Why I Am Naming Westridge in My Family Trust

Being a Westridge School alumna is something I am very proud of. No, make that VERY proud of! My parents both worked when I was in school during the 1960s, and our family did not have the means to pay for tuition to a private school for my sister and me, but they wanted the best education possible for us so they applied for financial aid. Thanks to the donors who supported the Annual Fund back then, I was able to attend the school from seventh grade until I graduated, and their generosity provided the financial support my family needed to cover the cost of tuition. As a student, I did not realize the significance of any of this, but as an adult I became aware of what a life-changing gift this financial aid truly was.

I love staying connected to the school as a member of the Alumnae Board and enjoy attending Alumnae Weekend and other events on campus. I treasure my fellow classmates from the Class of 1971 and am so fortunate that several of us still live in the area, so we often gather for Westridge functions and get together for potluck dinners. Along with these lifelong friendships, I am grateful to Westridge for instilling in me my love of poetry and literature and a true love for learning. Life is so full of wonder that, thankfully, I’m still learning something new each day.

As my husband and I were updating our wills this year, I decided I wanted to name Westridge School in our family trust with an irrevocable bequest, and I am delighted that our gift will also count toward the $15 million Campaign for Our Second Century.

I have given to the Annual Fund for decades, but I wanted to make a gift that was more significant as a way of saying thank you to those who had paid it forward and made it possible for me to be a student at Westridge. I wanted my gift to support financial aid for girls whose parents need help paying for tuition. I was one of those financial aid girls and I have NEVER forgotten what that support has meant to me. I do not have daughters, but I would like to imagine that my bequest might someday provide support for a Westridge student who finds the cure for cancer or becomes president. You never know what could happen!

Like Catherine, you can pay it forward with a gift that makes the difference of a lifetime for Westridge girls. Learn more by contacting Diana Bernal O’Leary at 626.799.1153 or doleary@westridge.org.