Combining a Love of Horses With a Gift for MSU

Ruth Sotak was a student at MSU in the 1980s. But, it wasn’t until four years ago that the horse enthusiast learned about Michigan State’s horse farm. “Isn’t it interesting that the one thing I really wanted in my life I didn’t know Michigan State offered—the horse farm?” she says.

A few years ago, I was on the advisory board of the MSU geography department. During one of my advisor retreat trips, the MSU Horse Teaching and Research Center was mentioned. I called and asked for a tour. John Shelle (retired Department of Animal Science faculty member and past manager of the HTRC) met my husband and me. John spent about three hours with us.

Ruth was so impressed with the facility and the horses that she made the decision to include the Horse Teaching and Research Center in her estate plan by establishing two planned gifts: one that will provide general support of the HTRC and one that will benefit the Arabian breeding program at HTRC.

The MSU HTRC receives about 60,000 visitors each year, many of whom are families from surrounding areas. Gifts like Ruth’s help ensure this program can continue to thrive and inspire students, as well as the community around us.