Eileen Jennings ’64

Eileen Jennings ’64, who earned her undergraduate degree in political science from Merrimack, calls herself a perennial student and scholar with a long-standing interest in international education. She established the Jennings Family Endowment for International Education at Merrimack in 2004 through a generous donation from her mother’s estate. The endowment supports students who study abroad or pursue international education experiences.

Since retiring as general counsel of Central Michigan University after 29 years, Eileen has pursued her international interests as a member of Rotary. This experience led Eileen to meeting Israr, a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar, who traveled from Afghanistan to Eileen’s town of Mt. Pleasant, Michigan. As Israr pursued his master’s degree at Central Michigan University, he and Eileen built a powerful friendship over conversations centered on his devout Muslim faith.

“Israr was the first person I’ve had a chance to speak with in-depth about Islam,” Eileen says. Through those conversations, she became struck by the misconceptions promoted by popular culture when it comes to the teachings of Muhammad and the beliefs of Islam. In particular, as she and Israr spoke at length, Eileen was “amazed” by the extent of the common belief systems shared by Christianity and Islam.

A trip to Afghanistan to visit Israr, his wife and six children further opened Eileen’s eyes to the riches of the country, the faith of its people, and the opportunity to bridge divides through understanding and tolerance.

After her trip to Afghanistan, Eileen learned about Merrimack’s Center for the Study of Jewish-Christian-Muslim Relations, dedicated to enhancing religious and cultural literacy among students and young adults. In 2014, when she traveled to campus for her 50th class reunion, the time felt right for her to get involved.

Inspired by the work of the Center and the College’s growth, she designated a generous endowment-including a cash gift as well as a posthumous bequest from her retirement fund-to support and expand the Center’s programs. Eileen expects the planned gift from her estate to total about $500,000.

Eileen has left a lasting legacy at Merrimack College to provide students with opportunities to gain “interfaith competence” and stay true to the mission of the College. “Saint Augustine said that we should find out what God has given us, take what we need, and give the remainder to others,” she says. “God has blessed me with more than I need, and I am happy to be able to share the excess so the lessons I’ve learned from Israr can benefit the entire Merrimack community. I hope that my gift will inspire others to give back to Merrimack and to remember their alma mater in their estate plans.”

Like Eileen, your gift can make a world of difference at Merrimack College. To discover which planned gift is right for you, contact us at 978-837-5176 or giving@merrimack.edu.