DMACC Retiree Supports Students by Funding Scholarships

While Collette Saylor didn’t often work directly with students during her 25-plus years as a member of the staff at Des Moines Area Community College, she regularly saw the important role the College played in the state. As a member of the economic development team at DMACC, she worked with employers to ensure the College was developing the kind of highly skilled professionals that businesses in the area needed.

“DMACC is a critical piece in supporting an increasingly competitive job market,” says Saylor, who retired from DMACC in 2005. “Not every successful career path requires a four-year degree from a university. There are so many opportunities for students to succeed in the trades like plumbing, carpentry, and more. I know from my years at DMACC how important it is to develop these professionals.”

To ensure students have access to this vital training regardless of their financial challenges, Saylor recently made a planned gift to the DMACC Foundation. She named the Foundation the beneficiary of a generous life insurance policy that will support student scholarships. She says the process was simple.

“I started by reaching out to the Foundation to inform them of my intentions,” Saylor says. “They worked with me to draft a memo of understanding, and then I contacted my life insurance company, completed a few forms, and that was it.”

She says knowing her gift will support students seeking advanced education and training is exciting.

“I’m a big believer in education,” says Saylor, who volunteers to help young students with their reading at a local elementary school and teaches Junior Achievement classes. “I think it is very important to have a wide range of educational opportunities available. We need to be sure there is a path to success for everyone. I am just happy that I can help in the way that I am.”