Steven Sokal '75 Plans His Bequest to Benefit Electrical Engineering at Union

Steven Sokal '75 earned his Union degree in electrical engineering, and because of the small size of the department, the College had a tremendous impact on him. As student representative to the Department of Electrical Engineering, he enjoyed a close relationship with classmates, professors and administrators alike.

After Union, Steven went on to establish a successful career with the State of New York Department of Public Service. "I had great preparation at Union," he notes. "I drew on all the skills I had learned and used them to launch my career-and then went back to Union to learn more! I ended up getting my master's in computer systems management." Steven then applied his knowledge to develop and implement new processes and documentation systems, many of which are still in place today with the Department of Public Service.

Like so many, Steven's world shifted when he found himself in Manhattan on September 11, 2001. He got himself home safely and proposed just two weeks later to his girlfriend Mery. "As part of combining our lives, we put together wills," says Steven, "and decided our money would go to family." The Sokals lived happily for years, each enjoying successful careers and each other's partnership.

In 2020, when Mery received a diagnosis of lung cancer that had metastasized to her brain, she and Steven decided to revisit their wills. "We were now 20 years older and did not have children," Steven recalls. "We had siblings, but they were roughly our age, and we didn't think they would benefit from our legacy." Consequently, the Sokals made the generous decision to leave a meaningful amount to each niece and nephew, then to each make a major gift to an institution of their choosing.

Mery's choice was Adirondack Youth Center, where she knew the gift would have a great impact. Steven decided that his gift would go to Union College. "I benefited from an education that formed the basis of my career, and it was a chance to appreciate everything that had been done for me," he says.

"You often find you have more than you think," Steven observes. "And, by letting Union know I wanted my gift directed to engineering, I'm able to support a program that enabled me to have the education and career that I did."

If you're interested in helping Union build its endowment by making a planned gift, please contact the Office of Gift Planning at [email protected] or (518) 388-6156 for more information. Your 50th ReUnion is the perfect time to begin implementing your philanthropic goals!