Couple Plans to Fund Oxford College's Most Pressing Needs

The Arrendales' unrestricted estate gift will help meet Oxford's most pressing needs.
When Chris Arrendale 99Ox 01C visited Emory's admission office in 1995, the adviser suggested he begin his studies at Oxford.
“My mother said, ‘Well, you're not going to England,’” he remembers, alluding to Oxford University.
Oxford College, Emory's birthplace east of Atlanta, turned out to be the perfect place to start.
“Oxford College prepared me for Emory and for anything that life would throw at me,” says Arrendale, who went on to earn a master's degree in software engineering and now owns two information technology companies in Atlanta. “With the small class sizes, you knew you would be called on and you knew you had to be ready.”
Because Arrendale and his wife, Amanda, believe in supporting the institutions that are important to them, they have included Oxford in their estate plans. They also gave to name a collaboration room in Oxford’s new science building.
“We like to give back to those places that have helped us along the way,” Arrendale says.
Chris met Amanda, who has a master's degree in computer science from the Georgia Institute of Technology and works for a web teleconferencing company, during a former job at an email marketing and service provider in Atlanta.
They maintain a close relationship with Oxford College, volunteering for Emory Cares International Service Day in Newton County each year and attending events related to the Oxford College Alumni Board.
The couple's estate gift is unrestricted, which means it will fund the most pressing needs at Oxford when the gift is realized. The Arrendales also hope to name a scholarship one day.
Making your legacy gift to Emory is easier than you think. Contact the team of professionals at Emory's Office of Gift Planning at 404.727.8875 or giftplanning@emory.edu. For online resources, go to giftplanning.emory.edu.