Debbie Johnson: Alumna's Estate Plan Gift Funds Scholarship
Debbie Johnson, who received her accounting degree from the University of North Florida in 1985, was looking for a way to stay connected to her alma mater when she accepted a position on the Alumni Association board the following year. Since then, her work on behalf of UNF has included service on the Alumni board as a member and a chair, the UNF Foundation Board, the Student Affairs Community Council and more. Johnson's impact, which has spanned more than three decades, has been truly profound.
Johnson has also made a significant contribution through her work with The Arc Jacksonville, which serves people with intellectual and developmental differences. In a pairing of her passions, Johnson helped create On Campus Transition at UNF in 2006 - a program that allows students with differences to attend classes and fully participate in campus life. "Many young adults who might not ever have had an opportunity to go to college are now having a rewarding college experience," Johnson said.
In addition, she has mentored four women over the past seven years through the Coggin College of Business, maintaining friendships and staying connected after graduation. Johnson said mentoring broadened the scope of her UNF experience, adding, "We should always be thanking the University for providing us with some of the most fulfilling memories of our lives."
Debbie's gratitude and love for UNF has led her to include a provision in her estate plan to provide need-based scholarships to UNF undergraduate students. "I get so much more out of my involvement with UNF than I can ever repay," she said. "It is my hope that through this gift someone else will be able to come to UNF as a student and find the same level of fulfillment that I have."
