Niece Honors Aunt with Blended Gifts to Endow Global Opportunities Fund

Rebecca Knight did not attend Susquehanna University, but she recently established a scholarship in honor of her aunt-Rebecca Shade '54 Mignot. Six years after graduating from Susquehanna, Mignot sought opportunities to teach abroad. In the early 1960s, the prospect of moving halfway across the world was radical at best. Upon hearing about the opportunity to teach in Liberia, Mignot's mother responded with a word that would change the trajectory of her life: "Go."

That encouragement propelled Mignot into a career as a teacher, inspiring young people in far-off places including Africa and Saudi Arabia. One of the people she has inspired most is her niece, Rebecca Knight. Knight noted of Mignot, "She has lived an exemplary life, both personally and professionally … She went out into the world in a big way. I want to support the GO program so that other young people can go out into the world in a big way."

Knight was motivated to create a GO scholarship in her aunt's name using blended giving. Knight and her husband, Michael, will provide annual scholarship funding each year in order to have an immediate impact on students. Michael works for the Raytheon Company, whose generous gift-matching program will bolster their contributions. The couple will endow the Rebecca Shade '54 Mignot Global Opportunities Fund in perpetuity through gifts from their estate, sustaining their family's legacy at Susquehanna