Dorothy Turner '36: The Ultimate Teacher

Dorothy loved the years she spent studying music at Susquehanna: "The thing that made it so special was our relationships with our professors and with the other students," she said. "There were only about 15 of us in my music class." Dorothy noted that she still kept up with some of them in her retirement years.

Her gratitude for the education she received at Susquehanna was what led her to establish the Dorothy Turner '36 Music Scholarship Fund. "I want to help others to receive the benefits of a Susquehanna education," she said.

"The education I received at Susquehanna made it possible for me to have a wonderful life," Dorothy said. "Because of my education, I was able to give my parents a good life after my father was injured. I was able to become the organist for my church, and I was able to become a teacher."

Dorothy said she enjoyed "every minute" of her 37-year teaching career at Kingston High School and Wyoming Valley West High School in Kingston, Pennsylvania. "I got so much satisfaction from it," she said, "because so many of my students went on to have such successful careers."

Dorothy had used several planned giving tools to achieve her philanthropic goals. She provided generously for Susquehanna in her will, and she also established several charitable gift annuities. Now that those gifts have been realized, they provide enough income to help several students each year. Because of her generosity and forethought, Dorothy has guaranteed there will always be students who benefit from her wisdom and kindness.