Phil Berger ’70 Makes Planned Gift to Support WRA’s Future

In the entrance of Phil Berger’s home office hangs a painting of Western Reserve Academy—an autumnal scene of trees lush with seasonal foliage and the image of students walking along the path among the iconic row of North Hall, the Chapel, and Seymour Hall. It was purchased at his 25th Reunion, and it keeps his time at Reserve in his thoughts and in his heart.

“To me, [the painting] serves as a reminder of what I walked by every single day for four years,” he explained. “The fact that it’s the first picture on the wall as you enter my office speaks volumes. If I hadn’t walked by these buildings, I’d probably not be walking into this office.”

As a graduate of the Class of 1970, Phil says his time at WRA was an invaluable experience in his life that was made possible by the generous support of his grandmother. Thanks to her, Phil said he was able to receive the guidance, academic rigor, and support he needed to be successful in life. With his donation to the school, Phil hopes to pass along this opportunity to students so that they might find similar success.

“So much that I have received in life, I owe to the school,” he said. “Personally, I would not have been able to attend Reserve if it hadn’t been for the financial assistance provided to my family and by my grandmother. I want to do what I can for those prospective students who aren’t fortunate to have wealthy family members and who otherwise wouldn’t be able to attend Reserve unless there was a scholarship available for them.”

When he thinks back to his days at Reserve, Phil can recall how vastly different the environment was from his public schooling and home life. From the difficult curriculum to the introduction to a diverse and varied student body, Phil found himself challenged and pushed to be the best student he could be.

“We were encouraged to be a complete student,” he said. “We were pushed in academics, yes, but we were also involved in volunteerism, and you were required to be on an athletic team or participate at the club level. I always thought that was good. There were expectations placed upon us on how we were supposed to manage our time, dress, maintain our room, be responsible for our laundry, survive on our meager weekly allowance—all of which I gave little thought to when I was living at home.”

Since leaving Reserve, Phil has received a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Bucknell University, a master’s degree in social work from the University of Washington in Seattle, and an MBA from the University of Pittsburgh. He has maintained his interest in physical fitness and keeps in regular contact with two of his classmates, B. Lee Schumaker ’70 and Bill Rodman ’70. They often spend time together skiing in Colorado, mountain biking in Utah, and most recently spending a week together in Lee’s houseboat on Lake Powell.

He says one of the best lessons he ever learned at Reserve was the importance of self-discipline.

“When I say Reserve changed my life, I am not exaggerating,” he said. “I owe more to Reserve than certainly the three universities that I went to. Professionally, I don’t think I would have accomplished what I have had it not been for all that I learned at Reserve.”

For this reason, he was influenced to make a planned gift.

“I believe that for all that we have been given, we have a responsibility to give back. I wanted to give back a significant percentage of what I believe Reserve gave to me.”

As a 32-year member of Lion’s Club International and serving on the Board of Directors of his local YMCA, Phil is an enthusiastic advocate for philanthropy. He hopes his actions may influence other classmates to lend their support to the school that gave them so much.

“I would hope that graduates of Reserve would look within themselves and ask what WRA contributed to both their lives and to the people around them,” he said. “From there, I would hope that they consider what they can give back to honor this gift so that others may have the same experiences and benefits and to similarly impact the people in their lives.”