Alumni Father and Son Team Up to Establish Athletics Scholarship

Julian “Skip” Schink, ’76

The transition to Division I athletics is an exciting time for current UC San Diego students and for many alumni as well—including Julian “Skip” Schink, ’76, and his father, David, ’63. In 2014, the two men established a scholarship for UC San Diego student-athletes. “The transition to Division I is an opportunity for UC San Diego to step up on the national stage, so that everyone knows how great the school is,” said Skip, who played tennis while studying chemistry at UC San Diego.

Skip earned his Bachelors of Science degree from the university in 1976 and went on to earn a medical degree from University of Texas. For most of his career, he has worked as an oncologist and served on the faculty of several prestigious universities, such as University of Wisconsin—Madison, UCLA and Northwestern, where he served as the Brewer Professor of cancer research. “Getting my undergraduate degree in chemistry was a challenge,” Skip said. “Everything seemed easy after that, including medical school!” He also notes that playing sports in school is a great way to prepare for many careers. “The calmness that you learn when you are playing a sport and having to act under pressure, it is the same skill you draw upon in the operating room when you are doing difficult and life-saving surgery,” He went on to affirm how grateful he is for having had the opportunity to attend UC San Diego at an affordable price and play sports. “Being able to help someone else have that same experience is why I wanted to establish the scholarship. In addition, everyone I played tennis with went on to have incredible careers and a real impact, so I know this scholarship will help others do the same.”

Skip’s father, David Schink attended UC San Diego before the campus had undergraduate students. He earned his doctorate in 1963 from Scripps Institution of Oceanography and even worked in Roger Revelle’s lab. “I remember watching Roger sit in his lab and map out who they were going to recruit to build the faculty of UC San Diego,” he said. Upon graduation, David went on to have a successful career as a scientist and academic. He held leadership positions at the University of Rhode Island and Texas A&M. “I got my start at UC San Diego and I feel an obligation to give back,” he said. Though David never played intercollegiate athletics, he has always been a sports enthusiast. “Playing sports helps you control and manage anxiety and focus solely on the task at hand,” he said.

Both father and son remark that in just 50 years, UC San Diego has become a world leader in scientific discovery, perhaps in the next 50 years it will also be a leader in Division I sports.

Since 2014, UC San Diego has raised more than $1.2 M. in athletic scholarships. These funds support high-merit student-athletes and help cover their tuition and educational costs. Gifts can be made online to a general athletics scholarship fund, or specific team scholarship funds may also be set up. To learn more about making a gift to a team scholarship, please call 858-534-3540 or email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).