Transforming Lives with the Gift of Education

Mike Kenny (CAS ’78) never planned to stay at Oakland University. Growing up in Royal Oak, he had dreams of attending the University of Michigan, Columbia or Brown — all of which accepted him. But the reality was, his family simply didn’t have the money. In 1973, he made the practical decision to attend Oakland University, just down the road from his high school. He planned to transfer out once he could afford it.

He never transferred.

“I got to Oakland and I stayed,” Kenny says. “I just really enjoyed it. I could chart my own path. The classes were small. The professors were brilliant. And I was working all the time painting houses, working at the post office and running programs for the university in the evenings. But it was fun, I was learning and I was doing it on my own.”

He did more than just stay — he thrived. Kenny earned a triple major in history, philosophy, and political science and graduated magna cum laude. He went on to earn a Master of Arts at Northwestern University and later completed his law degree with distinction at Emory University. He built a powerhouse legal career that would eventually span decades, trying and winning billion-dollar cases across the country and arguing before the U.S. Supreme Court. But even with all that success, Kenny never forgot where it started.

Believing in the power of education to build communities and successful lives, Kenny and his wife, Elizabeth “Beth”, have given more than $2.4 million to Oakland University to support student scholarships. “We wanted to help students who were bright and hardworking but maybe from families that didn’t have a lot of money,” Kenny says. “Education changed my life. I want it to change theirs too. Education was very good to me. It was very good to my wife Beth, who graduated summa cum laude from Georgia State.”

Their first major gift created the Michael P. and Elizabeth A. Kenny Merit Scholarship for the Sciences, a prestigious award for students majoring in biology, chemistry or physics. The scholarship helps high-achieving students with at least a 3.8 GPA gain access to the education they deserve and, in many cases, might not otherwise afford.

But the Kennys didn’t stop there. They later added the Michael P. and Elizabeth A. Kenny Scholarship for Humanities, Social Sciences, Language and Literature. They also created an annual Writing Excellence Award. Together, these endowed scholarships have supported more than 52 Oakland University students.

“They’ve changed lives,” says Elaine Carey, Ph.D., dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. “Mike and Beth’s gifts are transformative. They give students not just financial support but the ability to imagine new futures for themselves and for the region. Many of our graduates stay here in Southeast Michigan. These scholarships are a powerful investment in the state’s future.”

Beyond the local impact, Carey notes Kenny’s giving has ripple effects. “When you give a gift like this, you’re not just funding one student — you’re building generational wealth,” she says. “If one student from a family that’s never had a college graduate earns their degree and goes on to succeed, that changes the trajectory of the entire family.”

Michael Westfall, vice president for University Advancement, sees the Kenny legacy as foundational to the future of Oakland University. “Mike and Beth’s gifts reflect the very best of what it means to be philanthropists,” Westfall says. “They didn’t just take what they gleaned through education and build remarkable careers — they turned around and reached back to lift others. Their impact will be felt not only in the lives of the students they’ve helped but in the generations those students will go on to influence. It’s humbling and deeply moving.”

The Kennys do more than write checks. Mike returns to campus to meet students, speak in classrooms and share stories from his legal career. When he spoke to a group of scholarship recipients in a science lab last year, he invited each of them to tell him what they were studying, what they hoped to do and why it mattered. “I wanted them to know we believe in them,” he says. “Many of the students expressed hope that at some point later in their lives, they’ll be in a position to give back.”

Several of the scholarship recipients have gone on to prestigious graduate and medical programs. Many of the recipients came from backgrounds very similar to that of Kenny. Some are first-generation college students. Others are from families who never imagined college could be possible. Yet all shared a desire to succeed despite whatever obstacles may have been in their way.

“I hope they use this opportunity,” Kenny says. “And I hope someday they find a way to help someone else. Whether that’s money or time or mentorship. Just something that lets them say, ‘I made someone’s life better.’ That’s what we’re trying to do.”