Woman honors grandfather who helped fund her education

Virginia Kay Huggard Hopp created a will bequest in honor of her grandfather, Ed Washecheck, to support an endowed scholarship for the Human Development and Family Science department at Oklahoma State University.

Hopp said she wanted to donate the gift in Washecheck’s name because of his “dedication to education.” Washecheck gave Hopp money for expenses while she was at OSU. She also worked in Thatcher Hall as a resident assistant.

“Grandad Ed's funds let me graduate with a bachelor's degree in family relations and child development with only one small student loan,” Hopp said. “He gave me the gift in my life that has made more difference than any other event. I would not have been able to work at the variety of jobs in the places I have lived without the degree he helped me earn.”

Because of Washecheck’s assistance, Hopp has been able to travel around the world, putting her knowledge to practice.

“A small-town girl from Piedmont, Okla., has been able to teach at a college in British Columbia; be a partner in a small business in Washington state; work for the Air Force in Washington, Japan, and England; and work for the University of Missouri as a human development specialist,” Hopp said. “All these jobs have used my knowledge of human development to assist others to achieve their goals in life.”

Washecheck was a grandson of Czech immigrants to the U.S., and his grandfather and parents filed homesteads in Oklahoma to acquire land. When he was in high school, Washecheck was recruited to work at the local bank, which he later owned. He graduated from Droughan Business College, became a Mason, President of the Piedmont State Bank and a member of the school board in Piedmont.

Hopp wanted to honor Washecheck with a gift to the Human Development and Family Science department because she sees the important role it has played in her life and the world.

“I have used my FRCD degree every day of my life dealing with people at home, in the community, and at work,” Hopp said. “When we understand others we can all achieve what we want. Lack of understanding of others causes conflict in our lives and our world.”

The Oklahoma State University Foundation serves as the private fundraising organization for OSU, as designated by the OSU Regents. Its mission is to unite donor and university passions and priorities to achieve excellence.

Oklahoma’s only university with a statewide presence, Oklahoma State University is a five-campus, public land-grant educational system that improves the lives of people in Oklahoma, the nation, and the world through integrated, high-quality teaching, research and outreach. OSU has more than 32,000 students across its system and nearly 21,000 on its Stillwater campus; with students from all 50 states and around 110 nations. Established in 1890, OSU has graduated more than 200,000 students who have made a lasting impact on Oklahoma and the world.

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