As a nurse, Leah Black has cared for patients during every stage of life. She began her career as a midwife and served as an OR nurse for a children’s hospital. Now, she’s a wound care/ostomy nurse and hopes to do hospice nursing in the future.
To Leah, compassion for others is second nature and extends beyond her professional work. When considering how she might direct an estate gift to create a meaningful impact for young people in her community, Leah looked to The Evergreen State College.
“I want to help LGBTQIA+ students at The Evergreen State College who were in foster care at some point,” she explains. “These young people have already dealt with considerable instability with their living situations, and the goal of my support is to enlarge the student safety net beyond tuition. Then they can exhale, knowing they’ll have a secure place to pursue their educations and live during their college years.”
Though Leah isn’t an Evergreen graduate or parent, the College’s mission inspires her. “I believe Evergreen embraces the kids I want to help, rather than ‘othering’ them,” she says. Leah also sees education as the key to a better life. “The journey is important, but so is the outcome—a college degree. Education is portable, something nobody can take away from you.”
Leah shares that she always wanted to be a foster parent to queer kids, but as life evolved, this didn’t happen. “This is the next best thing,” she declares. “My own children are comfortable and financially secure, and I consider a lot of inherited wealth toxic, frankly. I want to make a difference for these students.”
Leah refers to designating Evergreen as her retirement fund beneficiary as “mission-driven giving.” She emphasizes that she earns an average income and that others can make this kind of impact, too. “I’m not going to need the money after I’m gone,” she quips. “I’m heartened that my own modest resources will have this ripple effect.”
Make Your Own Mark at Evergreen
There are many easy, flexible ways to invest in Evergreen students now and in the future that reflect your values. Learn more about them by contacting Bree Marsch-Grim, '21 at (360) 867-6300 or foundation@evergreen.edu.