Born in Hanover, Germany, in 1918, Dirk Brady experienced firsthand the harsh realities of prejudice when Hitler took power. Dirk's parents sent him to stay with friends in the U.S. to escape the increasing hostility. The 17-year-old arrived in Washington, D.C., without a dollar in his pocket or a diploma to his name.

But the young teenager was not entirely destitute: he had an unwavering desire for knowledge and a university that was willing to give him a chance. "The most important thing to me was to get an education," Dirk recalls. "I got a job and started night school at GW. It wasn't easy, but I was determined."

Dirk worked full time to put himself through seven years of engineering school at George Washington. "Everything GW could do to help me, they did. If I needed special courses, or needed to change my schedule, they were always helpful."

Today, Dirk and his wife, Judy, are paying it forward. Through a number of charitable gift annuities, as well as gifts given by other family members in Dirk's honor, the Bradys and their family have supported several causes at GW, including establishing a scholarship fund for students who have fled their home countries because of political, ethnic or religious persecution.

Read more about Dirk and Judy's gift.