Why I Give to Wartburg...

John Sauer, a '78 Wartburg graduate in business and accounting, recently shared with the college his intentions to include Wartburg in his estate plans. John has been a faithful supporter of Wartburg College for more than 30 years, and he's always wanted to do what he could to give back to the college.

"Wartburg had a significant impact on my life, and sharing a portion of my estate to support the college's future work really leaves me with a good feeling of being able to share my blessings in this way. We need schools that are healthy and strong. I want to help ensure that Wartburg continues to provide the kind of educational experience I enjoyed," he says.

John speaks fondly of his Wartburg days, and especially recalls meaningful relationships with professors. "I particularly remember Professor Andreessen, who kind of took me under his wing. He believed in me and helped me to believe in myself," he says. "Wartburg's smaller class sizes made possible opportunities for these kinds of relationships, while also providing a challenging and top-notch learning experience that prepared me well for my future career. It gave me a good foundation."

John retired earlier this year after a successful and rewarding career of 30 years with St. Paul Traveler's Company in St. Paul, Minn. In addition to plans to travel a bit, he's also looking forward to exploring new challenges and opportunities, including having the time to volunteer more regularly. Along those lines, John recently committed to serving on Wartburg's Planned Giving Advisory Council, a new initiative in the college's development department designed to strengthen and advance Wartburg's efforts in the area of planned and deferred gifts. John mentioned that connecting more closely with Wartburg again was something he was looking forward to, and he sees this as an opportunity to do that.