Paying His Good Fortune Forward

Guido Di Gregorio appreciates the education he received at Tri-State College and wants future generations to have the opportunity to be prepared for a successful career through his estate gift to Trine University.

"Trine still reflects the core values that were important when I was at Tri-State," the 1966 electrical engineering alumnus said. "Students still get the experience I had with small classes, hands-on learning and professional and current knowledge that allow a student to be productive rapidly and reflect the values of the Midwest."

Guido had just completed military service, was married and had a child when he arrived at Tri-State. He knew the college was supportive of nontraditional students and had a reputation for strong engineering programs.

"In the '60s, if you asked all the major employers if they knew Tri-State, most would say yes, they knew Tri-State delivered great graduates," he recalled.

Guido appreciated the support he received from faculty members like electrical engineering professors Alan Stoudinger and Gunnar Wareburg.

"After class, we talked with these professors," he said. "You could talk about class, but they would also give us practical advice for once we were in the workplace. Professor Wareburg used to share the idea that it's amazing what you can accomplish when you don't care who gets credit. They were teaching teamwork before it was popular."

After graduating, Guido received offers from multiple companies. He chose General Electric, feeling that company was the best fit.

"I had a wonderful career at GE," he said. "I was identified early on as a high-potential employee and received successive promotions, including working in marketing, sales, engineering, industrial and consumer markets and leading worldwide manufacturing automation business."

He was recruited after 18 years at GE to serve as CEO of multiple companies. He is still CEO of TeleSoft International, which provides hardware and software solutions for the digital communications market.

He sees his estate gift as a way of paying forward the benefits he received from his education. "I wanted to give in a way, as early as I could, that makes a statement to others that I valued my education," he said. "I hoped I could invest and make a difference in the world, and I always believed in helping students succeed."

Like Guido, you can carry on the legacy of quality education with a gift to Trine University in your estate plan. To learn more, contact the Office of Alumni & Development at 269.300.9811 or alumni@trine.edu.