One of the greatest legacies we can leave is the gift of hope for the next generation. At AACC, we see that hope every day. The single parent returning to school, the student working two jobs to pay tuition, and the new high school graduate stepping into their dreams.
But many of our students can’t reach their goals alone. Your legacy can help change that.
Choosing to leave a legacy at AACC is choosing to invest in what matters most to you. It might mean opening doors to education for those who need it, strengthening workforce programs that keep our community thriving, or creating opportunities that will uplift students for generations to come.
Acts of generosity – large or small – become lasting gifts that continue to make an impact long after they are given.
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Planned gifts to the AACC Foundation provide essential resources for our students for generations to come. These gifts can be made in several ways.
A charitable bequest through your will or trust is a gift from your estate. You may donate a specific dollar amount, an asset or a percentage of your estate or residual balance of your estate.
Sample wording for your will:
I give and bequeath (__% share of the residue of my estate) or ($__ of the residue of my estate) to the Anne Arundel Community College Foundation, a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization with a federal taxpayer identification number of 52-6078381, located at Henry "Hank" Libby Building, 101 College Parkway, Arnold, Maryland, 21012, phone: 410-777-2515. The Anne Arundel Community College Foundation shall use the assets in a manner it determines most critical. (Or specify designated intent).
In addition to your will, you can name the AACC Foundation as a beneficiary of your retirement account, life insurance policy or other assets.
The AACC Foundation’s legacy society, Circle ‘61, was named after the year the college was founded. Members of Circle ‘61 have made an enduring commitment to education.
Please consider joining the increasing number of donors who are, through legacy giving, investing in the future of our students at AACC.
Thinking about including the AACC Foundation in your legacy plans, or have you already taken that step?
Let us know! We would be honored to formally welcome you to the Circle ‘61 Legacy Society and express our deepest gratitude.
Request more information about legacy giving.
Please reach out to Wendy Thomas at 410-777-1309 or wcthomas2@aacc.edu.
The Lynne Wood Memorial Scholarship
After the passing of faculty member Lynne Wood in 1996, Don, her husband, created the Memorial Scholarship at AACC to honor his late wife. Earlier this year, the AACC Foundation was notified of Don’s passing and that he had chosen to significantly expand the Lynne Wood Memorial Scholarship as part of his estate by making the scholarship a beneficiary of his Individual Retirement Account.
Lynne Wood established AACC’s paralegal program and is remembered by many for her resourcefulness in also creating a library to educate students for this profession.
Don, of Severna Park, served in the United States Air Force and held executive leadership roles with the National Security Agency.
We are grateful that 23 years ago, Don Wood endowed a scholarship to honor Lynne and that through a legacy gift from his estate, the Lynne Wood Memorial Scholarship is now the largest endowed scholarship at the AACC Foundation. On behalf of the college community, we express our gratitude for his generosity. His example is an inspiration to all who value the role of AACC in this community and who seek to honor and remember a loved one by helping future generations access higher education.
“Simply put, Don did not want Lynne to be forgotten and he chose to honor her memory where she would be remembered the most — by the students who, in Don’s words, ‘have the gumption to improve their lives, but haven’t been able to because life circumstances have prevented it.’ Having the opportunity to further one’s education was extremely important to Don, and he was adamant about providing as many scholarships as he possibly could in Lynne’s name.”
— Sandy Wood, Don’s beloved wife of 20 years
The Ethel Groh Webster Williams Trust
Ethel Williams was a visionary. Through her careful and thoughtful planning, the AACC Foundation received a transformational gift of $1.7 million from her estate this year. This legacy gift will profoundly impact our students and our community for generations to come.
The Ethel Groh Webster Williams Trust awarded a total of $5.1 million to three community institutions to ensure individuals continue to have access to critical healthcare services and education resources. After meeting with Williams’ trustee, the Foundation learned that Williams chose to leave a portion of her estate to AACC because she wanted to support students who may not have the opportunity or resources to initially attend a four-year college or university.
With the connection between healthcare and education, Williams’ gift to the AACC Foundation has funded an endowed scholarship — the Future Nursing Professionals Scholarship in Memory of Ethel and Neil Williams — to support eligible students accepted into AACC’s Registered Nursing degree program. Without this financial support, many students are unable to pursue an education that would lead to a transformative nursing career.
Through the generosity of the Ethel Groh Webster Williams Trust, these future caregivers will positively impact thousands of lives throughout their careers in Anne Arundel County. On behalf of our college community, we express our heartfelt gratitude to Williams for her vision and generosity.
Michael (Mike) and Melanie Teems, AACC lifelong learners, have always believed in the power of education. Both were educators as part of their accomplished careers. But it is their lifelong commitment to learning that ultimately led them to discover the transformative power of philanthropy.
“We saw the difference that generosity makes in people’s lives,” said Melanie, who also spent part of her career in the nonprofit sector. “Being around philanthropy was inspiring, and we wanted to share our gifts with others.”
Through thoughtful planning and hard work, Mike and Melanie built their lives together. Now, they are extending that legacy through a future gift to the AACC Foundation to support the Michael and Melanie Teems Scholarship, investing in the next generation of learners. “We see people struggling to make it, and we want to help others with education,” Mike said. “Providing access to critical workforce training through AACC will allow people to improve the quality of their lives.”
