(CNN) - A kid raised in a middle-
class Boston suburb, Michael
Bloomberg took out loans to pay
for his tuition at Johns Hopkins
University and worked as a parking
lot attendant.

He learned early to pay it forward.
Bloomberg's first gift to his alma
mater was a whopping $5 in 1965,
a year after he graduated with a
bachelor's degree in engineering.
Fast forward to Saturday, when the
Baltimore university announced
Bloomberg has now given a total
of $1.1 billion. The latest
commitment came in the form of a
cool $350 million toward a
"transformational" initiative aimed
at cross-discipline solutions to
societal problems.

In a statement, Johns Hopkins said
Bloomberg, a former trustee, is
believed to be the first person to
ever reach the $1 billion level of
giving to a single U.S. institution of
higher education.

The university's Twitter feed was
aglow with information on the gift.
One tweet heralded the
announcement with the words,
"Big News," which might have been
an understatement.

Among other things, the donation
will fund 2,600 Bloomberg
Scholarships over 10 years and 50
distinguished scholars.
Of the $350 million, $100 million
will go toward "need-based
financial aid" for undergraduate
students.
"Johns Hopkins University has
been an important part of my life
since I first set foot on campus
more than five decades ago,"

Bloomberg said in the press
release. "Each dollar I have given
has been well-spent improving the
institution and, just as importantly,
making its education available to
students who might otherwise not
be able to afford it."

The remarkable tally speaks to the
generosity and success of New York
City's mayor, who grew a business
empire after leaving Baltimore. He
will turn 71 on Valentine's Day.

www.cnn.com/2013/01/27/us/bloomberg-johns-hopkins-gift/index.html?c=weekend-homepage-t

The Bible says the more you give the more you are blessed. This is why you must learn to be a giver.