Mother and daughter duo Audrey Thalia Stewart and Merrilee Howard 鈥�70 began college at the same time. Now, Howard is honoring her mom鈥檚 dedication with a gift to scholarships at Scripps.By Emily Glory Peters
When Merrilee Stewart Howard 鈥�70 reflects on her time at Scripps, she recognizes how much it took to get her here. Without financial support from her parents, scholarships, low-interest student loans, and work study, she says, attending Scripps would have been impossible鈥攅specially as another member of her household was embarking on a college journey at the same time.
鈥淢y mother [Audrey Thalia Stewart] started college when she was around 19鈥攂ut her studies were cut short when I was born,鈥� Howard explains.
Stewart, then a young wife and new mother, went on to raise a family of four. Undeterred, however, she resumed her studies 18 years later, just as her eldest daughter Howard began at Scripps. Stewart would not only complete her undergraduate degree, but also obtain a teaching credential and master鈥檚 degree, ultimately becoming an educator herself.
Howard never forgot her mother鈥檚 diligence through it all. So, when Stewart passed peacefully this last November at the age of 93, Howard knew just how she wanted to celebrate their shared love for learning.
鈥淚 put a large portion of my inheritance into a charitable gift annuity because it was a way of honoring my mother and celebrating my 50th听Reunion year,鈥� says Howard. 鈥淚鈥檝e designated the funds to the Class of 1970 Endowed Scholarship in her memory.鈥�
are ideal for those seeking reliable income during their retirement, but who still want to support Scripps students. After annuity funds are invested, Scripps pays the donor regular fixed amounts during their lifetime, affording them a variety of tax benefits. The balance is used to advance the College鈥檚 mission.
Scholarship donations like Howard鈥檚 bear tangible effects on students at Scripps, more than half of whom rely on some level of grant aid to pursue their studies. Plus, unlike one-time gifts, endowed scholarships provide stable financial aid funding in perpetuity. In honoring her mother, Howard looks forward to seeing her gift support an ever-widening array of students.
鈥淭here are so many qualified students who would benefit from a Scripps education鈥攁nd the Scripps community would benefit from their presence, too,鈥� she says. 鈥淚f scholarships can help Scripps increase the diversity of its student body by supporting people in the Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) and LGBTQ+ communities, for example, we鈥檒l be helping fulfill the goals of the Scripps IDEA Initiative, which promotes inclusion, diversity, equity, and access.鈥�
Howard notes that supporting a diverse student body in which every student is valued is key to positioning Scripps鈥� relevance in the twenty-first century鈥攁 concern she shared with her mother, and a cause that remains close to her heart.
鈥淲omen鈥檚 education continues to be of utmost importance in this world,鈥� she says, 鈥渁nd Scripps has graduated leaders both past and present.听By supporting the College as part of my personal philanthropy plan, I know that I鈥檓 helping provide access to an outstanding education for Scripps students in the future.鈥�
Charitable gift annuities like Howard鈥檚 are just one way donations can help secure your future and advance Scripps鈥� work. Click to learn more about how to incorporate Scripps into your own planned giving goals.