During her college search, Betsy A. Bender ’86 included Elizabethtown College on her short list because of its Communications program, tennis team, and proximity to home. But it was the College’s welcoming and nurturing environment and friendly campus community that convinced Betsy to make Etown her home for the next four years.
“This was true from the very first time I interacted with the admissions office as an applicant to my last day on campus as a student and every time I’ve gone back for a visit,” Betsy said. “The College has stayed true to its values, and that’s a very special thing to perpetuate.”
While on campus, Betsy fully immersed herself in the Etown experience. She was a four-year member of the women’s tennis team; served as a DJ and music director at WWEC-AM and as a producer for the first ECTV show; was a student assistant to the Communications Department chair; and worked a semester-long internship in the newsroom of WMAR-TV Baltimore. She and her friends enjoyed going to on-campus movies and weekly dances, grabbing a whoopie pie from the Back Door Bakery, and participating in TGIS (Thank Goodness It’s Spring) weekends.
A Communications major, Betsy has held positions in the marketing, corporate communications, and public relations fields. The Severna Park, Maryland, resident credits Etown’s supportive community and educational excellence with preparing her well for a very rewarding career and fulfilling life of leadership and service. It is this belief that prompted Betsy and her husband, Brian J. Lewbart, to make a gift of future support to Etown that will help future generations of students.
“I carried the lessons I learned in the classroom about hard work, preparation, collaboration, and excellence with me throughout my career,” Betsy said. “My participation on the tennis team and the camaraderie built there informed my leadership style when I built teams of my own at work. Etown’s ‘Educate for Service’ motto taught me as a student and reminds me as an adult to give my time, talents, and treasure to the organizations and missions most important to me.”
Betsy and Brian have established two funds as permanent endowments through their estate: the Bender/Lewbart Department of Communications Fund and the Bender/Lewbart Tennis and Wellness Fund. The Communications Fund will be used to supplement students’ classroom education and prepare them for employment or community service in the communications profession, while the Tennis and Wellness Fund will support the Etown men’s and women’s tennis teams and enhance fitness, health, and wellness programs through athletics or the Bowers Center for Sports, Fitness and Well-Being.
“We hope that our gift of future support will provide opportunities for students to be similarly prepared to make a good life and create better communities,” Betsy said.
Several years ago, Betsy changed gears and stepped away from her career to explore other interests, including writing a memoir, researching her genealogy, and giving back to her community. She served on the board of the Girl Scouts of Central Maryland for nine years, is a current member of the advocacy committee for the Anne Arundel County Public Library system, and volunteers for the Maryland Responds Medical Reserve Corps. She is a lifelong tennis player and enjoys strength training, hiking, gardening, and traveling with her husband.
Betsy encouraged others who may be looking to invest in Etown’s future to consider not only their passions when selecting beneficiaries but also their options for making a lasting contribution.
“Giving to Etown has the potential for exponential impact, with those benefiting in the short-term going on to benefit others and their communities,” she said. “This perpetual cycle of service made our Etown experience possible, which gave us a foundation for the careers we’ve had, the friends we’ve made, and the lives we’ve led.”
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 .