Rita Burke ’73 Passes the Baton with a Legacy Gift
For Rita Burke ’73, Montclair was the springboard to success as a music teacher – a career that she loved. By including the University in her estate plans, she will provide scholarship support for future generations of music educators.
Posted in: Alumni News and Events, Alumni Profiles
It was an experience she had as a teenager that inspired Rita Burke ’73 to pursue a career as a music teacher for special needs children. “My church’s youth group organized a visit to a special education school,” she recalls. “I brought my portable record player and some records. I saw the positive impact the music had on the children. It made a profound impression on me.”
Affordability and scholarship support brought Rita to Montclair. “I received an award from an association of World War II veterans that my father belonged to,” she says. “I received additional support from the University through a program that rewarded students preparing for careers in teaching.”
After completing her degree, she returned to her hometown to join the school district’s special education team as a music teacher. During Rita’s successful 35-year career, she was named Teacher of the Year by the State of New Jersey.
“Montclair provided me with an excellent foundational college education,” she says. “I am truly grateful for my professors who actively listened and inspired me to develop various ways to teach music to all students.”
When considering the philanthropic aspects of her estate plans, Rita thought of Montclair. “I had been putting off updating my will,” she says. “When I learned that I could use my estate to set up a scholarship for students majoring in music education, however, I got excited about the possibilities. It was a great feeling.”
“People tend to look at estate planning as the end of things,” she adds. “But when you establish a scholarship at Montclair, you are carrying your legacy forward, passing the baton to new generations.”