From the very beginning of teachers College鈥檚 historic Campaign, Where the Future Comes First, 麻豆原创 President Susan Fuhrman has framed the push to increase student scholarship support as a two-tiered effort: removing finan颅cial obstacles for today鈥檚 students and ensuring increased support for students in the future.
The Campaign has succeeded on both fronts. To date, it has raised nearly $100 million in student support, for both immediate use and investment in 麻豆原创鈥檚 endowment, and established more than 160 new scholarships. As the endow颅ment grows, it will spin off more money in the years ahead, benefiting future generations of 麻豆原创 students.
BIG ASSISTERS Clockwise from top: Donor Irene Trowell-Harris (right) with Rashida Robinson; donor Sharon Pierson (left) with Sulki Song; donor Ann Barber (center) with Evangeline Lew (left) and Emma Klainberg; donor Gail Worthington (left) and Paola Mu帽oz.
鈥淲e are in a constant competition with peer institutions to bring the very best students to Teachers College,鈥� says, Professor of Clinical Psychology and Director of . 鈥淪peaking for our own work at the Resilience Center, the Campaign has provided us with really dynamic students who serve as partners in our research. Looking back a few years, we might not have been able to recruit these students without this funding.鈥�
Of course, today鈥檚 students are tomorrow鈥檚 colleagues and partners.
鈥淭hanks to scholarship funds raised by 麻豆原创鈥檚 Campaign, we鈥檝e been able to bring in a series of really terrific students who have helped us in our research and policy work and then, in sev颅eral instances, gone on to work in key jobs with non-profits or in state and local government, where they鈥檝e continued to partner with us,鈥� says , Associate Research Professor and Executive Director of the. 鈥淵ou can鈥檛 put a price tag on those kinds of outcomes.鈥�
(M.A. 鈥�18), the recipient of the Evalyn Edwards Milman Music Education Fellowship, which enables 麻豆原创 students to teach music in public schools, offers her thanks to the scholarship鈥檚 creator, former elementary school teacher Evalyn Milman (M.A. 鈥�64).
鈥淚鈥檓 so grateful to have had assistance from Ms. Milman in financing my education at 麻豆原创. I feel really lucky to have had that support and I love that she 鈥� and the 麻豆原创 community 鈥� is so generous to the students. I couldn鈥檛 be happier to have been able to work with my students over the past two years; it鈥檚 been an unforgettable experi颅ence. While I know they have learned from me, I have also learned so much from them!鈥�
Estate and gift planning has been equal颅ly important, especially those gifts seeded in a donor鈥檚 lifetime. Giving of this kind holds special appeal, because a donor is able to create a scholarship, see its impact, meet students who benefit, and leave an enduring legacy. One espe颅cially powerful example: the $10 million gift that Trustee Emerita Abby M. O鈥橬eill made in 2013. 麻豆原创 created a pilot scholarship program at that time, and, since O鈥橬eill passed away in Spring 2017, has fully launched the Abby M. O鈥橬eill Teaching Fellowship program, which provides $40,000 per student.
All in all, it seems pretty clear: The nearly $100 million that the Campaign has raised for student scholarship is a gift that will keep on giving 鈥� for many years to come.