YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – The estate of Evelyn V. Stephens donated $272,000 to Youngstown State University’s Kilcawley: Centered on the Future Campaign.
This gift was made to support university priorities and initiatives that most directly benefit YSU students and their educational experiences.
“We are deeply grateful for the remarkable generosity of the late Evelyn Stephens and her enduring commitment to education and to Youngstown State University,” YSU President Bill Johnson said. “This meaningful gift will be used where it is needed most, in service of the students and mission she cared so deeply about.”
Stephens, who received a degree in education from Youngstown University in 1959, dedicated her early career to serving students as a special education teacher.
Alongside her husband, Tom, she co-founded the Thomas M. and Evelyn V. Stephens Scholarship, which continues to support teacher education students at YSU who are committed to working in public school districts.
“Evelyn and Tom Stephens embodied the spirit of service and generosity,” said Scott Schulick, chairman of the Kilcawley: Centered on the Future Campaign. “Their belief in the power of public education lives on through their philanthropy, and this estate gift will further their legacy of supporting future generations of educators.”
Tom Stephens died in 2020, followed by Evelyn in 2022.