Modelska Shares How the Return on Your Donation Can be Enormous
A photo of Modelska in Red Square in Moscow, Russia (then the Soviet Union) with a friend from Latvia right after she graduated UH. Modelska went just before the wall fell to practice her Russian language skills.
A photo of Modelska in Red Square in Moscow, Russia (then the Soviet Union) with a friend from Latvia right after she graduated UH. Modelska went just before the wall fell to practice her Russian language skills.
Maria Modelska has spent many years on the University of Houston campus. She first came to UH as an undergraduate student and then returned nearly 20 years later to work as associate director of research programs in the Cullen College of Engineering. She is not only a double alumna, earning a master's in 2014, and an employee, but also a donor.
Modelska has chosen to give back to her alma mater through payroll deduction, a choice that reflects her steadfast loyalty to the school. She explains why she chooses to support UH through this unconventional method, "I'm a Houstonian. I was born and raised here. This is my university. I feel passionate about its mission, and I want to ensure its success."
In 1988, she earned a bachelor's degree in Spanish and Russian languages from UH, where she would occasionally spot Olympian Carl Lewis and his sister Carol on their way to training. In 2007, she returned to campus to work at the Cullen College of Engineering. She felt she had entered a "time warp;" the campus was exactly the same as when she'd attended as an undergraduate student. However, that feeling didn’t last long because the campus soon began to change. Modelska credits UH President and UHS Chancellor Renu Khator with the University's positive transformation. She points out, "UH has become a Tier One Research University, raising our reputation locally and globally. I’m excited to be a part of this transformation."
"If I can make a difference in a small way, if I can make a difference toward someone getting a scholarship or being able to afford to take a class, that's so meaningful. I want to help other people have that experience."
This past May, she joined the Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture and Design as their research liaison, describing how the job change has given her a fresh perspective, "I hadn’t fully realized how design impacts so many aspects of our daily lives. There are so many points of collaboration between architects and engineers, and I look forward to supporting those connections."
No matter where she works on campus, though, she sees the same innovative thinking and enthusiasm in the students and faculty she works with: "The whole idea of that lightbulb moment for someone — that's just priceless."
She understands firsthand the significance of a donation in supporting those moments. "The return on your investment can be enormous. Maybe it's because I'm on the inside, but I see it on a daily basis. Whether it's $5 or $10, every increment adds up,” Modelska says. “If I can make a difference in a small way, if I can make a difference toward someone getting a scholarship or being able to afford to take a class, that's so meaningful. I want to help other people have that experience."
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