A FUTURE SO
BRIGHT
has a career decision to make, they'll reach
out and we’ll have lunch. We follow them
through graduation and then beyond.” we make every alumni's degree worth that
much more. In every single way, we increase
the value of that earned degree.”
Matt and Alexis take the Kane Scholars to
dinner after graduation and regularly invite
them into their home at Jacksonville Beach,
where they are sure to meet Sloan (5) and
Elle (3) Kane. “Now, we're on our second
cohort, and I’ve realized that coming back to
help others in that stage of life is incredibly
rewarding.” Alexis remembered one very clear moment
when she first felt incredibly proud to be a
Dolphin. It was during her application and
interview process for graduate school.
WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS
The question now, Matt says, is how to turn
more alumni into an Order of the Dolphin
level donor. The Kanes believe one answer
is the Graduates of the Last Decade (GOLD)
Phin Society, an organization he helped
inspire and organize in recent years.
“Toward the end of my time on the Alumni
Board, I was involved with finding ways to
engage more alumni.” He explained that it’s
all about adjacencies. Groups alongside other
groups who may also have a great interest in
pouring back into the University. Matt agrees
with President Cost that ideas are contagious.
Once JU’s enormous alumni base was informed
of the many exciting things happening, the spirit
behind GOLD quickly spread.
In addition to financially supporting the
University and its programs or projects,
GOLD Phins also have access to networking
and mentorship opportunities through JU
Connect, a virtual and active community
of Dolphins around the globe. Professional
development and service are also major
components for the giving society.
Matt said, “I was taught to make things
better for the next generation, and that's
exactly what we're doing at Jacksonville
University. It just keeps getting better.”
He also asserts that you never have to go
more than two degrees of separation before
finding a direct link to JU. He describes
bumping into a fellow Dolphin on a business
flight, in a cafe, or out with friends. And one
of his favorite parts of those impromptu
conversations is when he feels connected
to someone who seconds before was a
stranger. The moment he sees that special
brand of JU pride shining through.
Both Matt and Alexis have another
motivation for supporting the continual
enhancement of JU programs and facilities.
“When we improve Jacksonville University,
Interviews for nurse anesthetist programs,
she said, are rigorous and highly competitive,
sometimes even intimidating. “The committee
wants to see how well you perform under
scrutiny and pressure, and determine where
your limits are,” she said.
While interviewing with another university,
Alexis couldn’t shake the feeling that her
interviewers had not only been impolite, but
highly unprofessional. Sometime later, she
spoke to Dr. Leigh Hart, Professor of Nursing
at JU, and related the harrowing experience
which left her in tears.
“I received a formal letter of apology from
that university several weeks after. Later, I
discovered that Leigh made a phone call on
my behalf. See, I already knew JU operated
as a family, but it was in that moment that I
realized JU would always have my back.”
THE BOTTOM LINE
“I'm proud every time I meet fellow alumni
of the University,” Matt said. “In fact, I've
yet to meet someone I've not enjoyed
getting to know.”
His company Greenshades Software, Inc., an
accounting and payroll company, is another
place where JU alumni are within arm's
reach. “Some of our best and brightest came
from Jacksonville University,” he said. They
are interns, full- and part-time employees,
managers, and clients.
“I speak to computer science majors at least
once a year on campus, and that allows me
to meet and hire the best.” Matt named 2016
graduate Ellis Harr ‘16 as a perfect example.
He now works directly for the CEOs with a
portfolio of executive level responsibilities
after only two years at Greenshades.
editorial board, and among the JU Davis
College of Business Top 40 Talent, Ellis Harr
made a beeline for Germany that summer, as
part of a student exchange program. “I’d told
him about this internship that I’d accepted and
he said I should have come to work for him. I
thought he was joking. But a year later, after
finishing up in Germany, I remembered that
conversation and emailed him on a whim. I
had an offer letter less than 48 hours later.”
Ellis remains grateful for Matt and
Greenshades taking a chance on a recent
graduate. He says their shared JU bond
continues to foster their relationship and an
ongoing love for the University.
“Some people remember shaking hands with
a dean or professor when walking across the
stage at graduation, but I remember looking
over at Matt. He was seated with other
trustees on the platform, and he smiled. He
gives that same smile when we achieve a big
win at Greenshades. He’ll ask me sometimes if
I’m still having a blast, and the truth is, I am.”
Matt said, “The bottom line is this: we have
never made a gift to the University, whether
time or treasure, that we didn't get more in
return than we gave.”
The memories are many, as are the threads
that bind the Kanes to a University they love.
From Matt’s fishing trip in northern Canada
with Dr. Blanton to his home being built by
Double Dolphin Shawn Starr (‘94/’96), son of
longtime executive assistant to the Office of
the President Dolores Starr, the connections
do indeed run deep.
Having recently completed his nine-year term
on the Board of Trustees at the University,
Matt has been asked whether he'll suffer
from separation anxiety. He laughed and
said, “I'll be alright. Tim and I have breakfast
together regularly, and there are so many
friends around. Like I’ve said before, there
are a million stories I could tell about how JU
made me who I am, who we are, today. So
what if I’m not a trustee right now? Everyone
should know, I’m just a phone call away and
ready to help.”
“The first time I met Matt, I was a Sophomore
at JU. We were at the unveiling event for the
newly renovated River House and Matt, as
always, was eager to meet students.”
An International Business/English double
major, a Presidential Student Ambassador,
a past citizen member of the Times-Union’s
WAVEMAGAZINEONLINE.COM
35