Special Ed. Teacher Stuns District When She Leaves $1 Million in Will to Her Students
Dedicating your life to another’s education is something to be praised. But there are some educators who go above and beyond to invest in their students’ futures.
A former special education teacher from New Jersey has now made headlines in the wake of her passing in 2011.
Since 1945, Genevieve Via Cava dedicated her heart and her time time to the students of the Dumont Public School District.
Though it’s been years since Via Cava passed, the legacy she hoped to leave behind is now living on by way of a scholarship fund. But the source of the fund may just shock you.
Ten years ago, the special education teacher mentioned she planned to leave a huge inheritance behind for her students.
“I thought it was a joke. But then we got the paperwork,” the district superintendent, Emanuele Triggiano, shared in an interview.
But the donation was no joke. Via Cava was retired at the time and was apparently very serious about her big plans.
“I was not shocked she would donate something, I was shocked by the number,” Triggiano explained. And who can blame him?
Wouldn’t you be surprised if you were in his shoes, and a former teacher left behind $1 million dollars in funds? I’d probably pass out, if I’m being quite honest.
But the generous donation only reflects the way Via Cava lived her life, it seems. “She was very kindhearted, sometimes with a rough exterior, but very compassionate deep down,” Richard Jablonski, Via Cava’s friend and will executor, said.
One last gift to her students: A Dumont teacher donated $1M to her special ed students, and now there’s a scholarship for them in her name. | Story by @snoda11 https://t.co/NI4wTG8CNb
— NorthJersey.com (@northjersey) June 7, 2018
After 45 years spent dedicating her life to her students, Via Cava made good on her promise. Students within the Dumont Public School District will now have the opportunity to be awarded a $25,000 scholarship to put toward college.
The money has been placed into an account where it will earn interest, and last for many scholarships to come. Because Via Cava had no children of her own, it looks as if she considered her students to be family.
“She’s leaving behind a lasting legacy,” Jablonski commented. I’m sure the students who will benefit from Via Cava’s generosity would agree.
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