Claremont McKenna College

"Thanks to those who came before me, I was able to attend CMC on a full scholarship. Without the continued generosity of CMC's alumni, my CMC education never would have begun. That's the reason why I contribute to the Annual Fund every year: to help students just as I was helped."

Tom Leppert '77
CMC Trustee
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer,
The Turner Corporation

Building Bridges To The Future

Although he was a hard-working, high-achieving student, Tom Leppert thought that his dream of attending a selective, private college was financially out of reach. "I am one of the many students who have benefited from the CMC alumni who invested in scholarships—and in the futures of young men and women," he says. "If it weren't for those charitable donors, I couldn't have gone to Claremont."

Leppert embraced the challenges and opportunities at CMC. From CMC student body president to Harvard Business School graduate and from McKinsey & Co. partner to White House Fellow, Leppert notes his CMC education gave him the tools he needed to become a leader. "Talking with my professors then, I didn't realize what a profound impact those conversations would have latter in my life."

As CEO of the nation's leading builder—a $6 billion enterprise—Leppert knows firsthand the value of building bridges: "Claremont was the foundation that enabled me to have the successes I've had. I hope that my support will offer a deserving student the same opportunities for success."