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Cornelia Yssel de Schepper
The Power of Education E DU C AT I ON HAS ALWAYS BE E N IMPORTAN T TO MY FA MI LY . When it came time to determine where I would attend high school, my parents searched for a school with a superior academic reputation – that was Rosemary Hall in Greenwich. As a student at Rosemary in the 1960s, I found the academic environment a challenge. Studying was a full time business for me but, as a result, college was a breeze. My brother, Marten, who was two years younger than me, attended The Choate School. I received my master’s degree from Boston University and had my first teaching position in the Boston area. After traveling to The Netherlands on spring break I decided to apply for a teaching job there. I was delighted to be offered a position with The International School of The Hague, where I worked for two years. I enjoyed the opportunity to get to know my Dutch relatives and to learn about the country of my parents’ origin. In the years since, my teaching career has taken me to positions in Iran and Israel as well. A quite different experience was my work as a logistics analyst for the Space Shuttle Program at Vandenberg Air Force Base. Some years ago I moved to San Francisco and have pursued a career in residential real estate. My Rosemary Hall education prepared me well for this varied career path; adapting to new environments came easily.
After my brother passed away in 1977, my grandmother established a scholarship in his memory at the school. Each year, I receive a letter from that year’s recipient of my brother’s scholarship. I’ve been most impressed by these students and their accomplishments at such a young age. It gives me great satisfaction to know that my brother’s legacy is being carried on in this way. About a year ago, I created a Charitable Remainder Trust with Choate Rosemary Hall as one of the beneficiaries. My initial interest in setting up a trust was the attractive tax incentives it offers. It made sense from a financial perspective and when considering beneficiaries, Choate Rosemary Hall was an obvious choice. I’m proud to carry on our family tradition of belief in the power of education. The sacrifice my parents made for us to attend private school has been a significant influence on our lives. Few people can afford full tuition at a school like Choate Rosemary Hall. These vehicles are a way to help make a Choate Rosemary Hall education possible for deserving students who would not otherwise be able to afford an education at such a fine institution.
What will your legacy be?
Join the Choate Society. For more information about Charitable Remainder Trusts and other Planned Giving vehicles, contact Barry Tomlinson at btomlinson@choate.edu or (203) 697-2071.