Cortez Legacy Challenge Passes Halfway Mark

Since he came to Trinity in the early 1960s, Miles Cortez ’64 has been active on campus. He majored in economics, was a member of the Triniteers, and played varsity tennis, leading to his 2015 induction into the Trinity Athletics Hall of Fame. And, he has served on Trinity’s Board of Trustees since 2005. It’s no wonder, then, that Miles and his wife, Jan, believe in securing this same type of experience for future generations of Trinity University students. 

The couple established the Cortez Legacy Challenge in 2022, after making Trinity a beneficiary of their own estate - and have committed $100,000 to unlock 100 new and updated will and estate gifts of $1,000 each. The one guideline for the Challenge is simple: If you name Trinity University to receive a gift of $10,000 or more in your will or estate plans, you will unlock $1,000 from the Cortez Legacy Challenge for immediate use on campus today. 

“My Trinity experience set the course for the rest of my life,” Miles says. “I am especially excited about the multiplier effect and hope it encourages those who love Trinity to give back to their alma mater through their estate plans.”

Today, the Challenge is halfway complete: Challenge-inspired alumni and friends of the University have arranged more than $15.2 million in wills and estate gifts and directed $57,000 to support their favorite programs and departments across campus, including academic departments, athletic teams, and scholarships. 

This support has come from alumni such as The Rev. Charles Youngson ‘97, an Alabama rector in the Episcopal Church who majored in religion and music at Trinity (and listened to his fair share of rock music in the dorms). Youngson, who’s been Trinity True for the past 16 years (a status for recognizing consecutive giving), says he’s been grateful his whole life for the donor support he benefited from during his time at Trinity.  

“The generosity of past donors made it possible for me to attend Trinity, and so it feels good to share from the blessings I have received to make a Trinity education possible for current and future students,” says Youngson, who hadn’t considered an estate-planning venture with Trinity before the Cortez Challenge. “When it came time for me to update my will, I recognized an opportunity to plan how to use the resources I’ve been blessed with to support the institutions that have helped shape the direction of my life. The added incentive of the Cortez Challenge further motivated me to take action. As someone who works in the church and who relies on the generosity of donors to support our ministries, I know the impact that legacy giving can have on an organization.”

“Trinity is blessed to have people like Miles and Jan, and like Charles—and all alumni and friends who give back to the University through estate gifts,” says Mike Bacon ’89, vice president for Alumni Relations and Development. “Their generosity ensures generations of Trinity students will have meaningful experiences of their own.”

To learn how you can help complete the Cortez Legacy Challenge, contact Kris Howland, director for gift and estate planning, at [email protected] or 210-999-7697.