Whoever wins, Harper College gains from Final Four
Butler University will take on Virginia Commonwealth University in Saturday's first NCAA Final Four battle, but Harper College students also stand to benefit from the game's final outcome.
In a show of Harper support borne from old-fashioned basketball rivalry, Harper President Dr. Kenneth Ender, who received his bachelor's degree and Ph.D. from VCU, and Harper alumnus Andy-John Kalkounos, a Chicago Prime Steakhouse owner who earned his bachelor's at Butler, have initiated a friendly wager.
If VCU wins, Kalkounos will initiate and fund a scholarship for Harper's Culinary Arts program, and Chicago Prime Steakhouse will offer a tour and tasting for graduating students and faculty in the culinary program.
If Butler wins, Ender will suit up as a professional server and wait tables for one evening at Chicago Prime in Schaumburg, with his tips going toward a fund for future students.
“When Andy-John and I realized our alma maters were facing off, we couldn't resist turning it into an opportunity to support students in their education,” Ender said. “It's the best kind of bet: Harper wins big either way.”
Both 11th-seeded VCU and eighth-seeded Butler began the tournament as unlikely Final Four contenders, making Saturday's matchup a potentially once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Ender and Kalkounos. And the teams' Cinderella stories stand as a good lesson for college students, Kalkounos said.
“In the end, it is about believing in yourself and your potential,” said Kalkounos, who earned his Real Estate Broker's license at Harper after graduating from Butler, and was named a Harper Distinguished Alumni in 2010. “That's what they teach at Harper College every day, and that's why I'm thrilled to accept Dr. Ender's bet.”
The two will watch the game, set to tip off at 5:09 p.m. Saturday, at Chicago Prime, 1444 E. Algonquin Road in Schaumburg. All are welcome to join them in a combined show of support for VCU, Butler and Harper.
Kalkounos, who began his Harper association as a child when he took piano lessons at the College, became Managing Partner at Chicago Prime in 2000, and continues to support Harper as part of the Educational Foundation's Directors Circle Committee, raising money for scholarships and educational programs.