Bequest from alumna will provide vital support to future UCR students
As soon as Barbara Kerr set foot on the UC Riverside campus, she knew that's where she belonged.
"It was one of those blue-sky days when the grass looked really green and the mountains framed the campus, Kerr said. "I grew up by the beach, so I wanted something different—this was it."
As a junior transfer to UCR, Kerr spent just two years at UCR, where she graduated with a degree in English in 1968. It wasn't just the scenery that left an impression. She recalls getting an excellent education, learning how to take care of herself, and being encouraged to think critically and ask questions.
"I loved UCR then, but I love it even more now," Kerr said. "That's because of the way the university takes care of its students. I was a first-generation college student, so what UCR does is very close to home for me."
More than half of UCR's 26,000 students are the first in their family to attend college, and 47 percent receive a federal Pell Grant, typically offered to undergraduates with exceptional financial need. For three years in a row, U.S. News & World Report has named UCR top in the nation for social mobility.
These are just some of the reasons Kerr was motivated recently to make a planned gift to UCR, in the form of a bequest that will gift 30 percent of her estate to the university. She has pledged her gift to support the future needs of students across campus.
"I know that infrastructure is important, and universities need money for buildings," Kerr said. "But the gift that I am making will provide vital support that will directly impact student success."
After graduating from UCR, Kerr completed her teaching credential at Cal State Long Beach before returning to Riverside and making the city her home. She worked as a kindergarten and first-grade teacher from 1969 to 1995. She then served as an officer and president of the California Teachers Association, an organization that represents more than 300,000 educators statewide. In 2005, the Los Angeles Times named her the third most powerful person in California.
Despite living close to campus, Kerr didn't become involved with UCR until Ken Noller, a friend, former colleague, and fellow graduate, enlisted her help with an alumni network he formed to help student teachers in the School of Education.
"That got me back on campus after many years and I thought, 'Wow, this is not the same school I attended.' It was much bigger and more dynamic," Kerr said.
With Noller's encouragement, Kerr joined the UCR Alumni Association as a lifetime member, eventually serving as a board member. She also began making a monthly contribution to support student-focused initiatives on campus. Among them are the Alumni Association Endowed Scholarship Fund, a School of Education scholarship, and the Guardian Scholars Program, which aids students who have "aged out" of the foster care system.
"I am also a strong supporter of the R'Pantry," Kerr said. "I give something every month because I know it is helping kids who otherwise may not have enough to eat."
Her deferred gift will help future students meet pressing needs that may otherwise thwart their dreams of completing a university education.
"I don't intend to go anywhere anytime soon. Since things change so rapidly, dictating what future students will need is hard, but there will always be a need," Kerr said. "As teachers, we want to be remembered for making the world a better place. I can't think of a better way to extend that memory than to support UCR."
