Sharing the wealth

Cynthia A. Dickens (MUND ’96, MSHR ’99) was 9 years old when she first heard a sermon about the concept of "tithing." The idea of giving back to support her church struck a chord with Dickens and stuck with her as she grew up. When she got her first job at a fast food restaurant at age 14, she was eager to give 10 percent of her first paycheck back to God.

Dickens has always been guided by the values of her faith, which is one of the reasons she chose to attend a Jesuit university. Those values have helped her in the corporate world, where she's built a successful career in human resources. But Dickens is also still enthusiastic about tithing, and wrote a book, The Cheerful Giver, to help others understand the benefits of giving back.

"I am so passionate about giving and I believe that my giving to the poor is lending to the Lord," she said. "And I am very passionate about charitable giving and insuring that the money that I donate to organizations will go towards a great cause."