A Legacy of Supporting Education for the Marginalized

I have spent most of my adult life in Minnesota and Alaska teaching English as a second language (ESL). As an ESL teacher, I was always curious about the places my students were from, and had a strong desire to explore them on my own. My first teaching experience abroad was at the University of Cairo, which set me off on many other teaching opportunities abroad, including in Morocco, Russia, Finland and Norway.

These experiences, along with teaching at a recently desegregated school in the United States, spurred my lifelong commitment to education equity for students who are marginalized, including refugee students in the Middle East. I support many organizations that provide educational opportunities for students from marginalized communities, and have long supported Anera in appreciation of its work with young people in Palestine and Lebanon.

While I have been concerned about refugee and Palestinian issues and donating to aid groups since the 70’s, I wanted to get more systematic with my support for Anera and have done this in two ways. First, I began a monthly donation with Anera many years ago, which has allowed me to better plan my finances and feel confident that my support will not be interrupted by other things happening in my life.

Secondly, I recently had the opportunity to seriously consider my passions and interests as they relate to my legacy when I rewrote my will. I knew that I wanted my legacy to support groups that work for justice and equity for historically marginalized communities, and Anera was a natural choice for me. I am proud that my legacy will offer hope for many future generations of refugees and other communities in the Middle East.

Learn more about how you can leave your own legacy with Anera at anera.org/legacy.