The AACC Foundation welcomes Mike and Melanie to the Circle ’61 legacy society and extends its deepest gratitude for their enduring commitment and generosity. With their legacy gift, the Teems are planting seeds of opportunity that will grow for years to come — empowering students to learn, develop and thrive in a changing world.
“Being around philanthropy was inspiring, and we wanted to share our gifts with others.”
— Melanie Teams
Naming opportunities at AACC offer a powerful way to make a lasting difference.
These opportunities directly impact student success while visibly demonstrating your commitment to education and community.
AACC has a number of meaningful naming opportunities that start at $25,000. We invite you to learn more about available naming opportunities by contacting the AACC Foundation at foundation@aacc.edu.
Elizabeth Mathias, Ed.D., has a deep connection with AACC, having taught at the college from 1971 to 1995 and serving as chair of AACC’s Nursing department and dean of Technical and Career Education. To honor her work and commitment to students, donors and family members, Dan and Tanya Mathias wanted to find a special way to connect the past with the future.
"My mother has always demonstrated a strong commitment to supporting students pursuing careers in the sciences. Tanya and I wanted to find a special way to honor her life’s work and naming the Dr. Elizabeth Mathias Life Science Tutoring Center in AACC’s new state-of-the-art building felt like the best possible opportunity to accomplish this."
— Dan Mathias, past president, AACC Foundation board of directors
Sally Ehrle, Ph.D., and her late husband, Raymond Ehrle, Ed.D., believe deeply that education is the pathway to a brighter future.
This unwavering conviction led them to support access to education by establishing two endowed scholarships through the AACC Foundation.
The Ehrles also recognized the vital role AACC plays in educating and preparing students for careers as emergency responders in our community. The connection between AACC’s Emergency Medical Services program and the community inspired them to make a gift to name the Ehrle Family Emergency Medical Services Suite.
This generous contribution will impact future frontline healthcare workers in our community for decades to come.
Lorraine Girandola served as a student success coach in AACC’s School of Health Sciences.
During this time, she was known as an advocate and resource for students pursuing careers in the health sciences. Prior to her work at AACC, Girandola served as a registered nurse in a career spanning more than five decades.
As a way to honor her memory, an anonymous donor made a gift to name the Lorraine Hughes Girandola Health Sciences Student Success Center on AACC’s campus. Many students will enter the Lorraine Hughes Girandola Health Sciences Success Center seeking guidance and support as they pursue their studies in health services.
This generous act will ensure that Girandola’s passion for serving others will remain part of the academic experience for AACC students.
Donor-funded scholarships through the AACC Foundation make it possible for more community members to pursue careers that help provide for their families and fuel our local economy. A named endowed scholarship is designed to be a self-sustaining fund that is awarded to students in perpetuity.
When you establish an endowed scholarship through the AACC Foundation, you are creating a permanent legacy at AACC.
When Joe and Dru Burke established the Future Nursing Professionals Scholarship — Burke/Long Family Fund at AACC, their motivation was clear. They wanted to give back.
“We both had parents who needed caregivers, and we have been reading about the shortage of nurses in our region,” Dru said. “Increasingly, we are aware of how important this issue is for our community, and we are so pleased that AACC is bringing community members together to address the crisis.”
The Burkes’ ties to AACC are strong. Dru was on a work-study program in the library when she first met Joe, a three-sport student athlete. Dru had four brothers who attended AACC, and her mother worked in the Math department at the college.
“AACC has always been such a good school, and it’s still one of the top community colleges in the country,” Dru said. “Of all the places we attended college, we enjoyed AACC the most.”
After learning more about this AACC Foundation initiative, the Burkes knew this was the right focus for the Burke/Long Family Fund and identified a way to make a special gift. “We were blown away by the quality of the program and the education resources available to students,” Joe said. “We are pleased to help more people in the community access AACC’s Registered Nursing program and become future nurses for all of us. By donating appreciated securities we held for decades, we were also able to make a meaningful gift while avoiding capital gains taxes — a win-win for us and the college.”
Zack Knight is remembered for his infectious optimism, love of life and unforgettable sense of humor. He attended AACC and graduated from Salisbury University before his tragic death in 2010. Knight's family and friends created an annual scholarship through the AACC Foundation several years ago to honor his spirit and continue his legacy of kindness and helping others. For those who loved Knight, preserving his legacy has always meant more than honoring his memory today — it meant ensuring his ability to uplift others would carry on for generations to come.
Determined to create a lasting impact, Knight's family and the Zachary Gerald Knight Foundation transformed the annual scholarship into an endowed fund at AACC: the Zack Knight Scholarship.
"The Zack Knight Foundation was created to go beyond rewarding academic achievements alone. Our mission is to celebrate positive character and recognize the good in others, which are values that align beautifully with the AACC Foundation. We have deep respect for the supportive environment AACC fosters and have seen firsthand the opportunities it creates for bright futures, through Zack, as well as past ZGK Foundation award recipients. Establishing a permanent endowment cements Zack’s legacy by providing continued support for students and creating a lasting impact."
— Gerald and Susan Knight, Zack Night Foundation
The Zack Knight Scholarship is now a permanent source of support for AACC students and ensures Knight's legacy of genuine care for others continues in our community for decades to come.
We’re happy to help.
