Investing in the Next Generation

As a former student-athlete, Bix Whitcomb (BA, English, ’69) can relate to the challenges of balancing academics, sports, and a job. “When I was a senior, carrying a full load with a 3.5 GPA and working 20 hours a week, I set a record in my swimming event at the regionals,” says Bix. “My performance qualified me to go to nationals. However, due to constant fatigue, I came down with mononucleosis and never got to enjoy my lifelong goal. No athlete or worthy student should ever have to go through a similar disappointment merely due to lack of funds.”

In 2007, he established the Bix B. Whitcomb Scholar/Athlete Scholarship, which Sable Villaescusa (in photo with Bix) has received for the past three years. “When I think of Sable and the growth I have seen in her as a top athlete and a high-achieving student, I can only smile and feel that there is goodness and hope in the world,” he says.

Bix has dedicated a significant portion of his estate to support Chico State students and has established two other scholarships. He says that after retiring as a schoolteacher, he began to miss making a difference in others’ lives. “I decided that giving back to education would be the best way to make a difference. Little did I know that, five years later, I would have an extended family of Chico State students, alumni, and faculty.”

To learn how to create your own legacy gift, contact the Office of Planned Giving at 877-862-4426 or email Gary Salberg at gsalberg@csuchico.edu.