Elizabethtown College is a place that Scott D. ’92 and Jenny K. (Mahan) ’94 Habecker hold close to their hearts. Not only is Etown the place where their relationship began, it is also where they received a high-quality education that set them up for future success.
Scott and Jenny recognize that their Etown experiences would not have been possible without the grants and scholarships they received. It is with this in mind that the Hummelstown couple recently made the generous decision to include the College in their estate planning and establish a gift of future support that will benefit Etown students who need financial assistance.
“Jen and I both appreciate the solid education we were able to obtain, but affordability was certainly an issue,” Scott said. “Both of us received meaningful assistance along the way, and we feel very fortunate since not everyone has that type of help. We know financial hurdles are often too high for some very qualified prospective students, preventing them from attending. It is our hope that we can help some future students who would otherwise not be able to afford an Etown education.”
Scott was a senior Accounting major and Jenny was a sophomore studying Occupational Therapy when they met in the fall of 1991 at a friend’s off-campus house and then kept running into each other on campus. “Once I knew him, I seemed to see him everywhere!” Jenny said.
They maintained their relationship as Jenny continued her studies and Scott graduated in May 1992 and took a job in Harrisburg. Jenny graduated in May 1994, and they married in December of that year.
While at Etown, Scott was a member of the golf team. He fondly recalls playing on the team’s home course at the Hershey Country Club and taking spring break training trips to Pinehurst, North Carolina. As an OT major, Jenny said she spent quite a bit of time at the library. She was a member of the concert band, worked weekends as a dispatcher for campus safety, and enjoyed running around Lake Placida.
Following graduation, Jenny worked as an occupational therapist in adult rehabilitation for about 10 years before transitioning to full-time parenting of their two daughters. She is an active community volunteer with the Penn State Hershey Children’s Hospital, Cocoa Packs, and Girls on the Run and serves as a Court Appointed Special Advocate for youth in foster care through CASA of Lancaster and Lebanon counties.
Scott started his career at the accounting firm Ernst & Young and later served in financial roles at a nonprofit long-term care organization and as CFO for a pharmacy services provider. For the last 15 years, he has worked for Diakon -- a nonprofit organization that operates retirement communities and social service programs -- serving as Chief Operating and Financial Officer for several years and as President & CEO since 2021.
Scott and Jenny are grateful to the College and those who provided the support that allowed them to enjoy the full Etown experience.
“We would simply encourage others to think about the help they received along the way and how they might return the favor,” Scott and Jenny said. “Planned gifts can help Etown strengthen cash reserves and endowment funds over time, ultimately providing perpetual support to critical activities like scholarship assistance.”
If you have included the College in your estate plan or would like to do so, contact Mark A. Clapper ’96, Executive Director of Legacy Planning and Engagement, at clapperm@etown.edu or 717-361-1499 .