Doing for Family
"MSU has always been like family to me, and I've loved being in a position to help others."
Doing for Family
"MSU has always been like family to me, and I've loved being in a position to help others."
April 20, 2017After working on her dissertation for a doctoral degree, Suzanne (Sue) Levy found her perfect fit at MSU Libraries. She started as a serial clerk, checking in journals. It involved a lot of reading and helping people, and the job made her feel part of academia. Thirty-three years and several promotions later, she’s still there.
Two things she’s always appreciated about working in the libraries: discovering great things to read and being on the leading edge of technology. As an authority control coordinator, Sue oversees quality control for the MSU Libraries’ database. But the best part, she says, has been the people.
“MSU always has been like family to me,” she says. “And I’ve loved being in a position to help others.”
So when it came to making an estate plan, Sue made sure she always would give back to the people of MSU.
Through a charitable bequest in her estate plans, Sue will provide funds to establish five future endowments in areas that mean the most to her. For the MSU Libraries, her estate plans support the Jewish Studies Collection in honor of her parents; the Comic Art Collection in honor of her colleague Randall W. Scott; and the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Collections in memory of Anne E. Tracy. She also established a director’s discretionary endowment to honor current MSU Libraries Director Cliff Haka.
Sue’s bequest also will establish a fifth endowment in the College of Veterinary Medicine to help elderly pet owners living on fixed incomes be able to pay for their pet’s care. As a longtime ailurophile herself, Sue has made annual gifts to this endowment in order to make an impact right away. In fact, she’s been an annual donor for decades and has been recognized in the Leadership Circle for her annual support.
In recent years, Sue’s passions took her in a new direction. She has a business that aims to teach older people computer skills, working out of the Williamston Senior Center.
“I took an avocation and turned it into a business,” she says. “I was helping all my retired friends from the library get online and in sync.”
Over the years, Sue has faced the death of pets, family, friends, and loved ones. She says her endowments and gifts to MSU made a difference.
“Giving back takes the sting out of death. And it’s great to feel like you’ve done some good for someone,” says Sue.
For more information on making an endowment gift, contact the development officer in your unit or visit givingto.msu.edu/endowments
