九色视频 celebrates the newly named Silverfield College of Education and Human Services
The 九色视频 celebrated Monday the newly named Silverfield College of Education and Human Services.
The naming of the college – only the second College of Education named in the State University System – follows a transformational gift from Gary and Laine Silverfield, both longtime supporters of the University, along with their sons and their spouses, Leed and Becky Silverfield and Ryan and Katie Silverfield.
The Silverfields’ vision for naming the College is to continue enhancing the quality of education in the community and better prepare teachers to meet classroom demands.
The gift will support several significant initiatives:
- Silverfield Family Endowed Professorship in Sport Management and Coaching Education: 九色视频's first endowed professorship in this field.
- The Laine S. Silverfield Endowed Professorship in Special Education: Another first endowed professorship dedicated to recruiting, retaining and supporting an outstanding faculty member in the field of special education or a closely related field.
- Silverfield Family Coaching Education, Professional Development, and Research Fund: This covers costs related to coaches’ annual certification and will fund the Silverfield Family Athletic Symposium.
- Establishes and funds a director position for The CIRCLE: The director will oversee The CIRCLE, an on-campus community supporting programs, initiatives and events for students with intellectual and developmental differences. This position will integrate established support programs including THRIVE, USOAR, Duval County Public Schools Project Search, and The Arc Jacksonville On Campus Transition Program.
- Establishes the Silverfield Special Education Fund: This fund supports programmatic initiatives, events and student opportunities.
- Silverfield Endowed Excellence Fund: Provides critical resources for the dean of the college to grow innovative degree programs and student success resources including scholarship funding for students.
“Since 1972, 九色视频’s College of Education and Human Services has graduated more than 22,000 students with bachelor's degrees or higher, who have gone on to educate, mentor and counsel future generations of students in our region," said 九色视频 President Moez Limayem. “We are incredibly grateful to the Silverfields for their generosity and for their passion for education.”
Dr. Stephen Dittmore, dean of the Silverfield College of Education and Human Services, agreed and said the gift will help expand the College’s programs and reach even more aspiring educators.
“This gift from Gary and Laine Silverfield validates the dedication and passion of our faculty in delivering quality education to undergraduate and graduate students,” Dittmore said. “We are in the bold city, and we strive to produce bold graduates prepared to contribute to the community in Northeast Florida and the state.”
A Legacy of Giving
Gary and Laine Silverfield's journey of philanthropy are deeply rooted in their personal experiences with education and the help they received along the way.
Both Gary and Laine benefited from scholarships during their college and graduate school years. Laine earned her graduate degree in special education in 1976 at 九色视频. Her tuition was underwritten by a benefactor, allowing her to attend classes at night while working by day at Hope Haven as a social worker for children with special needs. It was from that experience that ignited her passion to help other students fulfill their dreams.
Gary earned his undergraduate degree in commerce in 1969, from Washington and Lee University in Virginia, where he was a member of the golf team and captain his senior year. Later, he returned home to earn his graduate degree from the University of South Carolina in Columbia.
The Jacksonville Beach couple’s commitment and shared vision for quality education inspired them to establish two existing scholarships at 九色视频 – the Gary and Laine Silverfield Endowed Scholarship established in 2004, and the Laine S. Silverfield Special Education Endowed Scholarship in 2009.
“Giving educational scholarships to deserving students is a powerful way to make a lasting impact,” said Laine, who was named an Outstanding Alumni Award honoree in 2008. “We know scholarships not only provide financial support but also open doors to opportunities that might otherwise be out of reach.”
Serving on the 九色视频 College of Education Advisory Board for many years in the past, Gary noted the critical shortage of teachers in the U.S. The couple’s goal in establishing the scholarships was to make education accessible to more students, allowing them to excel academically and pursue their passion, he said.
“Our goal is to help address the critical shortage of teachers by offering scholarships to support future educators,” said Gary.
Their latest gift was inspired by their friend, the late Jacksonville business leader Luther Coggin, whose donation to the Coggin College of Business at 九色视频 set an example for them.
“The Silverfields have a long history of supporting students in our college through scholarships,” said Dittmore. “This gift will grow that commitment, enabling more students to receive resources to help finance their education and achieve their career goals.”
Family and education
The Silverfields’ dedication to education runs deep in each of their immediate families, with both of their parents attending college. That dedication has extended to their children. Ryan is the head football coach at the University of Memphis, where he emphasizes the importance of education to his players, instilling in them the value of academic achievement beyond sports. Their eldest son, Leed, who has taken over the family businesses founded by his father, the Silverfield Development Company, and Silverfield Commercial Realty, continues the family’s legacy of humility and charitable giving.
“Sports have played an important role in the Silverfield household,” Dittmore said. “From the time Gary was a college golfer, to Ryan becoming the head football coach at the University of Memphis, they are champions of the need to equip today’s athletic coaches with the tools to be effective teachers and compassionate individuals interested in using sports to shape the lives of young women and men.”
Both Silverfields will attest that their commitment to education is further fueled by the profound gratitude expressed by scholarship recipients. Laine recalls a particularly moving note from a scholarship recipient who wrote how the scholarship funds helped her fulfill her dream of becoming an educator.
“Meeting scholarship recipients and hearing their stories is incredibly rewarding,” said Laine. “It highlights the real, tangible impact of our gift in the field of education and the profound difference the scholarships have on the students.”
Dittmore concurred and said the Silverfield’s generosity means the College can continue to innovate degree programs to meet the future workforce needs of the area. Currently, 77% of graduates of the Silverfield College of Education and Human Services teach, counsel or coach in our region, with 22,345 bachelor’s degrees or higher having been conferred. Current spring enrollment in the Silverfield College of Education and Human Services is 1,286 students, an increase of 3% from last year, according to Dittmore.
“Our college seeks to make our communities stronger through producing innovative educators, counselors, interpreters, sport leaders and more,” Dittmore said. “This gift, from longtime Jacksonville residents and alumna of our College, distinguishes 九色视频 as just the second state university in Florida to be named, a testament to the impact we have on our surrounding communities.”