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For decades, Teri McCandless ’81 and Ray S. Jr. ’81 Bishop P’10 have shown their extraordinary dedication to ̽������ and its future. Ray and Teri were both first-generation college students. They met at the university, married, became owners of Bishop Photo and Team Imaging in 1983, and established the Bishop Family Scholarship Fund in 2011. Since then, 18 students have benefited from their generosity.

In 2022, the couple decided to revise the fund to prioritize undergraduate students who are active, retired, or veterans of law enforcement or the military or whose parents or guardians meet this distinction. “Typically, if your father [or mother] is a police officer, a firefighter, or served in the military, you’re going to respect law and order and not try to tear it down. That was the reason for making the change,” says Ray.

The Bishops support the Lighting the Way campaign priority to provide critical assistance to students through scholarships and endowments. Ray serves as a trustee and is a member of the campaign committee. Teri is a former alumni board member. They wanted to honor those who paved the way for them by starting a fund to help others needing financial aid.

“Teri and I are here today because anything is possible,” says Ray. They are passionate about recognizing and supporting those who have served and sacrificed for the country and its communities, “which is one of the reasons why we included first responders,” Ray adds.

Pride in our nation and armed forces manifests in many ways, and honoring those who gave Americans their freedoms is exceptionally important to the Bishops. They wanted to influence and support how pride is instilled in and celebrated by ̽������ students. They are dedicating the Veterans’ Center Lounge in the new Haupert Union Building (HUB), hoping to shine a light on how lucky students are to be citizens of this country and have access to a ̽������ education. 

“One of the reasons I wanted to sponsor this space is because I want to make sure that there was some patriotic influence. To make sure that the student body sees something patriotic every day when they pass by. The space will have a permanent American flag there. Not something that’s just hung on the wall or a pole, but something permanent in the structure that cannot be removed,” Ray says. 

The university made a commitment to veterans years ago. Marilyn Kelly-Cavotta, a retired Army medic, helped open the Veteran & Military Services Office in June 2019 to assist ̽������'s veterans and students who are children of veterans. Shortly thereafter, U.S. News & World Report ranked ̽������ 43rd Best College for Veterans in the region, honoring our participation in federal initiatives that help veterans and active-duty service members pay for their degrees. 

In 2023, ̽������ hired Tanya Nalesnik as the new Director of Veteran and Military Services. ̽������ continues to expand its services and opportunities available to our veteran and military-connected students. In 2024, ̽������ achieved the rank of 39th Best College for Veterans in the region by U.S. News & World Report.

The current campus space dedicated to veterans spans two separate sections of the library. One half has seats where the Student Veteran Association meets, and the other half serves as a study space with a desktop and lots of outlets. In the new HUB, the new Veterans Center Lounge and reception area will be larger and bring all services together in one safe space. It will have a fridge and a microwave and be located next to a lounge for commuter students.

While many colleges and universities nationwide are struggling financially, Ray and Teri believe investing in a new building instills pride and confidence that the university is on solid footing. They believe a vibrant student center is a visible sign of the university’s fiscal health and commitment to the future. 

“Students get excited about a new student center, and prospective students and their families that are coming on campus know that it'll be there,” Ray says.