Donald & Jerriann Myers Wilson '62

What inspired you to become a legacy donor to Goucher?

Goucher found a career for me that I would never have discovered. I majored in education and childhood development, and student taught in first grade. My first-grade teacher was my favorite teacher of all time, but the experience wasn't as thrilling as I thought, so I decided about three months before graduation that I wasn't "on fire" to teach. I described this to Dorothy Arnold, director of the Vocational Office, and she asked me what I wanted to do, and I said I'd still like to work with children. When I told her that I might like to work in a hospital, she recommended Child Life, a Johns Hopkins Hospital program. I interviewed there, got the job, and stayed with the program for 43 years, serving as its director for 34 years. I owe that wonderful career to Goucher—both for the education I received and for the information I got from Dorothy Arnold to put me in the right direction.

What aspect of Goucher's work are you most proud of?

Creativity always comes to mind when I think of Goucher. The college has a strong commitment to liberal arts. I love seeing the creative approaches that have happened along the way, including the video application and the study abroad requirement.

Charitable Gift Annuities allow you to make a gift to Goucher while receiving income for the rest of your life, plus a partial tax deduction. What was the single most important consideration in your decision to start a Charitable Gift Annuity with Goucher?

Number one, to help Goucher. In the past, we just made a contribution, and that's it, but now that we're living in a Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC), which has a monthly fee no matter what, we don't have to worry about consistent income. The Charitable Gift Annuity served two purposes: We could help Goucher, we had guaranteed income, and, as a bonus, we got a great rate with tax benefits. Now we're not dependent on selling stocks or other assets. It's really a win-win. We've even recommended it to Don's mother-in-law, who set up a Charitable Gift Annuity with her alma mater.

What prompted you to make your gift at that particular time? How was the process of setting it up?

It was a combination of wanting to do more for Goucher and offsetting the monthly expenses of the CCRC. Stability of guaranteed income rather than selling an asset down the line.

What impact do you hope your gift will achieve for Goucher?

This is a wonderful solution for us, and we hope more people consider it. We want Goucher to be solvent and robust in the future—everything from study abroad to its educational programs relies on funds from the endowment.

Would you consider another Charitable Gift Annuity or planned giving vehicle (bequest, IRA beneficiary, etc.)?

Yes, we are settling in and looking at the stock market, which I think will be perfect for another Charitable Gift Annuity in a year or two. We look at the federal rate and take in mind the annuity rate from our ages to determine when we want to do another one.