A Son’s Legacy: 25 Years of Mental Health Awareness, Scholarships

On Feb. 3, Jane Davis (center, above) visited campus to meet Eileen Clinton (’24M) and Jinok Lim (’23M), the latest beneficiaries of the Jonathan D. Davis (’81,’85M) Scholarship. Every year, it is awarded to degree-seeking graduate students enrolled in JMU’s Department of Graduate Psychology and Counseling who have a particular interest in suicide prevention or Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

After lunch with Davis, Clinton (left, above) was scheduled to meet with her first patient in the Student Counseling Center. “I’m not nervous,” she told the philanthropist. “I’m ready. I can’t wait to start really helping people.” Clinton also shared reasons for entering this field: “I became interested in counseling when close friends of mine from the LGBTQ community expressed suicidal ideation. I saw how hard it can be, sometimes even harder in rural areas like this, and I feel compelled to help.”

Lim, a doctoral student working in Chantilly, Va., said she shares Clinton’s passion for marginalized populations. “I focus primarily on immigrants because I see the need and can relate to them. I am from Korea and see Korean people in the U.S. with mental health issues, but there are few Korean counselors, or even Asian counselors, who understand the culture.” Lim thanked Davis, saying the scholarship allows her to focus on her research and patients.

For Davis (pictured with President Jonathan R. Alger), the gift does not stop with a monetary donation. This donor connects with each student beneficiary, forming relationships that can last well beyond their time at JMU. She is up-to-date on many of their families and careers. “For years, I’ve kept a diary on my computer with all my friends and family listed,” she explained. “I think of myself as the chief convener. It’s important to keep people connected and together.”

She is also keeping her son’s memory alive. “All these students, professors, administrators, they are saying his name and hearing his story,” she said. Clinton agreed: “There’s a portrait of Jonathan in Johnston Hall that I pass on my way to class. He is very much a presence here. I see his face, and I feel a sense of support. I feel we’re on this team, together.”

To augment the scholarship, Davis has also planned an estate gift to create the Jonathan D. Davis (’81,’85M) Endowed Chair in Graduate Psychology. Read more about Jonathan Davis and his parents’ thoughtful gift.