Adrienne Dresevic will never forget how she felt the day she and her husband drove to East Lansing to take their first child to college.
MSU and James Madison College seemed the perfect choice for daughter Olivia’s aspirations. Close to home in suburban Detroit, but far enough away to have some space. Yet, no matter how much sense it makes, it is never easy for parents to drive away.
“We did the whole Case Hall freshman move-in day,” Adrienne recalls. “It was very organized and welcoming. There were all these friendly kids in the hallway. And I remember thinking ‘she’s going to have a great time here.’ I really felt comfortable leaving her there.”
That feeling has carried through all four years of Olivia’s MSU experience and continues with her younger sister Sofia now a junior at MSU. And it’s what lies behind Adrienne’s annual gift to the Parents Fund.
“I know that students are having such an excellent experience at MSU,” she says. “I want to support that because I think Michigan State is great.”
Adrienne, who is a busy healthcare attorney, still likes getting the call each year from MSU Greenline and having a chance to talk with students. “It’s a cool little experience,” she says. “And of course I went with it, because it is such a good cause.”
Gifts to the MSU Parents Fund enhance the MSU experience for every student. These gifts go to work immediately to meet the greatest and most urgent needs for supporting students. The funds help ensure MSU can offer cultural events, leadership opportunities, career services, wellness initiatives, and welcoming traditions like move-in day that help define each Spartan’s experience.
These days Olivia is following in her mother’s professional footsteps by attending law school at Wayne State University. And Sofia is busy becoming a packaging engineer.
Their mom may not be a Spartan by degree. But, through her support for Parents Fund, she definitely caught the Spartan spirit.