Claire Schneck

"Growing up, my parents taught me the value of hard work and a good education. I am proud to honor them with endowed scholarships at Eastern." Claire Schneck, '69

As an only child of parents raised during the depression, Claire learned to work hard and spend wisely. Her father was a meticulous machinist with a keen eye for detail. Her mother managed the family home and volunteered for the war efforts. Education was important to them, so Lester and Luella made sure that Claire had the resources to go to college through the family's savings and Claire's summer job earnings.

Claire excelled at Eastern-both in the classroom and through community service. She graduated from Eastern Washington State College in 1969 with a bachelor's in Education, then taught elementary school until an early retirement.

When preparing her will, Claire was inspired to direct her hard-earned savings to make an impact. Her estate gift honors her parents for perpetuity with endowed scholarships at EWU: Lester Schneck Manufacturing Technology Scholarship, Luella Schneck Honors Scholarship and the Claire Schneck Education Scholarship. As a special tribute to her father, Claire's estate plans also include a provision to establish the Lester Schneck Excellence Fund to support the machining lab and manufacturing technology student projects for perpetuity.

A few years later, with estate plans in place, Claire was inspired to start her scholarships early. By directing her IRA required minimum distribution to Eastern, Claire reduces her taxable income and gets to see the impact of her scholarships through her lifetime.