Patricia: Giving Back for the Future

"There comes a time in your life when you assess what has been important to you, what has made a difference in your life...people, places, experiences. You think about what has influenced, pleased, and assisted you in your life. Then you think about how you can pay that forward to ensure that the same opportunities are available for new generations."

This quote from Legacy Society member Patricia describes her thought process when she decided to include a gift to PBS NC in her will. Her connection to public television grew over a lifetime.

Patricia was born in New York and raised primarily in Kentucky before moving to North Carolina. She has lived in the piedmont, mountain, and foothills regions of the state. With an extensive academic background (she holds degrees in math, chemistry, counseling psychology, and education administration), she dedicated her professional career to the field of education. She spent about half of her working life in educational administration and the other half in direct service. Public television programming—both for children and adults—served as a reliable and ever ready resource for Patricia. "It was a comfort to know that public television offered information and learning resources to all takers of all ages, every day of the year."

In addition to the educational component, public television also brought enrichment and entertainment to Patricia's life. Now enjoying her retirement, Patricia is living her dream of travel, friends, relaxation, contemplation, and continued growth. Like so many, Patricia is a fan of Downton Abbey and all Masterpiece offerings, and as an avid traveler, she appreciates programs like North Carolina Weekend, Our State, Exploring North Carolina, and Rick Steves' programs. Patricia also appreciates the unique specials PBS NC provides, particularly performance specials. "PBS NC offers programming that is simply not available from any other source."

When it came time for Patricia to plan for the future, her decision to include PBS NC as one of her beneficiaries was an easy one. "I wanted to make a difference in the future. Helping to ensure that PBS NC programming will continue to be available to all North Carolinians for years to come is a great way to do just that."