Shenandoah University Announces Endowment To Support Outdoor Programming
Generous gift from university trustee Diane Kearns establishes the Robert Solenberger SOAR Endowment
Diane Kearns, a devoted friend and longtime supporter of Shenandoah University, is honoring the memory and enduring legacy of her late father, Robert Solenberger, through an endowment in his name that will support the university’s outdoor and adventure recreation programming.
Kearns, a member of Shenandoah’s Board of Trustees, and university President Tracy Fitzsimmons, Ph.D., signed the Robert Solenberger Shenandoah Outdoor and Adventure Recreation (SOAR) Endowment during SOAR’s annual “Trip Drop Party” on Sunday, Aug. 30, at Vaden Campus Commons.
Established in 2018, SOAR serves as a vital resource for Shenandoah University, promoting self-awareness, confidence, leadership and environmental stewardship among students through activities such as hiking, backpacking, kayaking, climbing and skiing.
The Solenberger SOAR Endowment will provide permanent financial support for the program’s mission by subsidizing trip costs for students, providing funds to maintain and expand SOAR’s equipment rental center, and facilitating more leadership training and environmental stewardship initiatives.
Robert held an incredible love for our beautiful Shenandoah Valley, the outdoors and agriculture, and this endowment is a beautiful, lasting reflection of his passion. Through Diane’s extraordinary generosity, Robert’s legacy will continue to inspire our students and foster within them that same appreciation for nature. The Solenberger SOAR Endowment ensures that we can continue to provide transformative outdoor experiences to every student, regardless of their financial barriers. We are immensely grateful to Diane and the Solenberger family for investing in our students’ growth both inside and outside the classroom.”
Tracy Fitzsimmons, Ph.D., Shenandoah University President
Solenberger, a former member of Shenandoah’s Board of Trustees, was a respected resident of the Shenandoah Valley. He enjoyed a long career as a horticulturist, and the family business, Fruit Hill Orchard, flourished under his stewardship. Solenberger instilled in his daughters an appreciation for nature’s beauty, the transformative power of adventure and the peace found in the natural world.
“The biggest impact on me was when I have been in really wild places and felt really small, I have never felt more alive. That’s where I’m truly alive, I truly feel at peace and I truly feel I belong,” Kearns said. “I understand that the outdoors isn’t something that’s for everybody. But what I really want to do is make sure everybody in the SU community has an opportunity to try outdoor activities to see if it is for you, to see if you can find that peace and that sense of belonging. That’s why I felt this was really the thing to do, and because it all came from my father, it needed to honor him. What I really, really hope is that SOAR is going to be one of the biggest plus-ones that this university has ever had, and that it will benefit all of you in the SU community.”
Visit su.edu/shine to explore ways to give to Shenandoah University. To learn more about Shenandoah Outdoor and Adventure Recreation, visit su.edu.
