Lynn Hassinger Askew '57: A Model of Volunteerism and Generosity

Susquehanna University regained a tremendous asset when Lynn Hassinger Askew '57 moved back to the Selinsgrove area in 2004. Since then, she has turned into a role model for all Crusaders by supporting Susquehanna in several key ways. In fact, the university has recognized Lynn's volunteer efforts by establishing the Lynn H. Askew Award for Outstanding Student Volunteer of the Year.

As a member of the Alumni Parent Admissions Network (APAN), Lynn helps recruit students to the school she loves by attending college fairs and interacting directly with prospective students. As a member of the alumni board, Lynn helps shape policy and programming that keep fellow alumni informed and engaged. As a class reporter she is a vital conduit between SU and her classmates. While on the alumni board, she also served as the alumni representative on the university's board of trustees from 1992-97. Volunteering for Susquehanna University is second nature to Lynn: "I never thought about not doing it."

Lynn also lends a hand in the community. The Snyder County Library board recently welcomed her as a new member. Lynn, a retired guidance counselor from Piscataway High School in New Jersey, used her listening and coping techniques to help the American Red Cross during the January 1995 floods in Sacramento, Hurricane Floyd, and several New Jersey disasters. After the World Trade Center tragedy, she was active in both Red Cross and Lutheran Disaster Response. As a volunteer with Lutheran Disaster Response, Lynn served as a consultant in a Lutheran parochial school following Hurricane Andrew. After Hurricane Marilyn, she coordinated the efforts of LDR volunteers who worked to rehabilitate houses on St. Thomas. She also prepared for the arrival of volunteers in Puerto Rico for Hurricane Andrew.

Beyond her role as an effective volunteer, Lynn is also setting an example through her giving. She is using several philanthropic methods to have a lasting impact at Susquehanna. She is one of the first alumni to take advantage of the IRA charitable distribution, made possible by the Pension Protection Act of 2006. "Of course I was going to take advantage of it," Lynn said, referring to the act's provision that permits individuals aged 70½ and older to exclude Roth or traditional IRA distributions from taxable income as long as it is distributed directly to any charitable organization, like Susquehanna University.

Lynn is also a member of the John App Circle, which recognizes donors who make an arrangement to provide for Susquehanna University through their estate planning. By making Susquehanna the beneficiary of a life insurance policy, she is able to take the premium payments as a tax deduction.

"An insurance policy is just another way of giving back to Susquehanna," she said.

Lynn has also set up a scholarship in memory of her husband, Gilbert C. Askew '61, ensuring that his legacy will endure through the lives of SU students far into the future. We are grateful to Lynn and to others like her whose time, talent, and treasure are sustaining the character of this very special university.