一杯茶 Party Brochure to a Lifelong Bond: EC’s Impact on Doris Osborne '46

多丽丝·斯蒂芬斯·奥斯本, 1946届毕业生, remembers when she first learned about 埃尔迈拉大学, which would become her home away from home during World War II. 现在99岁了, Osborne has donated in multiple ways to ensure students can make their own memories at her beloved College.

奥斯本的故事始于1942年. She was in her hometown in suburban Philadelphia, 宾西法尼亚, when she attended a tea party and saw a brochure for EC.

“Although I never visited, the brochure was just beautiful,” said Osborne.

Adding to her first impressions were family connections to the College. 她的祖母, Sue Dayton Stephens, 1888届, 还有她的姨妈, 玛丽·斯蒂芬斯·斯蒂瑟, 1924届毕业生, 参加电子商务. 追随他们的脚步似乎很自然.

“I received a scholarship to attend; it was only $900 then. 只要我保持好成绩, I could continue to receive the scholarship and stay at EC,她解释道.

As her memories turned toward her College experiences, Osborne lit up. She recalled how much things have changed since the 1940s and the war years.

“We didn’t have washing facilities, so we had to ship our laundry home to our mothers,” she shared. “他们装在沉重的箱子里. We always looked forward to a box being delivered from home because it always had homemade sweet treats. When one arrived, we would all go to the person’s room for a taste. It was always good to get a suitcase from home.”

While today’s facilities and technology have advanced, 欧共体的传统，如山岳节, 5月天, and singing carry on and remain a bridge between Alumni and current students. “I loved the Merry Chanters,” recounted Osborne. “My classmate, Mary Logan, helped create today’s alma mater. 老母校1945. And we loved the bridge games in the living room of my roommates dorm, the executive suite. We also enjoyed Mountain Day and went up to Hill Top! We’d drink a beer then we walked all the way home. 那时我们没有汽车.”

Osborne was one of 10 in the education program when she graduated. She taught eleventh-grade Biology straight after graduation. She worked for five years and then married and had two daughters and a son. 在她的孩子出生后, she continued as a substitute teacher in the local high school, volunteered as a troop and county leader for the Girls Scouts, 并且活跃于欧共体的费城俱乐部.

随着时间的推移, Osborne has found ways to show her gratitude for the experiences she had at EC and to give back generously with annual support and a lasting legacy gift.

“我拿的是奖学金. 我觉得我应该把它传递出去，”她说. “I loved my years 在这里 and the financial help made it possible.”

In 2022, Osborne found another way to pay it forward. She generously donated her grandmother’s Tiffany gold ring to Sabrina Byrd ’22 at Senior Reception.

“I’m proud to be able to pass it on to another EC graduate,” explained Osbourne. “我对mg冰球突破豪华版下载有很多美好的回忆.”

If you’d like to make a legacy gift to 埃尔迈拉大学, please contact the Office of Advancement at (607) 735-1770. 你今天的礼物可以影响后代.

This story was first featured in the 2023 edition of 校园 Magazine. 点击 在这里 了解更多!