E.V. Sweeny '60 P'84
From seventh grade on, E.V. Sweeney took the bus each day from Dedham to Milton, never imagining she would one day be sending her son there as a boarder. In E.V.’s day the boys’ and girls’ schools were completely separate. A highlight of the day (for some) was crossing Centre Street for science classes and on the way exchanging carefully folded notes with confidential messages, usually of a romantic nature.
Many female students, including E.V., reflect on the high standards they were held to in every arena—standards that, at times, could feel overwhelming. “Milton taught me to survive, problem solve, and think for myself. Sink or swim. I have high standards of my own now, but I try not to let them hold me back. Perhaps it is a matter of letting go. Milton was painful at times but wonderful too.”
E.V. and her husband had four children in seven years. She describes the early years of raising a family as a blur. She added volunteer work to the mayhem and later graduated from Simmons with an MBA. She then became a fundraiser for Milton and later Harvard. “As it turns out, I was good at it. I had a wonderful time managing many successful campaigns and, best of all, working closely with a wide variety of generous and accomplished alums.”
On her 50th reunion from Milton, E.V. established a charitable gift annuity. It is the simplest and most popular charitable life-income arrangement. In exchange for her gift, E.V. receives income for life and can direct how the gift will be used. “There is nothing more valuable than a good education, and I was delighted to be able to pay Milton back for mine. There are tons of worthwhile causes that could benefit from our support. So how do we choose? I believe my gift to Milton is helping to educate future leaders who can solve problems and make the world better. It is a proverbial drop in the bucket but a gift that has leverage.”
