Why I Give
Every gift to Saint Ignatius High School tells a story—of gratitude, of belief, and hope for the future.
Explore the personal stories behind the support and discover the many reasons why our community chooses to give.
"I wanted to do something for Saint Ignatius that exemplified the value I received from my education here."
Pat Macoska '69
For Pat Macoska ’69, building a musical instrument for Saint Ignatius High School was more than a pipe dream. In 2015, he completed the magnificent pipe organ residing in St. Mary of the Assumption Chapel.
“I wanted to do something for Saint Ignatius that exemplified the value I received from my education here.”
It is fitting, then, that his gift combined both of his career tracks: architecture and music.
“As a kid, I was always interested in how things worked, so I took a keen interest in the organ as a freshman at Saint Ignatius,” he explains. He credits the Jesuit learning model of textbook theory combined with critical thinking and reasoning skills for providing the basis for success in school as well as in his professional life. “The emphasis at Saint Ignatius is not only on learning, but also on having a love of learning, of being inquisitive, of developing interests in new things. That has served me well in all that I’ve done.”
In 1968, during his junior year retreat, Macoska met Fr. Jim Serrick, S.J. who was building a pipe organ for the retreat house. It was an experience Macoska never forgot. And when the pipe organ at Gesu parish in Detroit was recently decommissioned, Fr. Serrick made several ranks of pipes available for the project at Saint Ignatius. Macoska used his training in architecture to design how the organ would fit into the space in an aesthetically pleasing way. He used his knowledge of music to select and arrange the 1,230 pipes so they would speak to the congregation as well as beautify the chapel. “It was a challenge to build the organ in Michigan when it was going to be installed in Cleveland. But amazingly it was assembled in two weeks by four people once it arrived on campus,” he explains.
Macoska’s advice to the Saint Ignatius students of today? Invent careers out of activities you love.
"If you've been fortunate in life, it only makes sense to make a financial impact for those who need help"
Christ Schraff '65
By Gay Eyerman
In 1961, Chris Schraff was a freshman at Saint Ignatius—and the world was a different place. "It was the calm before the storm," Chris recalls. "We weren't far into the 1960s turmoil yet. We were among the last of the classes to share our parents' belief that you work hard, go to school, get a great job and life will be OK. We graduated and found things were more challenging than we expected."
Chris rose to the challenge—and then some. He knew how to work hard, paying his own tuition with an after—school job as a messenger for Jones Day law firm in downtown Cleveland. He went on to earn a bachelor's degree from John Carroll University and his law degree from the University of Notre Dame Law School. Chris is now an attorney with Porter Wright in Columbus, Ohio, where he was named Environmental Lawyer of the Year by Best Lawyers® in 2010.
Life at Saint Ignatius
Coming from Cleveland's east side, Chris says Saint Ignatius "opened my eyes to kids from all over the city." He took part on the debate team and was inspired by teachers like Mr. Fleck in Latin, who "gently prodded me to work harder, with competitions between homerooms." And Fr. James Von Tobel "was a great role model for young men. He ran a tight ship in the classroom but would also shoot baskets with us."
In the 1960s, Chris describes the "Men for Others" culture as a feeling of being connected to other students, all carrying a heavy academic load. "But it was not just about us. In our sodality, we did works of charity and prayer."
Giving Back
While still in college, Chris served on the Saint Ignatius Alumni Council. "I couldn't contribute financially at that point, but it made me aware of students in need. When I was successful as a professional, I started making annual contributions and funding a life insurance policy for the school as part of my estate plan." An avid reader of history and biographies, Chris also loves donating books to the school library.
"If you've been fortunate in life and accumulated assets, it only makes sense to make a financial impact for those who need help," Chris believes. "Not just impoverished families but even the middle class struggle to pay for a Saint Ignatius education. That's an incentive to me."
Chris finds great reward in funding a legacy that will continue when he is gone. "I'm not sure I'd be where I am now without Saint Ignatius High School. It was wonderful preparation for life after high school—for college, setting goals, building discipline. It was an educational foundation for life."
"My dad's family was not well off. He would never have been able to attend Saint Ignatius - but a relative stepped forward with the tuition in 1942."
Martin J. Stock '80
Imagine endowing a scholarship at Saint Ignatius while you're still paying your own children's tuition. Sounds like a leap of faith… or insanity?
Marty Stock '80 has done just that. Marty has been in the advertising business for 27 years. He is now director of account management for Draftfcb (formerly Foote, Cone & Belding), one of the oldest ad agencies in the country.
Marty endowed a scholarship in honor of his father, Robert T. Stock '46, a Notre Dame graduate, member of the 101st Airborne in Korea and writer for the Plain Dealer for 30 years.
"My dad's family was not well off. He would never have been able to attend Saint Ignatius - but a relative stepped forward with the tuition in 1942." The school made an enormous impact on his father, a man Marty describes as "a deeply religious man …with a great sense of humor. He believed that what sets the school apart is the Ignatian approach to God and man and your role in life."
Marty believes his father would be surprised and touched by the scholarship in his honor. "He would say 'It's good you're using your money for a scholarship instead of beer!'" And he'd probably be humbled by his son's commitment to help other families who cannot afford the full tuition. "So many kids have potential but may not be in a school system that can expand on that."
As a student, Marty had to work hard in the rigorous Jesuit program, but over the years he came to appreciate the quality of the education. "I came out believing I could do almost anything."
Marty has three children who attended Jesuit Loyola Academy in Chicago. He is still paying both high school and college tuition, but is convinced "there's no time like the present. If you wait 'til it feels comfortable, you'll never do it!"