Delois Smith’s Bequest Will Ensure the SSAFE Fund Continues to Thrive

Delois Smith earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology and her master’s degree in educational psychology at the University of Florida. Her work as both a national certified counselor and a licensed professional counselor led her to UAH in 1984 as a consultant in Student Services.

“I was later hired in the Office of Admissions and from 2000 to 2009 served as Vice President for Student Affairs,” she says. “In 2009 I was tasked to create the Office of Diversity and Multicultural Affairs and served as Vice President until I retired in 2018. I was privileged to work with and support faculty and staff members, students, and administrators to better understand the benefits of cultural diversity.”

To ensure that her support continues in perpetuity, Delois has arranged a bequest to UAH in her will. Her gift will endow the Student, Staff, and Faculty Emergency (SSAFE) Fund, which she created in 2003. “A legacy gift enables me to support causes that are meaningful to me while ensuring that the SSAFE Fund will continue to thrive even after my lifetime.”

The SSAFE Fund assists members of the UAH family who face unforeseen, critical, or emergent situations that affect their mental, emotional, or financial well-being. Since its founding, the fund has and continues to help with medical expenses, rent, car payments, utilities, and other non-academic costs during times of need.

“My favorite Greek proverb is: ‘You may often plant a tree under whose shade you may never sit.’ It conveys the idea that contributing to the future, even without immediate personal benefit, is a valuable endeavor. It’s about leaving a positive legacy for others even if you never experience the results yourself.”

Delois hopes others will join her in making a legacy gift to support UAH’s future. “You may never know how many lives are touched by your efforts to help others,” she concludes. “But collectively you are making the world a better place by investing in people.”