Gifts surprise Baylor School of Social Work faculty and staff

WACO—Faculty and staff at Baylor University’s School of Social Work lived out O. Henry’s story, “The Gift of the Magi,” when they surprised each other this Christmas with their choice of gifts.

The gifts included neither cut hair nor tortoiseshell combs, but Dean Diana Garland could hardly have been any more surprised than were Jim and Della in the classic Christmas story.

Staff members at the school traditionally make a monetary or material contribution to a nonprofit agency or other worthy cause they have selected as a way to honor the faculty.

Likewise, the faculty has traditionally contributed to a fund to provide a small gift for each staff member.

Participants say the practice always has been a pleasant surprise to each group to discover the final contribution. One year, the staff made dozens of infant sleepers for children in orphanages in the cities of Kramatorsk and Kherson in the Ukraine. Another year, they collected gift items for residents of an elder care facility.  

“We decided several years ago that the best way we could honor and gift our faculty was to contribute to people our faculty teach our students to honor and serve,” said Jeanie Fitzpatrick, assistant to the dean and organizer of the yearly staff gift.

In the spirit of the season, as the faculty group and the staff group busily made their secret plans for gift-giving, an unexpected synchronicity was occurring—one that became apparent just days before the university went on break for the holiday.

“I received two separate e-mails, one from each group, announcing what their gift was, and I didn’t know whether to laugh out loud or fall on my knees in gratitude,” Garland said.

Each group had collected donations to contribute to the recently announced campaign to endow the school, given in the other’s honor.
Kristen Box, the school’s director of development, was astonished.

“That both of these groups feel so strongly about the future of the school and the good work that is accomplished there—and is willing to back it with money—is pretty amazing,” Box said. “It’s something development people dream about!”

It’s a sweet reality for Dean Garland, as well. “I’ve never doubted our staff and faculty’s commitment to our programs, or their calling to the work they do. But these contributions to our endowment campaign brought tears to my eyes. I am so grateful to these wonderful people who allow me to lead them in our joint journey to provide a quality education, and financial aid, for our students.”