Honoring two stalwart supporters

While the challenges facing educational institutions are very real today, some are choosing to invest in our young people and the future they represent. As the new year begins, I want to recognize two of the most visionary and stalwart supporters of Adventist education I know — Tom and Violet Zapara. For decades they have presaged the value of investing in our educational system. Some 40 years ago, they helped to launch the Business Executives Challenge to Alumni, known as BECA. This initiative set up programs that have increased giving by hundreds of thousands of dollars for Adventist schools across the country. This was later accompanied by the Zapara Excellence in Teaching award, recognizing stellar teachers in our system of education. They have funded other major projects here as well, including our Zapara Rehabilitation Center.

I have had the privilege of personally knowing and interacting with Tom and Vi for decades. In our last visit several weeks ago, though their vision and hearing may be dimming, their minds and engagement are amazing. Tom will turn 100 in July, with Vi not far behind. Their love and respect for each other are evident. While Tom has had to give up his lathe and woodwork, they are still mobile enough to get outside and enjoy God’s nature. They complement each other’s skills and thoughts, often gently correcting or adding to memories from the past. 

Tom has had a particular commitment to technology and the role it can play in education and service. They helped fund our Clinical Skills Education Center in the Centennial Complex, where students learn from patient “actors” who share various histories and symptoms. We have followed this technological emphasis through our EXSEED program, also endowed by Zaparas, in which Loma Linda has nurtured over 2,000 high school and elementary science teachers to adopt creative learning skills, often with the use of iPads in the classroom.

Their encouragement and example to “give back” has influenced countless individuals and benefited many institutions. With his quick wit and push to excellence, Tom also remains insightful on the issues and challenges of today. His question to me is often, “What is your vision, Dick?” “What do you want Loma Linda University to be, now and in the future?” “How can EXSEED do more to have an impact on our science teachers?” “How can we help?” Years of requests from many have honed a series of tough questions that I always expect and appreciate. 

So as another year begins, I want to specifically recognize the impact that Tom and Vi Zapara have had on many of us and our institutions. Thank you both for making a difference through your Godly vision, probing comments, and generous largesse for decades. You have provided an example that has inspired generations to do more to share our own blessings and to recognize the impact we can make in the lives of others.

Sincerely,

Richard H. Hart, MD, DrPH
President
Loma Linda University Health