Mason Korea’s efforts to support students with financial need took a big step forward with a generous $40,000 gift from Sam Machour, Executive Vice President and Chief Quality Officer at Samsung Biologics and Vice Chair of Mason Korea’s advisory board. The funds will be used to create a permanent Sam Machour Scholarship Endowment to aid continuing Mason Korea students who give back to the community, pursue a challenging course of study, and have financial need.
In his honor, Mason Korea held a special ceremony to celebrate not only Machour’s generous gift, but also his continued commitment to education, lifelong learning, and giving back.
“I am here as an example, I hope, for many in the future, to show that we can all do great by doing good and that giving back to society and to our communities is not just an idea or an ideal but a moral duty for those that can support others to succeed,” Machour told the assembled audience.
“Helping others to dream, to compete, to have better health, a better education has always been for me a fun thing to do. There are no better rewards than seeing what your help can produce,” he added.
Indeed, Machour has a long history of philanthropy and using his talents to give back to others. While in an executive management program at Harvard, he founded Executives Without Borders, to secure experienced business leaders for the support of international non-profits. Currently, he serves on the advisory board of Bring Hope, a non-profit that seeks to improve the lives of displaced people living in refugee camps. Working with Partnerships for African Vaccine Manufacturing, he is helping provide COVID-19 vaccines in Africa.
Sam Machour and Mason Korea students.
“Working with Sam has been a delight,” said Mason Korea Campus Dean Robert Matz. “His generosity is evidenced not just by this wonderful gift and his service to our advisory board, but also by his belief in others. He seeks to plant a seed because of his confidence that the seed will grow. He invests in the future by investing in people. I really appreciate that, and his belief in Mason Korea and its mission.”
Machour initially pledged $30,000 for the scholarship fund. He surprised the audience by announcing an additional $10,000 gift for Mason Korea at the ceremony.
Machour’s office at Samsung Biologics in Songdo is just down the block from Mason Korea, as Machour noted to the audience. “I see the university from my office every day.”
March 25, 2022 / Originally published here.