Valarie Montgomery may have retired from overseeing Michigan State’s financial operations, but she used her estate plan with her husband Mark to leave a legacy that will be felt forever. This legacy was reported by MSU Today in the post titled “Returning on an Investment.”

Val first realized her love for accounting under the instruction of her favorite teacher at Quincy High School. However, at graduation, she opted to fast track her entry into the workplace by earning a certificate in general business, not a bachelor’s degree. This was enough for her to gain experience at several financial institutions and businesses before she landed at MSU as a clerical technical level six employee in 1989.

Val didn’t forget about her love of accounting. While working full-time, she took advantage of Michigan State’s tuition assistance program and a flexible work schedule. She obtained her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in accounting from the Eli Broad College of Business. Taking just two classes per quarter—one at night and one during the day—it took Val 13 years to complete both degrees. She said that a scholarship also played a key role along the way.

As her education and skills took shape, she rose through the employee ranks of her department. She retired last spring from the Office of Treasury and Financial Management as the manager of MSU’s Treasury Services, a high-level administrative professional supervisory position.

The Montgomery Endowed Scholarship for Accounting will give preference to students who graduated from Quincy High School and are returning to school, after having been in the workforce for a time.

“We wanted to pay back MSU for helping me obtain my degrees and for giving me a place to have a fulfilling career,” says Val.

Reference: MSU Today (January 31, 2017) “Returning on an Investment”