Darrell Owens ’90: A leader in paying it forward

(Generosity Matters is a series of spotlight stories about alumni who give back to Augustana College.)

Many of the life and leadership lessons Darrell Owens ’90 learned on Augustana’s basketball court led him to a successful career in finance. Today, he is senior vice president and general manager at Synchrony Financial, the largest provider of private label credit cards.

He now wants to pay it forward to Augustana students, particularly those who are first-generation students just as he and his brothers were.

“The desire to give to the college really started with my wife Deidre and numerous conversations about doing more to help others and paying our blessings forward,” Owens shared. “Specifically, we want to help Black students and students of color who may be first-generation college students and may not have the financial resources of other communities.”

Darrell and Deidre Owens, who have been married 24 years, want to create a legacy of support to help students reach their full potential. “In our small way, we want to help alleviate some of their financial stress, in hopes they can spend more time learning and less time working to pay for school,” he said.

Owens believes Augustana’s most important work, as well as any college or university, is helping shape future leaders. Leadership comes from not only what’s learned in the classroom but also the extracurricular activities and relationships students establish and maintain long after graduation. Owens was a three-year varsity basketball letterman who graduated with a business administration degree with concentrations in marketing and management.

“It is our prayer that our gift can help close the education gap by providing greater opportunities for students of color to attend a private college like Augustana,” he said.

Owens says he would tell others who are considering giving to the scholarship needs of Augustana students to just “do it.”

“I think most folks want or think about giving but wonder if what they can give is ‘meaningful,’” he said. “If it’s on your heart to give, I say do it, because what you give could be the difference between a student finishing a semester or sitting out.”