For many descendants of Berea alumni, generosity is an inherent part of life. That has certainly been the experience for Muneer Satter.

My mother’s commitment to helping others fundamentally influenced my life’s choices and shaped our view of philanthropy,” Muneer said, reflecting on the Patricia Templeton Satter Scholarship Fund, names in honor of his mother.

“We are fortunate to be in the position to give back. We can help create real and sustainable change in the lives of Berea students, especially those who have great promise and limited economic resources.”

Muneer and his wife, Kristen Hertel, give to Berea through the Satter Foundation, a Chicago-based foundation the pair created in 1997. Their vision was to help create a world where all people—no matter where or in what circumstances they are born—have the resources and opportunities to live a free, educated, prosperous, and healthy life. Muneer says this vision, largely inspired by his mother, is one of the greatest lessons she passed on to them. “By supporting Berea, we can help someone else find his or her voice and help make this world a better place, as my mother worked to do.”

As a student at Berea, Patricia’s generous spirit and fierce dedication to equality motivated her to join the civil rights movement, despite the dangers to her own well-being.

“Marching in the Deep South as a white woman in the 1950s was considered radical, but my mother did not pay attention,” Muneer explained.  “Like the founders of Berea College, my mother believed in her core that all people are created equal and should have the same opportunities and resources as others. Berea College gave her the opportunity to positively express herself and help change the world.”

Muneer believes Berea is still providing students with inspiration and tools to make a positive impact in the world.

“The Satter Foundation seeks to empower the powerless,” he said, “by investing in innovative leaders with big ideas who are tackling some of the world’s most difficult challenges: human rights abuses, poverty, educational disparities, disease, environmental issues, lack of mental health resources, and more. These are the types of leaders Berea College produces.”