I was introduced to Contra Costa College (CCC) when I was a one-year sabbatical leave replacement. I was then lucky enough to get hired full-time the following year.
While my work life at CCC spanned everything from reference librarianship to teaching German, directing the choir to sponsoring the students’ academic honor society, the most gratifying common thread through all assignments was my opportunity to help and serve our diverse student body.
As faculty sponsor of the honor society, I remember the joy of welcoming excited reentry students, who had done poorly a few years ago in high school (or college!) and were now rediscovering themselves as academically superior scholars.
As coordinator of the annual scholarship dinner, I got to watch the students’ faces as they and their loved ones received well-deserved recognition for their accomplishments. And as a reference librarian I had the opportunity daily to guide students in their exploration of our society’s vast storehouse of knowledge.
I joined the CCC Foundation’s board in 1992 and stayed on to become Board vice-president for several years. During that time, I was also active with the Friends of the CCC Library and my husband with the Art Department, where he was a student painter.
When my husband and I drafted our living trusts, we both decided that the CCC Foundation should be included as a beneficiary. The decision was easy, and the process was too. We contacted the Foundation Director, told her our intention to leave a percentage of our estate to the CCC Foundation, and explained that in our case, we wanted the bequest to be used at the Foundation’s discretion to promote the health and effectiveness of their effort as the Board of Directors saw fit. Even if that meant buying paperclips to keep the nuts and bolts of the organization running, so be it.
I am glad we made this decision. It is a good and comforting feeling to know that part of my legacy is definitely going to support the CCC students my late husband and I cared for so much during our lifetimes!
-Bruce Carlton, Contra Costa College instructor from 1973 – 2003