Paying It Forward—in Many Different Ways

Colleen Lang '80 believes that giving to MMU has fulfilled part of her life's purpose.

Colleen Lang '80 always knew she wanted to complete a four-year degree—and she created her own path to achieve this goal.

Hailing from the small town of Elma, Iowa, Colleen began her postsecondary education at North Iowa Area Community College, earning an associate's degree. She got married and joined the working world but never let her dream of a four-year degree die.

Determined to fulfill her dream, Colleen discovered that Mount Mercy University (MMU) offered courses for nontraditional students in the evenings—which would allow her to turn her dream into reality. "The classes aligned with the hours that I was available to take them," she said. "This made it possible for me to see that I could actually meet my goal of a four-year degree!"

Little did Colleen know that her time at MMU would set her up for success on the job. She began a 26-year career with SuperValu in information technology and progressed from programmer to director of quality assurance. She was influential in starting SuperValu's first program management office, which was responsible for merging software systems for one of the largest retail grocery mergers in the country.

She went on to serve as director of quality assurance for financial crimes at US Bank, where her teams tested software for fraudulent transactions. Known as an incredibly skilled leader, she notes that the highlight of her career was building successful domestic and international teams and seeing many of her managers promoted to executive positions.

When Colleen’s brother, Creighton Weber, wanted to make a gift in her honor at Christmastime, the inspiration to create the Mary Carroll Endowed Scholarship at MMU in memory of their mother blossomed. The scholarship has quickly grown thanks to generous gifts from Creighton.

Both Colleen and Creighton learned the importance of paying it forward at an early age. When their father passed away, the local grocer filled their grocery cart and told their mother to "pay it forward." Farmers had helped him rebuild his store after a fire, and this was his way of paying it forward. His message and kindness were never forgotten.

Colleen is not only invested in providing access to a high-quality education for current students, she is committed to the well-being of the University in the long term. While easing into retirement, Colleen was instrumental in guiding MMU's strategic planning process by generously volunteering her program management expertise as the University looked toward the future. She has allocated a portion of her estate to be directed to MMU and is a proud member of its Heritage Club.

Colleen has left her mark on MMU in numerous ways: scholarship support, a planned estate gift, volunteer work. "Everyone wants their life to hold a purpose of some kind and in some way," she said. "Giving back to MMU has fulfilled part of my life's purpose. I hope my gift will help Mount Mercy University thrive for years to come!"

If you have interest in impacting others through education, contact Lonna Drewelow at 319-286-4408 or ldrewelow@mtmercy.edu to explore how you can maximize your charitable giving through Mount Mercy University. Build your legacy and support what matters most to you and your family.