NSU Newsroom
SharkBytes
Horizons
This version of NSU News has been archived as of February 28, 2019. To search through archived articles, visit nova.edu/search. To access the new version of NSU News, visit news.nova.edu.
This version of SharkBytes has been archived as of February 28, 2019. To search through archived articles, visit nova.edu/search. To access the new version of SharkBytes, visit sharkbytes.nova.edu.
Realizing Potential: Paying it Forward through NSU
Bryan Deptula, Ph.D.
Bryan Deptula, Ph.D. always knew he wanted to surround himself with people who valued growth, community-building and making a difference. His path to becoming Assistant Professor of Leadership and Management at NSU’s H. Wayne Huizenga College of Business and Entrepreneurship was filled with self-awareness, ambition, and a commitment to helping others achieve their “personal best leader-self.”
While pursuing his undergraduate degree at the University of Delaware, Dr. Deptula was faced with a familiar obstacle that many students today know all too well—financial adversity. Yet his willingness to learn made him determined to prove himself to faculty and staff. He met with his financial advisor and astutely outlined his short-term goals. Clearly impressed, his advisor agreed to support his education for one semester providing him with Pell grants and scholarships. Dr. Deptula returned each subsequent semester so his academic performance could be reviewed and a new combination of grants and scholarships could be determined.
“That experience is what motivated me to give back,” Deptula said. “Someone invested in me, so I wanted to invest in others. While I’m here on this earth, I will give my time and my effort. When I pass on, I want to leave financial instruments to help other people achieve their life goals.”
Upon arriving at NSU, Dr. Deptula became a member of NSU’s 1964 Society leaving a legacy gift for students in the Dean’s Excellence Fund in the H. Wayne Huizenga College of Business and Entrepreneurship. Named for the university’s founding year, the 1964 Society connects legacy gift donors and their families with the university to establish a meaningful and lasting relationships.
Dr. Deptula’s passion and dedication to NSU is unwavering. “I knew when I got to NSU that I wanted to stay here for life. If you ask anyone who made the most profound difference in their lives they will most likely say: the person that saw in them, what they couldn’t see in themselves. This university helps students realize their potential every day and it feels amazing to be a part of that.”
For more information, please contact Andrea Darlow, director of development for legacy gifts at (954) 262-2135 or at adarlow@nova.edu.