A Lasting Impact Becomes
A Lasting Gift
John W. “Jack” Lundeen ’69 attended Kalamazoo College for just two years, but the time he spent on campus left impressions strong enough to inspire a lifetime of support. Now, he’s creating a new scholarship aimed at helping future students experience the opportunities available at K.
The scholarship, titled K it Forward, is Lundeen’s latest act of philanthropy, and one he hopes will motivate fellow alumni to consider the life-changing impact they can have for today’s students.
Lundeen arrived at K in fall 1965 after his father’s job transfer to Hong Kong prompted his parents to seek a safe and supportive college environment close to home. K fit the bill, and the native Californian, fresh from a summer working as a houseboy and fudge maker on Mackinac Island, was ready for his next adventure.
“It was a joyful atmosphere, an atmosphere where people share really well,” Lundeen recalled of his time on campus.
Lundeen said he arrived at K without a strong plan and found himself more devoted to late-night bridge and hearts games in Hoben and Harmon halls than to coursework. Still, the experience helped him discover what he did—and didn’t—want academically.
After earning a 1.67 grade-point average, Lundeen stepped away from school in spring 1967 to reset. Days later, he was drafted. Rather than awaiting deployment to Vietnam, he secured an opening with the Navy, beginning service as a radioman.
Returning home at 23, Lundeen completed his bachelor’s degree with high distinction and a teaching certificate at the University of Michigan. Life then took him to Australia, where he taught for two years before he enrolled in law school at Lewis and Clark College. Ultimately settling in Oregon, he practiced family law for decades, helping clients navigate difficult transitions in their lives.
Despite leaving early, Lundeen’s connection to K only strengthened with time. He helped create the College’s nationally recognized Discovery Externship Program, through which students lived with and shadowed alumni for professional experiences. Lundeen personally hosted about 30 students in his home and workplace over the program’s first five years. The initiative earned multiple national honors, including U.S. News & World Report recognition as a program “that really works.”
Now, Lundeen hopes the scholarship builds on that legacy. Inspired by the pay-it-forward values he learned from his parents, he wants to help students enjoy the K experience.
“I look forward to this scholarship helping make a K education possible for talented students and hope it encourages recipients to think about giving back to K when they go off and find their place in the world as alumni,” he said.
More than 55 years after leaving the Quad, Lundeen remains grateful for the friendships and self-understanding he gained. Now, through The K it Forward scholarship fund, he’s ensuring that today’s students receive the same chance to discover where their future might lead.
