High Point University issued the following announcement on January 3.
HIGH POINT, N.C., Jan. 3, 2022 – The father of a High Point University student has committed a seven-figure gift to support students.
Gary Podell of Long Island, New York, has a long history of supporting High Point University’s Fund for Extraordinary Education, which provides students the opportunity to position their primary focus on building their academic profile, developing life skills and securing internships. Each year, this HPU Fund supports students in achieving those goals by contributing to the more than $73 million in annual scholarship assistance provided to students.
“Through the support and commitment of HPU parents like Mr. Podell, we are able to provide unparalleled resources and experiences for our students,” says HPU President Dr. Nido Qubein. “At HPU, we pride ourselves on lifting our students up and teaching them the necessary life skills to succeed in the world. With the loyalty of alumni, friends and family of the university, we will continue to provide an extraordinary education for our students.”
In honor of Podell’s gift to HPU, the Extraordinaire Cinema in the R.G. Wanek Center will be named after his father, Bertram L. Podell, a former United States Congressman. Bertram Podell was a multi-term representative who served in the New York State Assembly and in the United States House of Representatives for New York. The Bertram L. Podell Extraordinaire Cinema is a multi-use theater that offers complimentary films, a faculty film series, special presentations and a large group meeting space.
“The Extraordinaire Cinema is a truly remarkable space that demonstrates HPU’s mission of instilling life skills within the minds of students, while also creating areas where they can relax and unwind,” says Podell. “I am honored to be in a position to support HPU and memorialize my father’s legacy at a place that means so much to our family. I hope that my gift and actions can inspire others to support this great institution that has provided so much for them.”
Podell graduated from the Maurice A. Deane School of Law at Hofstra University in 1991 and has had a successful career as an attorney. He resides in Long Island, New York, with his wife, Rachel.
Original source can be found here.
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