An Education in Fellowship
Dr. Karen Beyard wanted to ensure scholarship support for students to help realize their dreams.
During her 28 years at CCSU, Dr. Karen Beyard worked in both administrative and faculty roles. She also enrolled in classes from time to time, experiencing first hand CCSU’s great learning opportunities. When it came time to select a recipient of her planned gift, Karen says her time in Central’s classrooms is why she chose CCSU, not her undergraduate or graduate alma maters.
“Lots of times, academics give to the institutions they or their children attended instead of honoring connections to their workplace,” Karen says.
Karen’s planned gift to CCSU began 20 years ago as the Beyard Scholarship, established by faculty and family members who wanted to recognize her service as dean and vice president. At the time, only faculty and administrators were eligible for tuition assistance, so she chose to award an annual scholarship to support staff members who were pursuing degrees at CCSU.
After Karen became director of the university’s first doctoral program in 2003, she ensured employees would receive broader access to tuition assistance. She then refocused her scholarship to assist students in the Master of Arts in Teaching program. When Karen retired in 2014, the scholarship became the Beyard-Ellis Dissertation Fellowship—also named for her husband Donald Ellis, a retired University of Hartford professor.
Today, the fund is large enough to make two annual awards to doctoral students in the School of Education and Professional Studies.
“It’s amazing what a transformative experience CCSU has been for so many students,” Karen notes. “I am proud to have worked in a place that helps students attain a bigger share of the American dream. Making a planned gift keeps me connected to CCSU, and Don and I hope that our planned gift will continue to assist students on their journey toward realizing their personal American dream.”
Help Support Dreams
Like Karen, you can help ensure CCSU students have the support they need to fulfill their potential. Contact Jennifer Destefani at jdestefani@ccsu.edu or 860-832-1767 to learn how you can establish your own planed gift.
Information contained herein was accurate at the time of posting. The information on this website is not intended as legal or tax advice. For such advice, please consult an attorney or tax advisor. Figures cited in any examples are for illustrative purposes only. References to tax rates include federal taxes only and are subject to change. State law may further impact your individual results. California residents: Annuities are subject to regulation by the State of California. Payments under such agreements, however, are not protected or otherwise guaranteed by any government agency or the California Life and Health Insurance Guarantee Association. Oklahoma residents: A charitable gift annuity is not regulated by the Oklahoma Insurance Department and is not protected by a guaranty association affiliated with the Oklahoma Insurance Department. South Dakota residents: Charitable gift annuities are not regulated by and are not under the jurisdiction of the South Dakota Division of Insurance.