Planning for the Future in Uncertain Times

Dennis Pannullo '74 knew he wanted to go on to medical school when he came to Kenyon College, but like so many students, in addition to that preparation he graduated with a deeper understanding of how to learn—and how to teach.

"I was a much better physician, not only in communicating with my patients but also in explaining things to their families. I was a much better teacher to my students, all because Kenyon was so collaborative," says Dennis, who is retired as an internist and assistant professor of medicine at University of Massachusetts Medical School.

Dennis gives to Kenyon's annual fund each year, but several years ago he started thinking about a way to make a bigger impact at Kenyon—the place, as he puts it, that "gave me great tools for being meaningful."

So he added a provision for Kenyon to his will and a directed designation from his retirement accounts. It was a decision he didn't expect to have to think much about for another decade, at least.

And then COVID-19 happened.

Dennis found himself more keenly aware of his own mortality and glad he'd already made plans for the future. "I wasn't expecting to face the imminence of death at this age—now with COVID-19, there are unseen traps everywhere. I think because I was a physician, I am more acutely aware of the risks," he says.

Dennis is not alone in taking stock in 2020. The ongoing pandemic has caused many to reflect on the causes they care about and consider the kind of legacy they want to leave some day.

While Dennis himself didn't receive scholarships to attend Kenyon in the early 1970s, he realizes today's tuition can be challenging for students and their families. He chose to allocate part of his gift to scholarship support. "Because I got by by the skin of my teeth, I realized there were other young people who were gifted but not economically advantaged," he says.

He wants to support the close connection with professors that he benefited from as a student majoring in biology. "What Kenyon has meant to me has grown over each passing decade," he says.

Kenyon acknowledges those who have included Kenyon in their estate or retirement plans or have created other types of deferred gifts in favor of the College as members of the George Wharton Marriott Society. Planned gifts make up roughly one-third of all dollars raised annually by the College, supporting everything from financial aid to professorships and allowing Kenyon to plan for its future.

Like many, Dennis takes pride in reading about the everyday and extraordinary accomplishments of his fellow graduates in the class notes section of the Kenyon Alumni Magazine. He's glad to be helping to build the foundation for future students' success through his estate plan.

"I realized I was very lucky to go to Kenyon; Kenyon people can get things done."

You can join Dennis and other generous supporters of Kenyon's future in the George Wharton Marriott Society when you include us in your will or other estate plan. Contact Kate Daleiden at 740-427-5729 or plannedgiving@kenyon.edu for more information.