Paving the Way for Young Women

Karen Robinson ’63, a founding member of the Madeline Society, passed away in May 2020. Through a designated stock gift, she left a generous bequest of $50,000 to Westridge, earmarked to support financial aid through the Forever Fund endowment.

She credited Westridge for encouraging creative and independent thinking, and for instilling a sense that, as a student, she was smart and capable. Her advice to students at the time of her 50th reunion was that you can do anything you set your mind to.

Always with her nose in a book, following Westridge, Karen attended Brown University and spent 30 years helping pave the way for women to become executives in the New York publishing world at companies such as Doubleday, Random House, and Abrams. Her legacy of supporting women lives on through her bequest, which will help deserving young women receive a Westridge education.

Throughout the years, Karen remained close to her classmates, who remember her as vivacious, bright, and energetic. She saved her class reunion books, which brought her great joy after pausing to read them while packing for a move from her home in Santa Barbara to a retirement community. She was a garden enthusiast and longtime volunteer for the Santa Barbara Botanical Garden.

Known for her willingness to help with reunions, fundraising, and anything related to Westridge, Karen was an early supporter of the Forever Fund. With two classmates, she co-authored an appeal letter to her class about the importance of giving back to support the education she felt so fortunate to receive. Her early show of support for the fund led others to donate, and to this day, the Class of 1963 remains dedicated to reaching its goal of raising $100,000 for the Forever Fund. Karen’s bequest brings the reality of that goal that much closer, while making the gift of a Westridge education a reality for an even greater number of students.

If you are interested in learning more about making a gift to the Forever Fund today or in your estate plan, please contact Diana Bernal O’Leary at 626.799.1153 or doleary@westridge.org.