Connie Hanks remembers the feeling of being in love on the University of Utah campus in 1962: driving around in Gordon Hanks’s old convertible, meeting during study hours and between classes in the library. The way the fall foliage on campus lit up her heart on beautiful autumn mornings. It was a magical time that made a lasting impression.

Connie and Gordon’s love story has evolved over the years, extending to four daughters, four sons-in-law, and six grandchildren. And they count many University of Utah alumni and students as part of their family. For nearly three decades, the Hanks have helped U students from around the world pursue their passions in the arts and Men’s basketball through scholarship support.

“That is our great passion: scholarships. We built these wonderful relationships with these students to see them grow and develop,” Gordon says. “Very honestly, we get more out of the scholarship, I think, than the student does. We feel like scholarships are a family. And to us, our students aren’t students, they’re part of the family.”

Connie and Gordon began creating scholarships for U of U students 26 years ago. Both alumni from the university—Connie in speech and hearing pathology and Gordon from the College of Pharmacy—the Hanks bleed red.

“We are quite a U family,” Connie says.

Gordon reflects on his time in the College of Pharmacy as a formative experience. One that was greatly inspired by then Dean David Heiner, who Gordon says looked out for him and made it possible financially for him to attend school.

After graduating in 1967, Gordon went on to work at Holladay Pharmacy, which he eventually purchased with Connie. A couple of years later, the Hanks purchased Olympus Pharmacy and eventually a small clinic pharmacy, all of which they successfully ran for 43 years.

But in between building their business and raising their daughters, Connie and Gordon nurtured their passions. The founder of JazzSLC, Gordon has long produced concerts at the Capitol Theatre in downtown Salt Lake City, bringing in world renowned jazz musicians to perform. Connie regularly attends performing arts productions and has worked to encourage celebrating the vast performing arts talent that exists in the burgeoning Salt Lake.

“The arts are something that you speak from your soul and your heart. It’s a language,” says Connie. “It’s a language that doesn’t divide us but brings us together.”

Gordon agrees.

 “My greatest love is to be able to see people gather, who are very different and who have different thought processes, who come to a concert and all leave with joy in their heart,” he says.

The appreciation for the performing arts and the community that it builds runs deep within the souls of Connie and Gordon. As such, they wanted to encourage finding commonalities with those who might be different from one another on the surface through the thread of humanity that binds us all, and of which manifests through the arts. To strengthen community, build relationships that last a lifetime, and show appreciation for the beauty in difference, Connie and Gordon began creating scholarships for students at the University of Utah studying art, dance, and music.

One year later, they developed scholarships for student-athletes coming to the U to play on the Men’s basketball team—supporting another avenue for community-building.

“It’s emotionally binding that you fall in love with these kids and get to see them grow,” Gordon says.

And through supporting these students—in helping them accomplish their dreams—Gordon and Connie are playing a part in building the future they would like to see. One where people are connected rather than divided, no matter their differences. One that celebrates humanity by building and strengthening community.

One that begins with a love story.

“What our world needs right now is a society of love, compassion, friendship, and caring,” Gordon says. “And the one thing that Connie and I really strive for is kindness and love. We feel if we can share kindness and love with all of our scholarship students, then we’ve accomplished something.”