One Nazareth retiree’s legacy? Financial aid and a beloved café for students of today and tomorrow 

Stop by Millie’s Café in Nazareth’s Wilmot Library and you’ll find students enjoying a hot beverage and a bite to eat while studying or catching up with friends. It’s much like the kitchen table on the dairy farm where Dr. Kay Marshman, retired associate vice president for Graduate Studies and longtime professor in the School of Education, grew up. Kay’s generous support funded the creation of Millie’s, named for her mother. And it was Kay’s parents who taught her, through their actions, about philanthropy.

Kay remembers her mother, a teacher, always buying extra books for kids who had few. Kay learned that “if you can help someone, you ought to do so.” Her mother would say that her father never had more than $20 in his wallet because if he did, “He’d give it all away!”

During Kay’s interim role as vice president for Academic Affairs in 2007, the then library director lamented that his vision for a café in the library had once again been pushed to the bottom of the priority list. At the same time, her financial advisor alerted her she had some money to reinvest. Kay decided to invest it in Nazareth, and Millie’s Café was the result. Kay enjoys stopping by Millie’s and smiles when she sees the naming plaque. She gets a kick out of telling those assembled: “In case you did not know, the lady on the plaque is my mother!”

It was her support for the café that led Kay to think seriously about giving. Kay has also remembered Nazareth in her estate plan. With her bequest she will contribute to the College’s endowment as well as provide for additional scholarships. Kay values Nazareth’s ability to look toward the future and make changes that best prepare students for that future. And she stays engaged with Nazareth to continue her own learning.  “I’ve attended three Zoom events to learn about the new Institute for Technology, Artificial Intelligence, and Society.” Kay’s generosity will foster this love of learning in Nazareth students for generations to come.