Gifts and Gratitude
SLU: Sloan Family Creates Permanent Home at OWU
The Sloan family’s connection to Ohio Wesleyan traces back to a poster in a high school computer lab in San Marino, California, where Andrew Sloan ’13 first learned about OWU. On the poster was a picture of the Oracle sculpture that stands between Beeghly Library and Chappelear Drama Center.
From there, Andrew decided to visit campus, and his parents met with Pat Kelly, senior associate director of Admission. His mother, Lisa Sloan, remembers the moment almost 10 years ago when Andrew turned to her in Hamilton-Williams Campus Center and said he could picture himself at OWU, “And I thought, ‘Yeah, I could, too,’” she recalls.
Tim Sloan remembers his son’s move-in day, when President Rock Jones, as he does each year, helped students haul boxes of their belongings. “That made such an impression on us and stuck with us for nine years, since the first day Andrew was here,” Tim says.
When it was time for Kathleen Sloan ’16 to look at schools three years later, Andrew convinced his sister to check out OWU, too, and she was sold. The opportunities to get involved, including in Greek life and sports, “really gave me confidence, and that has grown even more post-graduation,” Kathleen says.
“We initially got involved in supporting Ohio Wesleyan because of the admiration we had for Rock and the entire administration. Early on in Andrew’s first or second year, we thought this is a school that we wanted to give back to,” Tim says.
Tim served a term on the Board of Trustees, and both he and Lisa are on the leadership committee of the Connect Today, Create Tomorrow comprehensive campaign. “We said, ‘We’ll be happy to help wherever you think it’s going to make the biggest difference,’” Tim recalls telling Jones about their campaign gift.
The Sloans’ initial $1 million gift, along with other support, allowed for the construction of the Small Living Unit at 94 Rowland Ave. With their recent additional $500,000 gift, the SLU-plex was named the Sloan House at a ceremony held during Reunion Weekend, May 18.
The entire Sloan family, including Samantha Simon Sloan ’14, was in attendance. She found OWU without the benefit of a well-placed poster, but through lacrosse and track. Both Samantha and Kathleen are members of Delta Delta Delta, and it was at a party during Samantha’s sorority bid week that she met Andrew. The couple married in 2014, and they currently live in Washington, D.C., as does Kathleen.
“There are so many blessings that have come to the Sloan family because of Ohio Wesleyan,” says Tim.
Adds Lisa with a laugh, “and because Andrew saw a poster in high school.”