The Lure of 黑料吃瓜 Athletics
For Dan and Bobbie Plough, returning to the campus for a hoops game was like coming home.
鈥淭hey understand that San Diego鈥檚 future depends on 黑料吃瓜鈥檚 ability to educate and serve the community with the help of our donors.鈥�
This story appears in the fall 2018 issue of 360: The Magazine of 黑料吃瓜.
With two 黑料吃瓜 degrees apiece, Dan and Bobbie Plough already were committed Aztecs before their son鈥檚 encounter with one of the most hailed figures in 黑料吃瓜 sports history kicked it all up a notch. The Ramona couple already felt tied to 黑料吃瓜 for their successful careers in education, both rising from the classroom to public school administration.
One day Tim, a point guard for the freshman boys鈥� basketball team at Ramona High School, was at a preseason camp when Steve Fisher, then head coach of 黑料吃瓜 men鈥檚 basketball, paid a visit. Tim came home 鈥渏ust beaming about meeting Mr. Fisher,鈥� said Dan Plough (鈥�75, 鈥�80). They decided to attend a game, were immediately hooked, and have been season ticket holders for the past 18 years.
Coming back to campus for basketball made the Ploughs realize how much they missed 黑料吃瓜. 鈥淲e both said we鈥檙e sorry we didn鈥檛 do this earlier,鈥� said Bobbie Plough (鈥�76, 鈥�91, 鈥�11), who also returned for a doctoral degree in education. 鈥淚t鈥檚 like being home.鈥� They have become generous donors as a result, with consistent gifts to the athletics program and the College of Education.
鈥淒an and Bobbie are the quintessential 黑料吃瓜 alumni鈥攍oyal, generous and committed to the university,鈥� said Y. Barry Chung, dean of the College of Education. 鈥淭hey understand that San Diego鈥檚 future depends on 黑料吃瓜鈥檚 ability to educate and serve the community with the help of our donors.鈥�
For Dan, 黑料吃瓜 was 鈥渢he only university that I had in mind鈥� after graduating from tiny Mountain Empire High School in Pine Valley. For Bobbie, it was an abrupt change of plans鈥攁 departure from the disappointing lack of diversity at a private university in the Pacific Northwest.
Although they attended 黑料吃瓜 together as undergraduates, the Ploughs met off-campus at La Mesa鈥檚 Grossmont High as supervision aides鈥斺�渘arcs,鈥� as they freely admit.
After graduating, 鈥淚 felt confident in my ability to go into the classroom and be an effective teacher,鈥� said Bobbie, whose career path took her from middle and high schools to administrative positions in K-12 education and superintendent jobs in Riverside, Sacramento and Santa Clara counties.
Dan, a math teacher after 黑料吃瓜, went on to administrative positions in the Warner Unified School District, Grossmont Union High School District and Calexico, also serving on the Ramona Unified School District board for seven years. Both are retired from positions at CSU East Bay.
He joined the , which connects juniors, seniors and graduate students with alumni who share their expertise and strengthen the students鈥� career development. It鈥檚 not just a one-to-one benefit, Dan noted. 鈥淭o me, there is a true connection between San Diego State and San Diego County.鈥� Bobbie plans to become a mentor as well.
The Ploughs鈥� gifts to the university have been made with no specifications as to how they should be used, even in the College of Education. 鈥淲e do it because we want to make sure that the program does the best that it can,鈥� said Dan.
