Giving more than your two cents

Giving more than your two cents

Marksmen interested in giving back should remember that for those in need, even the smallest donation can have a real impact.

In 1945, a three-year-old Charles Ku arrived in a strange city in an unfamiliar land — New York City.

Charles and his parents had fled from China earlier that year during the Chinese Communist Revolution with the help of Lowell Littleton, an American Baptist missionary.

The Kus left to find a better life, to live the American dream, to take advantage of a life-changing opportunity.

Now a 78-year-old dentist living in Lewisville, Charles has never forgotten the opportunity he received as a child.

He remembers how the generosity of that Baptist missionary in China completely changed his life’s trajectory.

Ever since he set foot on American soil, Charles sought to help those around him, giving his time and energy to change lives. He sought to be the Lowell Littleton for others in need.

Charles even named his son Lowell in honor of the Baptist missionary.

Lowell Ku ’89 was born in the U.S. and attended the school here from fifth to 12th grade. Now a member of the Alumni Board and one of about 1,000 Board-Certified Reproductive Endocrinologists in the world, Lowell carries on his father’s legacy by giving back to his community as a philanthropist.

He remembers hearing his father Charles’s story. He remembers the life-changing impact of Lowell Littleton’s actions.

He remembers his namesake missionary every time he gives back to his community, just as his father did.

Lowell approaches philanthropy as a way to give back to the communities which have given so much to him and his family.

He hopes to pay forward what he has been given.

“My wife and I, we feel very strongly that we want to give back to the community.” Lowell said. “The community has given so much to us, and we’d like to show our thanks and give back to the community. So, we give back to organizations that are very meaningful to us. And these are organizations that provide meaningful, positive impacts on society and help other people as well.”

One of the communities Lowell prioritizes is his alma mater, 10600 Preston Rd. — the same campus he came to every school day from age 11 to 18.

“I love the school very much, and without the school I wouldn’t be who I am today,” Lowell said. “I want to give back to this school that has given so much to me. So for me and my wife’s family, we feel very proud and very privileged to be able to give back to St. Mark’s.”

Lowell’s philanthropy is not solely focused on his former school though. He also gives to organizations related to his work as a fertility doctor.

“Since I’m a fertility doctor, my wife and I value giving back to the infertility world because we were patients ourselves, and we just want to give back to the community that helps us with our family,” Lowell said.

As a Chinese-American, Lowell also gives back to the Chinese community in Dallas.

The inspiration behind his giving to this particular community comes from his father, Charles.

“My father, for his entire life here in Dallas, has contributed in a very big way to the Chinese community.” Lowell said. “He helps out as much as he can with his time, his money and his services to the Chinese community here in Dallas. And so he’s become almost the grandfather of the Chinese community, the elder member of the Chinese society here in Dallas.”

Charles has selflessly spent his time and efforts helping those around him, a passion that drives his family and their philanthropy.

“If someone has an issue, they just call good old Dr. Charles Ku, my dad, and he’s just a little dentist from Lewisville,” Lowell said. “He never says no, and he will do anything he can to help out. And if he can’t, he’ll find somebody who can. So with me growing up, seeing how my father lived his life provided a template for me. He was a role model to me in the way that I would like to live my life.”

Charles passed down his philanthropic values to Lowell, and now, Lowell wishes to do the same with his fifth-grade son, Collin, a Marksman just like his father.

“I want to show [Collin] the way I live my life, how to give back to the community,” Lowell said. “I want him to do the same, and I want him to adopt these family traditions and family values, so that one day he can also become a servant leader, which is exactly what St. Mark’s instills in all its boys.”

Director of Alumni Relations Alex Eshelbrenner believes giving to an educational institution like St. Mark’s serves as an example of the exponential potential of philanthropic giving.

“If we invest in [the students], and they leave St. Mark’s to go off and do incredible things, of course we hope they will continue to support the school, and a lot of our alums do that,” Eshelbrenner said. “But more importantly, we hope that each student will go out and change the world for the better. It’s not just about taking care of St Mark’s. Children’s health. Homelessness. Hunger. Just go down the list of important initiatives or problems that we’re facing as a society. We hope that our students and alums will help tackle all of those.”

Philanthropy, when it addresses the root of an issue, can have an exponential impact.

It also doesn’t just have to be about giving financially; philanthropy can also involve giving time and talent.

“Giving back with my time and my skills are absolutely important too.” Lowell said. “Giving money’s helpful, of course, but sometimes you can’t buy the things that you can give back just with spending time and with offering your skills.”

Lowell supports the school with his time by serving as a member of the Alumni Board, organizing alumni activities such as alumni weekend. He also served as chair of the St. Mark’s annual fund during the 2018-2019 school year.

“[Serving as chair of the fund] was great, and it was challenging, but definitely worth every single minute I spent working on it because we were able to surpass our goal of four million dollars.” Lowell said. “I was very proud of the St. Mark’s community, just so proud that they were so generous and so willing to open up their hearts and their wallets to the school.”

While alumni with a steady income are generally more financially stable than current students and thus able to be more philanthropic when it comes to finances, current Marksmen can still give back to the communities they are involved in.

Philanthropy can take the form of community service. Anyone can contribute philanthropically, regardless of whether or not they take home a weekly paycheck.

“[Philanthropic practices] really begin in the community service program here at school.” Eshelbrenner said. “The 15 hour requirement that everybody has to adhere to — it should not just be a box that you check. It’s hopefully instilling a sense of service to others and exposing students to initiatives and perspectives outside of our immediate community, and hopefully it’s something that will spark a fire in people — help them recognize that they’re coming from a fortunate place here.”

Whether an act of giving is considered philanthropy by its technical definition or simply giving, contributing to a community makes a difference. Any amount helps, and any amount can make a difference.

For Lowell, the brotherhood statue that stands at the end of Perot Quadrangle symbolizes what giving back means to his family.

“The statue in the Quad definitely means a lot to me and my family.” Lowell said. “Because we stand on the shoulders of giants, we want to hoist people up on our shoulders as well and help other people achieve their goals.”