Philanthropy in Action: Graduate Hopes to Pay it Forward

May 2019 graduate Colten Buzard got his start in digital marketing in 2016 with an internship supported by the George Andress Taaffe Jr. Endowed Fund for Economics. The fund was established in memory of Mr. Taaffe ’68 by his widow, Natalie Davis Taaffe Hoffman ’68, and close friends, John ’59/P’92 and Nancy Watkins Dunham’ 64/P’92.

Colten held a number of summer and school-year jobs and internships in his field—some overlapping—while majoring in economics, minoring in communication arts, playing defense on the Gators football team, and serving with the Andover, Ohio, volunteer fire department. Now employed as a digital marketing consultant and software developer, Colten would like to give back by, as he writes, starting “programs in my hometown to help bright young kids who don’t have many opportunities,” noting that “there were many times where I could have used mentorship and support.” 

We have no doubt that Colten will be a terrific role model, just like George, Natalie, John, and Nancy before him.