August is National Make a Will Month, and a timely reminder that estate planning is one of the most meaningful acts of care we can extend to those who matter most to us. For many University of Louisiana at Lafayette alumni, this circle of care includes the University itself. A gift in your will is a simple, flexible way to ensure the institution that helped to shape you can do the same for generations of students to come.

For Julia and Lynn Stentz, leaving a planned gift acts as a sort of a billet-doux (a love letter) to the university that gave them each other, their respective careers, a close-knit community of friends, and a network that has lasted more than fifty years.

The story of what inspired them to leave behind a substantial endowment bequest for the College of Education & Human Development, fittingly began on UL Lafayette’s campus, when it was still USL. Julia was a freshman living in Harris Hall when she and her roommate decided to occupy their time on a slow and rainy afternoon, by flipping through the fraternity pages in their yearbook and marking the photos of the boys they thought were cute. Unbeknownst to Lynn, he had been picked by Julia. A year later the two went on their first date to a football game at McNaspy Stadium. Fifty-two years later, they’re still married, and more committed than ever to their alma mater.

"Some of our best memories are from our years at USL," they recalled. Julia lived on campus during her entire college journey, and she and Lynn spent countless hours with his fraternity, creating lasting memories and building a community of friends who they’re still close with today.

The professors they encountered left equally lasting impressions on them both. They fondly recall Drs. Patricia and Milton Rickels opening their home to students on weekends, and turning their living room into an informal setting for lively and stimulating discussion.

Lynn and Julia both graduated with bachelor’s degrees in education in 1974.  Lynn used his industrial technology degree for a career in purchasing and procurement at Avondale Shipyards, the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, and the Department of Energy, before retiring in 2015. Julia built an impactful teaching career that included 20 years in public schools in Jefferson Parish, followed by several years at Archbishop Shaw High School, in Marrero, LA.

When it came time to think about their legacy, the College of Education seemed like the obvious fit. "First, we established a scholarship because we wanted to provide immediate assistance to students who need it right now," the two explained. “Then we created an endowed bequest, with the hope that our gift will provide substantial and meaningful support to the College year after year.”

Julia and Lynn understand firsthand what it costs to stretch a budget through a college semester, as well as the particular financial pressure facing education majors during their senior-year residency, when a full-time class and practicum schedule makes it very difficult to also hold a job.

Both say their instinct toward generosity was shaped by people in their lives who modeled it quietly and consistently, including Lynn’s mother, who turned 100 years old in July, and Julia’s brothers-in-law; one who always made a point to tip generously, and the other who gave back to his students as a nurturing and encouraging principal.

Lynn and Julia’s biggest hope for their gift is that it will be used to assist the College, students, professors and programs where it’s needed most. For them, the giving itself is the point. "It’s about the reach, not the recognition,” they affirmed. “We love the idea of supporting the college experience for everyone who dreams to pursue it."