The Heritage Society
Marlene Cutitar ‘79 “Reunion provides a unique opportunity to reaffirm our love of our families who sacrificed so much for the privilege to attend Wheeler, of our classmates who inspired us to excel, of our faculty who challenged us to explore, and of our alma mater whose motto “the Spirit Giveth Life” perpetually motivates us.” Marlene Cutitar and her 1979 classmates will celebrate their 30th Reunion at Wheeler this fall. Marlene shared the following reflection about the upcoming event, “Reunion provides a unique opportunity to reaffirm our love of our families who sacrificed so much for the privilege to attend Wheeler, of our classmates who inspired us to excel, of our faculty who challenged us to explore, and of our alma mater whose motto “the Spirit Giveth Life” perpetually motivates us.” On a recent reunion planning visit to campus, several classmates of Marlene described her as “one of the brightest in the class, whom we so admire.” They recounted her long hair, which she still wears today, and her prompt placement in the front row in all of her classes. Since graduation, she has remained front and center in volunteering and supporting Wheeler. Marlene served on the Board of Trustees for six years and has been a consistent donor for over twenty. Recently, she named Wheeler as the beneficiary to a generous portion of her estate which will be used to establish the “The Cutitar Family Scholarship Fund,” which will be counted towards the class of 1979’s 30th Reunion Gift. Marlene attended Wheeler for only her junior and senior years, and coming into a new school with an already established class could have been awkward, but Marlene described the class as open and welcoming and the teachers engaging. While at Wheeler, the availability of science classes cultivated her interest in medicine and Ted Tuttle, then the director of guidance, encouraged her to take the AP courses offered at Wheeler and made Marlene aware of the opportunities in the field of Science after Wheeler. With the support of her parents she entered Brown University’s seven year medical program. Today, Marlene runs a successful solo surgical practice with a specialty in women’s health. She has been a leader in The Rhode Island Medical Women’s Association, the American Medical Women’s Association and the RI Chapter of the American College of Surgeons. Her email username “girlsurgeon” reveals her longtime interest in promoting women in the field of medicine. As Marlene looked back on her career, she traced her initial interest in science to Wheeler and made the choice to give future Wheeler students access to the same educational opportunity that she had. Marlene’s scholarship fund will provide financial assistance to Wheeler students far into the school’s future. When asked why she has made this investment in Wheeler’s future, Marlene explained, “My parents were always advocates for education and their investment in my education was the best gift they ever gave me. I learned the tradition of giving to education from them and I want to continue advocating for education after I am gone. Education is the one thing that can never be taken away from you.” Marlene added, “I would love to return to Wheeler as a student today – it continues to be such an exciting learning environment.” If you are interested in learning more about including Wheeler in your estate plans or if you have already included Wheeler in your will and would like to let us know, please contact Molly Garrison, Director of Leadership Gifts, at 401-528-2180 or mollygarrison@wheelerschool.org. She would be so pleased to hear from you. We also invite you to visit our planned giving web site at: www.wheelerschool.HeritageSociety