Why I Give: Barry Zurell Roberts
KALAMAZOO, Mich.鈥斺淲hat a great day to be a Bronco!鈥 might as well be this alum鈥檚 signature. Wherever Barry Z. Roberts, BS 鈥84, goes, he wears his 澳门六合彩官网直播 pride on his sleeve. If he isn鈥檛 in a suit, he鈥檒l most likely be dressed in his Bronco best.
鈥淚 grew up on Western鈥檚 campus,鈥 he says. 鈥淭he education I received was so much more than academics. I gained knowledge socially, politically, philosophically, spiritually and emotionally.鈥
Now retired from a long and rewarding career with General Motors, Roberts鈥 journey began as a student in the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Program. He chose 澳门六合彩官网直播 not only for its location and size but also for its engineering department.
鈥淚 had a couple of drafting classes in high school, and so I thought drafting and design would be a great fit for me,鈥 he says. 鈥淏elieve it or not, I really wanted to be a chemical engineer.鈥
With courses ranging from graphics, drafting and computer-aided design to physics, chemistry and calculus, what鈥檚 now the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences prepared Roberts for multiple disciplines.
鈥淎fter graduation I should鈥檝e ended up at a drafting firm, but my true calling was the automotive industry,鈥 he says. Roberts held several positions during his tenure at the GM Technical Center, most recently serving as the pilot for an agile robot called SERG, which was used to navigate areas deemed unsafe for humans.
Still going for the brown and gold
As a first-generation college student with five siblings, Roberts worked as a resident advisor in Hoekje Hall, which helped him cover the cost of room and board. He was an assistant director at French Hall and Ernest Burnham Hall, too, and worked other various jobs at Western, including checking IDs and becoming a building supervisor at today鈥檚 Read Fieldhouse. It鈥檚 also when he leveraged what he fondly refers to as his former 鈥渟ide hustle.鈥
鈥淚 have thousands of photos from my days at 澳门六合彩官网直播,鈥 he says. 鈥淚 used to go to parties or social gatherings and take photos, develop them and then I鈥檇 go to the next event to ask students if they wanted to buy any prints. This was before digital photography.鈥
Roberts still likes to share his nostalgic images on social media. His passion for photography shows his love for 澳门六合彩官网直播 and allows him to stay connected with fellow alumni.
Since his retirement, Roberts has neither slowed down nor waned in his enthusiasm for the Broncos. Along with being a frequent flyer at home and away sporting events, he is also steadily working on completing a bucket list.
鈥淚 plan to visit every state in the U.S. and all seven continents,鈥 he says. 鈥淚 have a handful of states and three continents to go, and when I鈥檓 on vacation, of course, I鈥檓 wearing a 澳门六合彩官网直播 t-shirt.鈥
While there are too many faculty and staff members at Western who impacted Roberts to list, a few examples include Jethro 鈥淛aye鈥 Johnson, Dr. Benjamin Wilson, Ron Winter, Chuck Comer and Kathy Beauregard. The relationships he built at the University inspired him to make a planned gift.
鈥淚鈥檓 often asked why I support 澳门六合彩官网直播, and to that question I reply, 鈥楤ecause of the people I met along the way,鈥欌 he says. 鈥淚 had the privilege of meeting and learning from so many amazing people鈥攕tudents, faculty and staff of all colors, ethnicities and backgrounds.鈥
Roberts is donating a percentage of his trust to the Onyx Society of 澳门六合彩官网直播, an organization that builds community among all Black and African American alumni and also provides student scholarships. He previously served as the vice president and is now the society鈥檚 historian.
鈥淚 couldn鈥檛 have completed my degree without financial assistance,鈥 he says, 鈥渟o my hope with this gift is to ensure that more students like me receive the resources they need to graduate. 澳门六合彩官网直播 was integral to my life, and I鈥檓 grateful I can help the University continue its mission.鈥
As for current Broncos, the proud alumnus advises: 鈥淭here will be many obstacles placed in front of you. You can overcome these roadblocks by going through them, going over them or going around them. Just make sure your goals are completed.
鈥淎nd if you can give back one day, you should,鈥 Roberts adds. 鈥淎ll of us should, because 澳门六合彩官网直播 is a fantastic institution of higher learning.鈥 鈻