A Mother's Day Comes

In 1966, Diane Griffin graduated from UNCG with a degree in chemistry and dreams of going to medical school. One of only a handful of chemistry majors, she successfully navigated the challenges of being a young, single mother with an infant son and unrelenting determination to become a college graduate. Married during her sophomore year, Diane and her husband separated before the birth of their son, prompting her to take a year off to care for her baby and work to save money to finish her schooling.

She returned for her junior year just one year later, carrying a full academic load, working on campus and living in an apartment with her young son.

Rewarding determination

"My parents had instilled in me the importance of education. I wanted to prove to myself and everyone else that I could do it." And that she did. In addition to graduating with honors, she was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa and was also among the first recipients of the Alumni Scholarship. "That scholarship allowed me to finish school. I had worked hard to save money to stay in school, but my work hours were limited because I was also raising my son. The scholarship came at the perfect time."

Despite all of her hard work, medical school was a dream that went unfulfilled. It was the ’60s, and admission for a mother of a young child was rare, no matter how impressive her transcripts. "So I got even and married a doctor," jokes Diane. She and her husband Joe have been married for 43 years and have another son and two grandchildren.

"I received wonderful support at UNCG. When my son was in the hospital for 10 days, a faculty member arranged for me to receive money from the emergency fund to pay doctor bills. I was offered on-campus employment. And, of course, the scholarship made all the difference. Throughout my life, I’ve remembered those things and tried to help enrich the lives of other people."

One good deed deserves another

Diane is a devoted community volunteer. She serves on a variety of boards and dedicates time to local organizations and to her church. She drives from Georgia to North Carolina every month to care for her parents who are in their 90s. And she also recently donated $30,000 to establish a scholarship for chemistry and biochemistry majors with financial need. Her gift helped the Students First Campaign surpass its $100 million goal.

"My desire to give back comes from the foundation provided by my family as well as the realization I had while at UNCG -- that you’ve got to get beyond yourself and do things for your neighbors and the world. Because of all that was given to me, it’s the least I can do."