beyond — that is well demonstrated and lived by Springfield College people”
We could not have created a better place for Drew,” he says. When Haley retired, Jeff wanted to let him
and the College know of his respect for the coach, so he made a financial gift in Haley’s honor. He and Lisa have continued to contribute to men’s soccer and the athletics
Springfield College parents while managing demanding careers. She is a chemical engineer at DuPont. He has recently been elected Judge of the Court of Common Pleas in Chester County, Pa., after having been a partner in the law firm of Buckley, Brion, McGuire, Morris & Sommer LLP. They are members of the Family Advisory Council, which aims to involve more
parents in feedback, philanthropy, programs, and service. Recently, Jeff was a speaker during Parents Weekend, where he discussed philanthropy for Springfield College. “When you’re making decisions about the
places to put your discretionary contribu- tions, what separates Springfield College from other worthy causes?” he asked the audience. Using the acronym PeG, he continued. “P is for passion. This college is passionate about its mission of developing the spirit, mind, and body and service to others. e is for energy. It has drive, vitality, and excitement to put its mission to work. Passion without energy is like a chicken running around ineffectively with no head. G is for the generosity gene. That’s a deep craving to help others grow and succeed— the students, the College community, and the greater community. It’s instilled in Springfield College. That’s a PeG that I can hang my hat on as a reason to give to this College,” says the committed parent.1
21
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48