When Rob and Margie Hillman learned that Rob’s aunt, Kathleen “Kaye” Flanagan ’73, had left a significant portion of her estate to their discretion, they felt both humbled and determined to honor her legacy. Kaye, the daughter of Irish immigrants and a first-generation college graduate from USM, became an accomplished nurse and nonprofit leader. Along with her husband, David, a Maine business icon and USM’s 12th President, she devoted her life to serving others. Rob remembers stepping into the role of estate executor: “The discretion was ours, but my aunt’s charitable footprint was distinctive, and USM was at the top of a long list.”
Through conversations with Corey Hascall ’99 and Erin Macey at the Foundation, the Hillmans were drawn to the Promise Scholars program. They saw in its mission the same values Kaye embodied: opportunity for first-generation college students, wraparound support that extends beyond tuition assistance, and a commitment to helping young people not only stay in school but thrive. “It’s not just about academics,” Margie notes. “It’s about helping students find connection to their school, so they continue to excel.” Their decision to designate $1 million from Kaye’s estate to Promise, with a priority on nursing students, aligned perfectly with her lifelong calling and passion for health care.
The gift also came at a pivotal moment. It was the final contribution needed to meet the Promise Matching Challenge, issued by a pair of anonymous donors, and it helped unlock millions in support of USM students. The Kaye Flanagan ’73 Promise Endowed Scholarship also helped propel the Promise endowment toward its long-term goal of $20 million, which will ensure that up to 100 students per year will receive this transformative support for generations to come. “It’s meaningful and humbling,” Rob said, “but honestly, it was also just great fun to be able to make such an impact on Maine’s young people. Kathleen trusted us to make her legacy count, and Promise gave us a way to do just that.”
Celebrating our 1878 Legacy Society Donors
The 1878 Legacy Society Tea kicked off this June to honor USM’s most forward-thinking donors – those whose planned gifts ensure that future generations of students will thrive and lead Maine’s future. The gathering was held at the President’s House and was enriched with a presentation and tour about the meaning of 1878 from Libby Bischoff, the university historian and Executive Director of the Osher Map Library and Smith Center for Cartographic Education.
Left to Right: USM President Jacqueline Edmondson and Jane Martin ’93; Jill ’83G and Robert ’78G, ’82 Blackwood; Ken ’74 and Susan Ross; USM President Jacqueline Edmondson, Denise and Mike Dubyak, and USM Foundation President and CEO Corey Hascall.