Heidi Capozzi came to love the University of Minnesota through her mother’s and grandmother’s stories.

Her grandmother, raised by immigrant parents who placed a high priority on education, earned a degree in education in 1931 and taught school for many years. “At a time when women weren’t getting educated, she had a degree, was a professional, and was a single mother of two children. I found her to be quite an inspiration,” Capozzi says.

Capozzi's grandmother Martha Wanek

Her mother got a master’s in education from the U and also taught. Capozzi and her sister graduated from the University on the same day in 1998. Capozzi earned a master’s in human resources and industrial relations (HRIR) from the Carlson School of Management (CSOM); her sister received a doctor of veterinary medicine degree.

The University had always been part of Capozzi’s life. Growing up in the Twin Cities, she remembers trips to campus: taking flute lessons from U of M professors, going to concerts, and bringing family pets to the Veterinary Medical Center.

After earning her undergraduate degree, teaching English, and doing translation work in Japan, she knew she wanted a master’s degree that combined her interests in business and education. “HR was a nice intersection,” she says. “And the U’s HRIR program was world-class.”

Capozzi says she felt “incredibly prepared” heading into the work world. “The respect the U of M had in the realm of major employers gave me lots of opportunities for internships. And I had multiple offers walking out the door with my degree. It set me on a path for success just like it did for my sister, my mother, and my grandmother.”

Sisters Heather Fairbairn (left) and Heidi Capozzi (right) at their U of M graduation

That path led her to major corporations, as well as a start-up. Today, she serves as McDonald’s Corporation’s global chief people officer, overseeing human resources operations for the 2 million employees working under the Golden Arches.

Capozzi credits her mother, Norma J. Baker, with inspiring her to give back to the University. Baker made a gift in her will that will support students studying education.

“She wanted to give someone else the opportunity to have a great education,” Capozzi says.

After getting involved in CSOM’s strategic advisory board, she began to think about ways she could give back as well. In 2021, she and her husband established the Heidi and Brian Capozzi Scholarship for undergraduates studying business at CSOM, funding it with current gifts, including grants from a donor-advised fund and appreciated securities, and an estate gift.

“This university has been so important to the careers and independence and confidence of the women in our family,” she says. Establishing the scholarship is “a very meaningful way to give back to the world.”