Brian ’03 and Courtney ’04 Paff met during their first semester at Grand Valley State University. “We lived across the hall from each other,” Brian recalls, “and we started dating not long after arriving on campus.” Brian readily admits that meeting his wife was integral to his college experience, but his time at Grand Valley offered a variety of opportunities he’s grateful for. “I got a terrific education,” he said. “The class sizes were great, and I always felt like I had access to my professors when I had a question. Plus, I was able to get involved with things on campus like the ultimate frisbee club team.”  

Of all his fond memories, Brian’s experience during a semester abroad truly stands out. “Studying in London was pretty formative to my worldview,” he said. “It helped me gain a more global perspective and really expand my horizons.” Throughout the semester, Brian was intentional about exploring as much of Western Europe as he could. He spent weeks in Rome and Amsterdam and took long weekends in Paris, Edinburgh, Dublin, and Venice. Looking back, he sees how invaluable it was to be able to immerse himself in so many different cultures while he was still in college.  

He also experienced a major world event through a different lens. “I was overseas for 9/11 … I actually spent the whole day at the catacombs in Rome, kind of walking around amongst all these skeletons, and when I got back to the hostel where I was staying, I was trying to find out what was going on at an internet café.” Being far from family and friends and more removed from the immediate national response that followed was one of many circumstances that shaped Brian’s thinking. It inspired him to take a more comprehensive view of things like policy formation and to examine certain aspects of his own life in more nuanced ways, including how he gives back. “I feel that part of maturing and developing professionally is giving back to the communities that you've benefited from being part of in the past,” Brian said. 

Because of the impact that season had on him, Brian and his wife Courtney wanted to find an opportunity to help future Lakers have similar opportunities.  

The Brian ’03 and Courtney ’04 Paff Travel Abroad Scholarship grants financial assistance to students who want to expand their education far beyond the classroom. "My hope is that students who might have otherwise looked at study abroad as a terrific opportunity that they couldn’t afford will be able to say: ‘Okay, I think I can swing this.’”

As someone who received an academic scholarship while at Grand Valley, Brian is very aware of the impact outside support can have. “It certainly allowed me a lot more freedom … and I felt pretty blessed to have gotten a scholarship,” he said.  

Now, through their endowed fund, Brian and Courtney will continue to shape the lives of Grand Valley students. “It's been fun living locally to be able to go back up to Allendale and see how the university is continuing to grow,” Brian noted. And now he and Courtney will be an active part of that growth well into the future. 

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