Born To Do and Make It Better

Terri Oestmann has enjoyed a career working for the railroad as a telecom technician, locomotive electrician, and rapid responder. This career provided excellent pay and benefits, and she loved fixing microwave radios, troubleshooting, repairing equipment, and getting "free" fresh air and exercise on the job. Recently, Terri updated a gift agreement to establish an endowed scholarship honoring her father, Emerson T. Garver, by donating the remains of her estate to Dunwoody. "My father struggled to get through college. When he went to pay back a $500 loan for tuition from a kindly benefactor, the man told him that he had lost his only son in World War II and that he never intended to be repaid. Instead, he told my father to 'Pass it on'.

Self Portrait of Terri Oestmann and pet cat Ralph that illustrates her point that Dunwoody engineering skills she learned can work in gardening, art, electronics, and probably music, too.

"I want the next generation to go further and have it easier than I did when I was young. The reason I'm leaving money to Dunwoody is that, without a marketable skill, you will leave high school poor and stay poor. I believe every person, no matter their background, deserves a chance to get skills to survive and improve their life. Something I can be proud of is making sure some of my life's work goes to help the next generation. I want every graduate to feel like Dunwoody is a worthy cause to support with a portion of their gains, whether they're a millionaire or just feeding their family, to make it better for the next people in line. Born To Do and Make It Better. That's what a man who lost his only son did, and then my father, and now me."