Valentine family to support health services, counseling suite; endowed scholarship
A generous gift from Trustee Peg Valentine P’09 and husband Mike Valentine P’09 will support Skidmore’s health and wellness facilities and create an endowed scholarship for students pursuing creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship programming at the College.
The Peg and Mike Valentine P’09 Health Services and Counseling Suite will be part of the new McCaffery-Wagman Tennis and Wellness Center. Their gift will also establish the Peg and Mike Valentine P’09 Endowed Scholarship for Creativity, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship and include annual contributions supporting the Skidmore Fund. The Valentines are parents of Martha Valentine Johnson ’09.
“This thoughtful and multi-layered gift demonstrates Peg and Mike Valentine’s longstanding commitment to leadership and philanthropic partnership with Skidmore,” said President Marc Conner.
This generous gift directly supports our highest strategic priorities: the health and wellness of our students; access to a transformational Skidmore education; and the creative and entrepreneurial elements of that education that form the very heart of our community."
The $42 million LEED-certified McCaffery-Wagman Center is currently under construction. It is designed to meet the wide-ranging fitness, athletics, health, and wellness needs of all students. In addition to new locker rooms, training, and community spaces, the new center will house a comprehensive suite of facilities and services, including Skidmore’s Health Services, Counseling Center, and Department of Health Promotion.
“The Valentines' generosity reflects and reinforces Skidmore’s dedication to holistic health, enabling students to feel supported in every aspect of their well-being — physically, socially, academically, and emotionally,” said Julia Routbort Baskin, associate dean of student affairs for health and wellness. “The Peg and Mike Valentine P’09 Health Services and Counseling Suite will be an exceptional space for support and healing.”
The Peg and Mike Valentine P’09 Endowed Scholarship for Creativity, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship will support students enrolled in entrepreneurship-related programming at Skidmore. It serves as a significant investment toward Skidmore’s Sands Family Foundation Initiative for Creativity, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship (CIE). A foundational gift for that project includes a $5 million one-to-one matching pledge to raise a total of $10 million for CIE programming across campus.
“I graduated from my alma mater with degrees in foreign language and education. Education is my passion,” said Peg Valentine, a Skidmore trustee since 2017 and chair of the Board of Trustees' Strategic Planning Committee. “Our philanthropy at Skidmore represents our focus on education and giving back as a result of the core values I was taught, and we are fortunate to be able to provide opportunities for our students to thrive.”
The Valentines’ gift also strengthens the Valentine Family Endowed Scholarship, which was previously established.
Their commitment to Skidmore grew out of the experience of their daughter, Martha, who developed a passion for rowing. During her senior year, her varsity team took fourth place in the New York state championships.
This passion inspired her family to step forward with a lead gift to launch the fundraising efforts for the Valentine Boathouse, a three-building complex on Fish Creek completed in 2018. The Valentines have also contributed to the Billie Tisch Center for Integrated Sciences and major improvements to Scribner Library. They are consistent supporters of the Skidmore Fund.
