Ensuring Educational Access for All
Monica Herwald ’83 remembers clearly her mother attending nursing school when she was a child. Her mother was in her 40s, with six children, yet she would wake early to make lunches before navigating across the city by bus and subway. She graduated from nursing school as one of the highest-ranked students in her class.
That drive for an education, paired with a sense of curiosity and passion for learning, imprinted on her children. Even though they came from a working-class background, Herwald and her brothers Mark Gianno ’79 and Paul Beecy ’87 all earned bachelor’s degrees at UMass Boston, completed graduate degrees, and have achieved high levels of success in their chosen fields.
“I believe so much in the mission of access for everyone to a quality education,” she said. “I don’t know what I would have done if it wasn’t available to me.”
Monica and her husband, Steven Herwald, want to ensure that future generations benefit from that mission as well. The couple has planned a $400,000 bequest to establish the Herwald Family Scholarship Fund at the university. Intended for any student at UMass Boston who has a need, the fund will support multiple annual scholarships.
Monica was serving as a caregiver for her mother when she decided to attend college. UMass Boston was the perfect choice because of its reasonable cost, proximity, and excellent reputation. The education she received gave her the confidence to excel.
“I loved UMass and really blossomed there,” she said. “It was a real mixed group of people who were older, working people, parents, veterans, you name it. As an older student myself, these were my people.”
Choosing psychology as her field of study was a way for Monica to make a difference in the world. More personally, it was a way to learn more about herself and about why people do what they do. Life was difficult for her, growing up. She lost two siblings, and her parents went through a divorce. She didn’t have much support through the tumult, and the study of psychology and the promise of supporting others became part of her healing.
College offered several surprises. Monica took figure skating classes and found they helped to alleviate the stresses of caregiving and school. She was fearful about taking a required statistics class; thanks to a fantastic professor, she ended up loving it and helping other classmates succeed. When the time came to attend graduate school, she placed out of several classes because of the high-quality education she received at UMass Boston.
After earning her master’s in social work and beginning her career, Monica began to appreciate the invaluable insights she gained at UMass Boston. “I really felt every class enhanced critical and analytical thinking,” she said. “Having that background and foundation helped me stay grounded. I learned how to not be swayed by every popular theory or program or treatment.”
Monica spent much of her career focused on geriatrics and underserved populations. She created an innovative bilingual hospital-based service for Russian immigrants and a comprehensive care community for older adults, including support programs for a growing Chinese elderly population.
Other positions included inpatient care and hospice work. Closely tied to her own personal experience of grief, Monica also spent time at Jeff’s Place, a bereavement center for family members who lost a sibling or a child.
Though her work has slowed down in retirement, the desire to make a difference hasn’t waned.
“We don’t have children and want to do something meaningful with whatever is left when we are gone,” she said. “UMass Boston came to my mind first during our estate planning. I would not have been able to get through school without support, and I want to offer that to other people.”
With long-term gift planning, you can expand your impact on UMass Boston—and unlock financial benefits for yourself and your family. Including UMass Boston in your estate plan is a powerful way to fuel opportunities that transform lives. Learn more and access free estate planning tools at plannedgiving.umb.edu.