New Jersey Teacher Gives $1 Million to School District in Her Will

Teacher Leaves School District $1 Million in Will

Genevieve Via Cava taught special-needs children in New Jersey for 45 years

Getty Images The money that teacher Genevieve Via Cava left to the school district will be used for college scholarships for graduating special-education students. Genevieve Via Cava devoted 45 years of her life to children as a teacher of both regular and special education. And now, she’ll be helping those children even after passing away. Last week, the Dumont School District in Bergen County, N.J., announced that Via Cava had quietly gifted $1 million to the district from her estate. The money will be placed into a fund, and the interest will be used for post-secondary education scholarships for students. Via Cava died in 2011 at age 88. Due to legal processes, the district did not receive the check until last month, which means the fund officially will begin offering scholarships in the 2019-2020 school year. The gift will allow for a $25,000 scholarship to be awarded each year to one special-education student from the district. Via Cava, a widow with no children of her own, cared deeply for her students both inside and outside the classroom. She often befriended students’ parents and helped them find placement for their children in after-school programs and in the community, James Kennedy, a friend and , told northjersey.com. Via Cava’s lasting gift wasn’t from a family fortune or her own inheritance. Instead, she was a strict saver, a habit she gained from enduring the Great Depression, Richard Jablonski, a friend and executor of her will, told CNN. The huge nest egg was an unexpected surprise to its recipients, though superintendent Emanuele Triggiano told northjersey.com that Via Cava actually told him 10 years ago she’d be donating $1 million. He laughed it off, thinking it was a joke. But it’s no joke. Via Cava’s generosity will be felt in the school district for years to come.

More on Scholarships

Cancel You are leaving AARP.org and going to the website of our trusted provider. The provider’s terms, conditions and policies apply. Please return to AARP.org to learn more about other benefits. Your email address is now confirmed. You'll start receiving the latest news, benefits, events, and programs related to AARP's mission to empower people to choose how they live as they age. You can also by updating your account at anytime. You will be asked to register or log in. Cancel Offer Details Disclosures

Close In the next 24 hours, you will receive an email to confirm your subscription to receive emails related to AARP volunteering. Once you confirm that subscription, you will regularly receive communications related to AARP volunteering. In the meantime, please feel free to search for ways to make a difference in your community at Javascript must be enabled to use this site. Please enable Javascript in your browser and try again.