Promoting Global Perspective Through a Lasting Legacy
Photo by Dan Loh.
Cynthia Raiton ’82 Recognized With Old West Walk Celebration for Gifts Supporting International Education and Scholarship Opportunities
Dickinson recently celebrated the transformative philanthropy of Cynthia Raiton ’82 and her husband, Michael Ward, during an Old West Walk dedication ceremony at the John M. Paz '78 Alumni & Family Center. Raiton established the Cynthia L. Raiton ’82 International Education Fund and the Cynthia L. Raiton ’82 International Student Scholarship Fund through her estate to help deepen the college’s commitment to global engagement and provide critical support for international students.
Thirty of Raiton’s friends and family members traveled from around the country for the event. Among them were many classmates, her mother and brother, her former professor and advisor John Luetzelschwab, and six fellow members of the Old West Society, which honors donors who make a planned gift to the college.
"These forward-thinking donors have considered Dickinson to be a part of their family, making thoughtful plans to strengthen the college’s mission and ensure that a Dickinson liberal-arts education continues to create an impact in the world for generations to come," said President John E. Jones III ’77, P’11, who opened the event.
Provost and Dean of the College Renée Cramer P'28 followed with reflections on how Raiton’s philanthropy enhances the academic environment for all students. "The gift to the global education fund and the gifts that you've given to the Dickinson community expand our student body, and they expand our student body's understanding of the world," she said.
Maya Bondarenko ’27 (international business & management, quantitative economics), who came to Dickinson from Ukraine, provided perhaps the event’s most powerful remarks when she shared her personal journey and the life-changing nature of scholarship support like Raiton’s. During her speech, she recalled the moment she learned of her admission and financial aid through a Zoom call with President Jones as the beginning of a completely new life.
"You are not only creating opportunities. You are creating possibility,” she said of Raiton’s impact as a scholarship donor. “And those possibilities ripple outward: into careers, into communities and into lives that will carry your impact far beyond this campus."
The inspiration for her giving, Raiton said, stems from her own "unplanned career path" and the skills she gained as a student. Initially planning to become a pathologist, Raiton transitioned from biology to history during her junior year with the guidance of Professor Luetzelschwab. This academic foundation prepared her for a 44-year career in the publishing industry, during which she navigated complex political and economic landscapes across the globe.
“There are so many things that I gained from my four years at Dickinson: an unplanned career path that I am still involved in 44 years later, lifelong true friends, the skill of listening, curiosity, openness to all sides of opinions and the list goes on,” she said. “Now, I want to pay it forward and help provide similar experiences for others attending Dickinson College, and also for foreign students, to have the same experience that has enabled me to do what I am doing with my two scholarships.”
Closing the ceremony, Elizabeth Woods Meikrantz ’95, director of planned giving, presented Raiton with a proclamation of recognition.
"Joining the Old West Society is one of the most powerful ways to express your devotion and belief in Dickinson,” Meikrantz said. “It is also a way to impact future generations of students and set an example for others to pay it forward."
About the Old West Society Walk
Through the Old West Society Walk, Dickinson gratefully recognizes and honors those members of the Old West Society whose leadership and future philanthropic commitments of $1 million or more will have transformational effects on the future of Dickinson.
Named for the college’s most powerful symbol and historic building, the Old West Society provides a living record of the legacy of our graduates, parents and friends and recognizes individuals who have provided dedicated support to Dickinson through their estate or life income plans.
Members of the Old West Society are some of Dickinson’s most forward-thinking donors, adding significantly to the financial stability of the college with thoughtful estate planning. Their inspired philanthropy supports the college’s mission to provide a useful interdisciplinary education in the liberal arts and sciences that prepares students for lives of engaged global citizenship.
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Published April 28, 2026