Sarah (Weir) van Staveren '10

The decision to name Saint Mary's University of Minnesota as a beneficiary of her retirement plan was an easy one for Sarah (Weir) van Staveren '10: "Saint Mary's was such a huge blessing for me, so when I realized that I could give back through my retirement plan, I found a way to pass along that blessing to students who will attend SMU someday."

Sarah has been working since shortly after graduating in May 2010. Of course, retirement is a long way off for her, but she knows that beginning to fund her retirement plan now is financially smart. And naming Saint Mary's as a beneficiary of her retirement plan is smart philanthropy. This deferred gift from a retirement plan costs her nothing during her lifetime, will be tax free when Saint Mary's receives the gift (a benefit to Sarah's estate), and allows Sarah to express her gratitude today for all that Saint Mary's has done for her.

Sarah, a global studies and theology major, was very involved with music as a student, singing in the university choirs, performing in Blue Angel and Gaslight, and working for the music department. Her experiences at Saint Mary's are a significant part of who she is now. She hopes her path will eventually lead her back to Saint Mary's. In the meantime, she finds joy in planning a deferred gift that will benefit students like her in the years to come.