“We need more teachers like Rona,” says William “Bill” Balser of his wife of 54 years, Rona Kushner Balser. Like many Terp couples then, they met on campus, fell in love and graduated together in the Class of 1961.

Rona’s biology degree allowed her to teach one of her favorite subjects at Patterson High School in Baltimore before raising a family. She stayed active in education throughout her life, teaching art classes at home and volunteering to teach science to her grandsons’ classes, for which she earned the nickname “Science Grandma.”

“She loved teaching. She loved biology. She loved her students,” says Balser. After Rona passed away in 2015, Bill wanted to create a legacy in her honor, and established a named endowed scholarship for the Terrapin Teachers program student participants. This successful collaborative initiative between the College of Education and the College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences (CMNS) builds a new pipeline of highly qualified teachers in STEM subjects, who receive their bachelor’s degrees in math or science along with a teacher certification and opportunities to teach in elementary, middle and high schools.

Rona’s scholarship specifically supports biology majors who apprentice teach and intend to teach biology—just like Rona. And they’re needed in the classroom today more than ever, especially as the US endeavors to keep STEM education front and center for our nation’s children.

Bill established Rona’s endowed scholarship with an initial gift of $100,000. To have the most impact on future Terps, a bequest in his estate will augment the endowed fund principal after his lifetime—that could also be fulfilled with gifts made during life. “My goal was $1 million,” Bill says. “And I got there.”

To maximize the possibility of achieving this goal within Bill’s lifetime, he began donating the maximum amount for Qualified Charitable Distributions from his IRA annually. This tax-savvy charitable gift helped Bill to reach his goal while seeing Rona’s scholarship in action now, by supporting the next generation of biology teachers who will inspire regional high school students—as Rona did.

Bill’s generosity repays what he considers a 60-year-old debt. A full scholarship made him part of the first generation in his family to attend college, setting him up for personal and professional success.

“Consider giving back to your alma mater. I wouldn’t be where I am today without my education. It’s just right to turn around while you’ve got one hand on the rung of the ladder above you and reach a hand down to help someone climbing that same ladder below you. Little by little, we all get to the top.”