Naomi and Dirk Durant: Holiday giving establishes endowed music scholarships
(Generosity Matters is a series of spotlight stories about those who give back to Augustana College.)
Christmas at Augustana is a beloved tradition during the holiday season. Parents, alumni, friends and community members travel near and far to attend Augustana performances and participate in the joyous season.
Naomi (Berggren) and Dirk Durant, lifelong Kansas residents who moved to the Twin Cities two years ago, aren't Augustana alumni – but Augustana runs in Naomi's family. Her father, Carl Wendell Berggren, and uncle, Ralph Berggren, graduated from Augustana Seminary in 1956 and 1962, respectively. More recently, members of Naomi's family have served as faculty members in Augustana's music program.
"We have seen generosity, and it is a beautiful thing."
It's these connections that inspired Naomi and Dirk to travel across the Midwest and experience Christmas at Augustana firsthand. They were so inspired by the festivities, they made a generous gift to the college.
Their gift, which was matched by the Gerber Grand Challenge in Philanthropy, helped the college establish two endowed scholarships, ensuring that students who participate in music programs at Augustana have the opportunity to focus on what matters most: their education and their music.
"We want others to have some of the same help we were given," said Naomi. "We want to make it a little easier to experience college without spending too many hours working to afford it.”
Naomi and Dirk understand the rising costs of college and tuition. Scholarships are more important than ever to help students afford a college education and to lessen the burden of debt after college.
Both retired, Naomi worked in law firms and corporations as a legal typist, and Dirk worked as an accountant and financial analyst. They have no children, but have many siblings, nieces and nephews back in Kansas and in Nebraska.
When asked for the driving factor behind this generous gift to Augustana's music programs, Naomi and Dirk cited their pay-it-forward philosophy.
"We have seen generosity, and it is a beautiful thing," explained Naomi. "To whom much has been given, much will be expected, or required."