(from left) UI Center for Advancement President and CEO, Lynette Marshall; UI President Barbara Wilson; Charles and Mary Sukup; Charles and Mary Sukup UI REACH Director William Loyd Jr., and UI College of Education Dean Daniel Clay.
Gift creates Charles and Mary Sukup UI REACH Directorship
Thursday, September 12, 2024
Thanks to a generous gift from the Charles Sukup family, UI REACH will continue to grow and sustain excellence under strong leadership for years to come.
The Charles and Mary Sukup UI REACH Directorship Fund and the Charles and Mary Sukup UI REACH Excellence Fund have been created with this gift.
Charles and Mary are huge advocates and supporters of the UI REACH program. Their son, Andrew, is a proud graduate of UI REACH.
UI REACH (Realizing Educational and Career Hopes) is nested in the UI College of Education and is a comprehensive transition program for college-age students with intellectual, cognitive, and learning disabilities. UI REACH offers an integrated college experience in a caring and structured environment.
Mary and Charles Sukup with son, Andrew, a UI REACH alumnus
"We have been very blessed. Our son, Andrew, completed the UI REACH certificate program in 2012 and we have witnessed the direct impact the program can have on student success and how he has further developed and blossomed," says Charles.
Mary adds, "We are pleased to provide support that will help the UI REACH program continue to change the lives of students in the future."
Academics, career and transition, social growth, and campus life are areas of focus. UI REACH is a four-year program with early graduation options. The program celebrated its 15th anniversary in 2023. More than 250 students from across Iowa and the nation have completed the certificate program since its inception.
William Loyd Jr. is the first named Charles & Mary Sukup UI REACH Director. He was honored at a Sukup Directorship Investiture Ceremony on Sept. 6. The ceremony recognized the naming and honored the Sukups for their significant contribution and support. Loyd has served as the UI REACH director for the past six years, joining the college in 2018.
In the fall of 2024, the UI REACH program welcomed 29 new students for a total of 75 currently enrolled UI REACH students.
"I am honored and humbled to be named the first Charles and Mary Sukup UI REACH Director, " Loy says. "Thanks to the Sukup family's generosity, we will be able to continue to help even more students like Andrew lead successful and independent lives. It takes a village, and we are grateful that the Sukup family is part of our village."
