Alumna's Gratitude Benefits Future Teachers

The late Nancy Pierce Owens ('58, Education) was thankful for her Sacramento State education. And in her handwritten will—in which she left her entire estate to the University—she said just that. Literally.

The two-sentence document, in the deliberate cursive of a former educator, named Sacramento State as her sole beneficiary "in thanks for the education afforded me and in the expectation that my contribution will assist others who might otherwise not have the opportunity for higher education." The first scholarships from the Nancy Pierce Owens Memorial Scholarship Endowment, benefitting undergraduate students in the College of Education, were awarded this fall.

The scholarship endowment is one of the largest in the College of Education and comes on top of other generous contributions Owens made during her lifetime to the college where she earned both an undergraduate degree and a credential in elementary education. The Owens Scholarship is one of the few designated for undergraduate education majors, so recipients will be students majoring in the two programs in the College for undergraduates—child development and deaf studies—with the expectation that they will continue on into the teaching credential program. The scholarships will provide funds for a year's worth of tuition, books and fees.

Owens parlayed her Sacramento State experience, which included a stint as Associated Students Vice President, into a long career as a health educator. She spent three decades as a public health social worker for Alameda County, supervising public health nurses and teaching stress management and prenatal classes. Her gift will ensure that other students are able to have the same opportunities that she did.

"I think the scholarship has a major impact for students who are struggling, especially in this economy, to make ends meet," says Vanessa Sheared, dean of the College of Education. "For first-generation students who thought they would never be able to have an opportunity for higher education, an award like this can help them defray the growing expenses they now have for fees and the books that they need for their classes."

The scholarship could also help attract individuals to deaf studies, a profession in need of specially-trained teachers, says Beth Benedict, president of the American Society for Deaf Children.

"Often people who have a degree in special education teach deaf children, and that doesn't always fit the needs of deaf students," Benedict says, noting that deaf studies emphasizes language and communication, while special education tends to focus more on physical needs and mental disabilities.

John Jenswold, president of the Chico Unified Teachers Association, says he is glad to hear of a scholarship for teachers in training, saying that in a competitive job market, specialized training can give new teachers a leg up. And, he adds, it helps to have support while attaining that training. "A scholarship of any kind is going to help, and getting through your education without much debt is always important."

For information on how to include Sacramento State in your estate plan or other methods for planned giving, contact the Office of University Development at (916) 278-6989.