Honoring her accomplishments through philanthropy
Katherine Fischer Warzynski, '66, entered Seton Hall University in 1962, the same
year the Reverend William Keller and Professor John Harrington started the Humanities
Honors Program (HHP). They invited Katherine to campus to discuss the program and
asked if she was interested in participating. What inspired her decision to participate
was the opportunity to attend classes during the day on the South Orange campus instead
of night classes at a satellite campus.
"It was a decision that I never regretted because the HHP provided the 'great books'
general education that my other alma mater, Columbia University, likes to highlight
as one of its strengths," said Katherine. "I also was the recipient of a competitive
full-tuition scholarship. For these reasons - an excellent education without student
debt - I have a long history of donating to the university."
Katherine noted that with her family obligations having been mostly met - raising
and schooling four children - she recognized that she had more funds to donate.
"I have made qualified charitable distributions (QCDs) to Seton Hall University for
the past several years,” explained Katherine. A QCD is a direct transfer of funds
from your IRA custodian, payable to a qualified charity.
“I had inherited the IRA from my father and the QCDs counted toward satisfying my required minimum distribution (RMD). Nora Nasif Rahaim, the University's Director of Gift Planning, provided me the with information about the simple process to make Seton Hall University the beneficiary of my inherited IRA. My purpose in making this gift is to assist in providing an excellent education to students who demonstrate both talent and need."
By making the University a beneficiary of her IRA, Katherine intends to support countless future Pirates through her incredibly generous contribution.