A commitment, honored

By: Sarah Lippert

As a young married couple with fresh new graduate degrees in hand, David (BBA ’78, MBA ’79) and Debbie (BSED ’78, MED ’79) Rosenthal celebrated their accomplishments over a meal with dear friends in downtown Athens. When the check came, one that “none of us could really afford yet,” David made a commitment to himself: if he was able, he would do his part to help student veterans, like the friends he celebrated with that night, to get through college with more support and community than what his peers had.  

Now, forty-five years later, he and Debbie have delivered on that commitment.  

David and Debbie have been loyal donors to UGA across various initiatives since shortly after they both graduated as Double Dawgs. But one initiative in particular, the David and Debbie Rosenthal Student Veterans Scholarship, is particularly personal for the couple. 

“My two best friends in graduate school were both military veterans. They served our country, one of them in combat in Vietnam, and then received very little support once they returned home. That bothered me, and I remember saying to myself, ‘If I’m ever in a position to help the next generation of military veterans get through college without having to do what these guys did, I will,’” said David. 

Both children of military parents, David and Debbie’s childhoods took them around the country and the globe, ultimately leading to them meeting each other at Valdosta State. According to David, it was fate. 

“I actually thought about going to UGA after I left high school, but it must have been fate that said, ‘No, you need to make a stop at Valdosta State first, your future wife is there waiting for you,’” David said.  

After two years at Valdosta State University, the couple got married during the summer between their sophomore and junior years, then transferred to UGA to finish their undergraduate degrees. The Rosenthals spent their first married years in a “tiny cinder block apartment,” and quickly settled into some of the best years of their lives.  

Fast forward several decades: the Rosenthals have lived in Houston, Dallas, and even abroad in Santiago, Chile, as they raised their two children during David’s 42-year career with ExxonMobil. As the couple became more established, they began to feel the pull to give back at a deeper level. 

“I was inspired by [former] Dean Ayers’ desire to do more at the Terry College of Business for veterans; to help it become a magnet for veterans, where they could be supported and welcomed, and continue their careers,” said David.  

Their scholarship fund and endowment has enabled dozens of student veterans to complete their degrees, and to have a community around them while doing so. Together with the leadership of the Student Veterans Resource Center, they’ve provided financial support for academics, of course. But more importantly to David, their support helps student veterans through life’s road bumps and allows them to experience things they may not have otherwise been able to.  

“We get these letters from the students that share stories like ‘I had a flat tire on the way to campus and thanks to your fund, I was able to replace it.’ Or ‘I had this medical bill, or my child needed this service, or because of your gift, our family was able to do this incredible thing we wouldn’t have been able to afford.’ There are no words to describe the feeling you get from that,” said David.  

For the Rosenthals, that’s what it’s all about. They are creating an environment for students who David calls “the most grateful, appreciative, and hard working group of people I’ve ever seen,” that offers more than his two best friends could’ve imagined decades ago.  

After a luncheon where they met recipients of their scholarship and heard their stories, David tied up his sentiments as poignantly as the yellow ribbons that adorn trees this time of year.  

“Here these people are going out of their way to thank me and Debbie for what we’re doing, and our response is: ‘No, all the thanks go to you.’”