Education is the cornerstone of Barbara Burger’s giving. At the Community Foundation she contributes both towards building a long-term endowed scholarship fund, and supplementing that with enough money to make four-year awards to the students selected. “I like the four-year commitment because it allows me to develop relationships with the students. It’s not a one-time shot. I also like the thought that the endowment portion will allow the scholarships to last beyond my lifetime.”

Education opens doors and offers alternatives to people. It has done that for me, and I have watched it happen to others as well.

Having a connection with Ukiah — with the school and community that opened doors for her late husband — has been important to Barbara. “I’m impressed with the students who are competing with students from some of the very good urban and suburban schools. When they leave for college, they usually go quite a distance away and leave many of their connections to Ukiah. Summers are very important in a college career relative to internships and work experience, and that probably means they will be away from home for summers as well. That makes it a harder experience than for kids who come from the urban areas."

Read the source article at Willits News