Herrick Society Stories Bequest to Fund WKSU-FM’s Unique Voice, Music Student Scholarships Evelyn Chernikoff remembers her first discovery of WKSU-FM, Kent State University’s National Public Radio affiliate, during her long drives between her childhood home in University Heights to college at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. There was something special about the way the station’s announcers presented classical music, from explaining the history to ffering an interesting anecdote about the composers. Over the decades, whenever Evelyn has traveled out of town, the highlight of her return trip has been re-entering WKSU-FM’s signal range. To Evelyn, the station’s classical music hosts — Sylvia Docking, Mark Pennell and David Roden — are the dynamic that works so well. Evelyn says, “I don’t think these hosts realize how much enjoyment they have given to so many people over the years. That is what makes the station so special.” Evelyn’s love of classical music comes from her mother, Gertrude Sidney, who died of cancer in January 1966. Her mother’s inner strength was the positive influence on how Evelyn lives her life. Her mother was a thoughtful, kind human being who brought joy to everyone she knew. “Every person is important,” Evelyn continues. “You have to convey your appreciation of them. And sometimes you don’t even realize how you’ve touched and changed people’s lives. I learned all of that from my mother.” Evelyn believes in the value of extending herself through even the smallest gesture, whether it’s a timely birthday or anniversary card, flowers, a specially prepared meal for friends or acquaintances, or hosting gatherings in her home. “A simple act can show people they’re special,” she says. Evelyn’s desire to assist others carries through to local institutions, as well. She has served on numerous advisory boards, including South Pointe Hospital, ITT Technical Institute and Cuyahoga Hills Juvenile Correctional Facility. She is the past president of South Pointe Hospital Auxiliary, Warrensville Heights Area Tri-City Chamber of Commerce and Better Gardens Club. She is an associate member of The Cecilian Musical Club. Most recently she was elected president of The Musical Art Society, a group founded in 1912 that is dedicated to the performance of music and offers annual scholarships to Cleveland-area students who intend to pursue a career in the field. Because of the important role music has played in Evelyn’s life, WKSU-FM and student scholarships were always in her philanthropic plans. But she was concerned that if she didn’t carefully specify the purpose of her bequests, her intentions would be lost. “I had already designated Kent State in my estate planning, but then I realized you have to designate your area of interest and how you want your contribution to be used,” she says. “I wanted to ensure it went toward the station’s classical music and to scholarships for students studying classical music. If you have special desires and wishes, you should make them very clear.” That’s where she began a conversation with Mindy Aleman, interim director of the Center for Gift and Estate Planning. “The greatest benefit for having that conversation now is that we were able to help her refine the vision so her bequest exactly fulfills her goals,” Aleman says. “Too often, we receive a bequest without knowing the donor’s intentions, and we can never be certain we’re exactly following his or her wishes.” After speaking with Pamela Anderson, director of philanthropic giving at WKSU-FM, Evelyn clarified her bequest to endow a fund to maintain the station’s focus on enriching classical music’s presentation through enhanced information about the composers, artists and pieces themselves. “When Evelyn explained why she wanted to remember WKSU-FM in her estate, it was a vote of confidence that our work and mission will have a further impact on community members’ lives,” General Manager Al Bartholet says. For Kent State classical music students, scholarships provided in Evelyn’s estate will ensure the resources will be there to complete their education. Scholarships will be renewable for all four years of a student’s education, as long as he or she maintains a strong gradepoint average. “I want to give students the opportunity to be able to develop their talent without the burden of debt when they graduate,” Evelyn says. Perhaps most important to Evelyn is leaving a legacy that will honor her mother’s name. Evelyn’s generosity will allow her mother’s name and memory to live in the classical music played on WKSU-FM and in the music performed, composed and conducted by Kent State classical music students. Those students’ dreams will be realized with help and support from Evelyn, a woman who is opening doors of opportunity for so many. She truly epitomizes the quotation, “To the world you might be one person, but to one person you just might be the world.” Back