THE LEGACY OF JESSIE FELSBURY KEARNEY '48 LIVES ON

Jessie Felsbury Kearney '48

Jessie Felsbury Kearney '48 may have passed away in 2009, but her legacy will live forever through the scholarship she established in her estate plan.

Jessie Felsbury Kearney '48 worked with us to set up an endowed scholarship in her name, which would be funded in the College at Oneonta Foundation from her estate after she passed away. What made her do this?

"I feel the College gave me an excellent background for teaching. I wanted to help students financially, to make it easier for them," Jessie said.

As Jessie directed, the Jessie Felsbury Kearney Scholarship is awarded to education majors who demonstrate high academic achievement. One of the first recipients was Kaitlyn Austin, Class of 2014, who was an adolescent education/chemistry major from Wallkill, New York.

Jessie would have been proud of Kaitlyn: she was one of the College at Oneonta Foundation's first Noyce Scholars, a prestigious award from the National Science Foundation given to outstanding students preparing to teach in the sciences.

Because Jessie's scholarship is endowed, it will continue to make awards to deserving students like Kaitlyn in perpetuity - just as Jessie wanted.