Giving Back to Help Others In The Way She Was Helped

In the fall of her junior year at Cornell, Beth Homberg Bull '90 was afraid she might have to leave college due to an unexpected family financial emergency. She never forgot the dignity with which she was treated and the resulting aid and work-study position that allowed her to stay in school.

"I had to plead my case, I was heard, and nobody made me feel less than because I had to do this well past the last minute," she says.

As a result, Cornell students today have access to the Elizabeth Homberg Bull '90 Endowed Scholarship, which she is setting up to allow others with financial need to attend college.

"If people hadn't given, there wouldn't have been any money there to help me out. It's really important to me that I make every effort to provide financial assistance so others may be able to continue their schooling the way it was afforded to me," she says. "The education I received from Cornell has contributed greatly to my success in business. I feel privileged to be able to give back and help others receive the same quality education I did."

Bull came to Cornell from Wisconsin and has lived in the Chicago area since graduating with an English degree. She always planned to work in business but majored in English because she loves reading and discovered she preferred English classes to business classes.

And it prepared her well.

"With all the English courses I can write a really good email that gets to the bottom of what needs to be done. And I can run a really good meeting-short and to the point," she says.

One of her favorite professors was Stephen Lacey '65, with whom she took the Shakespeare play course and the England block. She enjoyed the quintessential campus feel of the Hilltop and the fact that almost everyone lived on campus, making it a strong, interactive community.

She was also drawn to the block plan.

"One Course At A Time attracted me," she recalls. "I like to procrastinate on things I don't like. One Course At A Time helps you compartmentalize. As you go into your career and life it helps you prioritize and focus."

Bull has worked in the financial industry since 1991 for the same company, First Trust Portfolios, starting as an administrative assistant and working her way to partner and senior vice president. She describes her work as behind-the-scenes, working with logistics, filings with the SEC, and making sure things get done properly and in the right time frame. She volunteers for projects, and likes challenges and streamlining processes at the firm.

As a hobby Bull renovates the homes she lives in, later selling them. So while she has been with her employer for over 30 years, the longest she has lived in a house is seven years.

"I'm good at my job and like my job," she says, "and it funds all the real estate I like to take on."

Deserving students are grateful that she also generously funds an endowed scholarship that helps provide them with a Cornell education.

Curious about how to do what Beth has done?

With a minimum gift of $50,000, you, too, can establish a named Endowed Scholarship Fund at Cornell. Flexible funding options allow you to reach the minimum threshold over time. Continuing in perpetuity, the Fund grows while providing a permanent and consistent income stream for scholarships. A strong Endowment allows Cornell to be as affordable as possible.