Lock Haven emerita provides transformative gift in support of women’s athletics, international education and students with disabilities

For nearly four decades, emerita Dr. Linda Koch has believed in the transformative power of a Lock Haven education.

As a student affairs professional, she spent her career helping young people navigate college, overcome challenges, discover opportunities and prepare for life beyond campus. As a philanthropist, she has continued that work by investing in the students and experiences that make The Haven special.

Now, as an emerita of Commonwealth University-Lock Haven, Koch has made a transformative major gift to support women’s athletics, international education and the Perry T. Koch Memorial Scholarship through the Lock Haven University Foundation (LHUF).

The gift represents another chapter in a philanthropic relationship that began with LHUF almost 40 years ago. Since making her first gift in 1988, Koch has made more than 350 contributions in support of Lock Haven students.

That remarkable history is rooted in a simple belief for Koch: “We exist to help students.” That philosophy defined her 27 years at Lock Haven. After arriving in 1987 as dean of students, Koch worked closely with students across campus before President Craig Willis created the position of vice president for student affairs three years into her tenure.

Her work put her in daily contact with students – in residence halls, at campus events, during admissions open houses and in moments when students and families needed someone to listen. She worked intentionally to welcome students, help them remain enrolled and ensure their college experience prepared them for professional life.

Those relationships transformed Lock Haven from a place where Koch worked into a place she considers home.

“Lock Haven is a special place,” Koch said. “Lock Haven is home to me, and it will always be home to me. I can’t think of any other place that I’d rather be.”

Koch’s philanthropy at Lock Haven is deeply personal.

In 2001, encouraged by then-Vice President for University Advancement Jerry Updegraff, Koch established the Perry T. Koch Memorial Scholarship in honor of her nephew.

Perry was Koch’s first nephew, and the two shared a special bond. After developing disabilities early in his life, Perry became an important influence on Koch’s understanding of the challenges some individuals face – and the importance of ensuring those challenges do not prevent someone from reaching their potential.

Perry passed away in 2015, but his legacy continues through the scholarship established in his name.

The scholarship reflects a belief that has remained central to Koch’s life: not every student begins with the same opportunities, resources or abilities and institutions have a responsibility to help students overcome barriers.

That belief is informed by Koch’s own experience. Her family had limited financial resources when she attended East Stroudsburg University. Financial aid helped make her undergraduate education possible, while graduate assistantships opened the door to the career in student affairs that followed.

Today, she sees students facing financial pressures that can affect everything from basic necessities to their ability to pursue a four-year degree.

She hopes her support can help students choose an education that opens doors for their futures.
Koch’s latest gift reflects that broad vision.

Her support of women’s athletics recognizes the lessons students learn beyond the classroom: leadership, teamwork, discipline, resilience and the ability to respond to both success and failure.
She believes those experiences can have a profound influence on professional success, particularly for women who carry the lessons learned as student-athletes into their careers and communities.

Koch also believes student-athletes play an important role in telling Lock Haven’s story. Through competition, community engagement and increasingly accessible broadcasts of athletic events, they often serve as some of the most visible representatives of the university.

Her support of international education comes from an equally personal place.

After graduating from East Stroudsburg, Koch spent a year living in Spain. Learning a new language, navigating a foreign country and experiencing another culture challenged her in ways that ultimately changed her understanding of education and independence.

For Koch, international education is about much more than travel. It challenges students to step outside what they know, adapt to unfamiliar circumstances and understand the world – and themselves – from a different perspective.

After nearly 40 years in higher education, Koch understands that universities inevitably face challenges and change. She also understands that the people who make an institution special are ultimately its greatest resource.

That is why her message to alumni, faculty, staff and fellow emeriti is straightforward: remember what Lock Haven gave you and consider how you can give back.

Not everyone has the resources to make a transformational gift, she says, but everyone has a story, an experience or a connection that can help shape the university's future.

She hopes members of the Haven Family will consider the people who helped shape their lives and careers – and find their own way to pay that support forward.

For Ashley Koser, LHUF executive director, Koch’s generosity represents the impact of turning a lifetime of experience and belief into a commitment to future generations.

“Linda’s generosity is truly transformational – not simply because of the significance of her most recent gift, but because of the incredible consistency and purpose behind her generosity,” Koser said. “For nearly four decades, Linda has invested in The Haven and, most importantly, in the students who make this university so special. We are incredibly grateful for her belief in our students and her enduring commitment to Lock Haven.”

After more than 350 gifts made to LHUF, Koch’s philanthropic journey continues to be a reflection of her life’s work. She proudly celebrates that Lock Haven will “always be home.” Now, through her support, she is helping ensure future generations of Bald Eagles will have the opportunity to say the same.