Love Donuts

With our youngest son approaching his senior year of high school, we’ve been enjoying the journey of touring college campuses to find the best fit for his ambitions. As we’ve gone down the list of criteria, many are easy to quantify—tuition, degrees and majors offered, extracurriculars, climate, food, dorms, student enrollment, and graduation rates. Armed with data, we even built a spreadsheet to compare and contrast the schools.

But one of the most important—and least tangible—factors is something harder to define: fit. Will the campus culture inspire learning and personal growth? Will he feel connected to his classmates? Will he have fun and truly thrive?

One of our recent visits brought that “fit” factor to life in the most unexpected and heartwarming way.

We were visiting Montana State University and quickly noticed something unique: almost everyone on campus—and in Bozeman—had a genuinely kind and positive vibe. But the real moment came during a morning trip to Granny’s Donuts.

As we pulled into the lot, we saw a line of people stretching outside the door. A good sign! While waiting, we noticed kids in line being given plain donuts to decorate with their favorite toppings—a fun, personal touch. Everyone seemed to know each other, exchanging warm greetings and easy smiles. It felt like something out of the old TV show Cheers, where “everybody knows your name.”

Then, we noticed something troubling. Everyone was paying with cash—and we didn’t have any on us. Disappointed, we stepped out of line to leave. But before we could walk away, a friendly voice called out from behind the counter, “Where are you going?”

“We don’t have any cash,” we replied, “so we’ll have to come back another time.”

The man behind the counter smiled and said, “Take as many donuts as you’d like—don’t worry about paying us.”

We hesitated, politely trying to decline the generous offer. But he insisted: “I can see you’re uncomfortable with this, but this is how we do things here. We help each other out. Just pay it forward.”

Then he added, “If it really makes you uncomfortable, I’ll give you the cash for the donuts and you can just Venmo me later.”

Wow. I doubt they’ve ever had such a hard time giving something away for free! But after thinking about it, it wasn’t really free. It was about joy—the joy of helping someone, of spreading kindness, and of trusting that it will ripple outward. When someone makes your day, you’re more inclined to make someone else’s too.

So I guess the moral of the story is this: when evaluating colleges, don’t forget to look at something you can’t put in a spreadsheet—the people. What’s the culture? What kind of community are you joining?

And maybe even more importantly, how can you make someone’s day? Because in making theirs, you’ll often make yours too.

With love,

Matt and Christina

Matt & Christina are Team Skally, top real estate agents in the Seattle Metro with expertise in luxury homes on the Eastside including Bellevue, Newcastle, Issaquah and Renton. Their client testimonials say it all - they deliver exceptional service and record-breaking results. Recognized as top agents on social media by Property Sparks, Diamond Award winners for best client service, Nextdoor’s Neighborhood Faves and regularly featured in online and print publications including Greet - Newcastle & Newport Hills Magazine. In addition to serving clients, Matt and Christina love family time with their two boys and two Goldendoodles as well as volunteering in the community.