A Lifelong Educator: One Founding Faculty Member’s Path to Giving Back

How Susanne Stevens Turned Retirement into a Legacy of Support

October 27th, 2025

Written by Mila Yoch

 

 

When Skyline College first opened its doors in 1969, the sidewalks had yet to be paved, but the vision was clear. Among the original faculty members was Susanne Stevens, a young English professor whose commitment to education would span decades and leave a lasting imprint on the San Mateo County Community College District (District). 

“I've been here since the very beginning [of Skyline],” she recalls. “It’s definitely in my blood.” 

Over the years, Susanne served as an English professor, Division Dean, and Vice President of Instruction before retiring in 2001. But retirement didn’t mark the end of her involvement in the District; instead, she joined the San Mateo County Community Colleges Foundation board, continued to mentor colleagues, and eventually established an endowed scholarship, quietly shaping the future for students she may never meet. 

Her giving journey began with a simple truth: even affordable education comes with barriers. “There are students, especially first-generation ones, who need help—even at a community college,” she says. “I could see the results right here in our own colleges.” 

That clarity deepened when Susanne reached the age for Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs), the point at which the government requires retirees to begin drawing from their retirement accounts. For this longtime educator, this wasn’t just a financial milestone; this was an opportunity for reflection.  

“When you reach a certain age—72—you have to start withdrawing from your retirement accounts,” she explains. “And I thought, I’d like to give some of that to a major area of need. Since I love the District, and the students it serves, that’s where I wanted it to go.” 

After decades of service, she had accumulated retirement savings through her work in the District. Rather than paying taxes and allowing funds to sit idle, she chose to reinvest in the community that shaped her career. Her decision to establish an endowed scholarship was both practical and deeply personal, and through a planned gift, Susanne ensures that her commitment to the District will continue for generations. 

“There may be others in the same situation,” she adds. “People who’ve worked in education, who’ve saved, and who now have the means to support students in a meaningful way.” 

Although she began her career in English, her scholarship supports accounting students, a reflection of her own personal growth. After retirement, she began doing taxes and developed (and taught) most of the courses in taxation still offered by College of San Mateo's Accounting Department. 

Her story is one of subtle advocacy and lifelong connection to the college system. She’s not seeking recognition, but she’s proud to encourage others to give. “I was always telling my colleagues at Skyline, okay, it’s time to open the pocketbook.”  

Susanne represents one of the fundamental pillars of our community: those who helped build the District from the ground up, stayed engaged, and gave back with intention. Her story reminds us that giving doesn’t have to be grand to be transformative. Sometimes, it begins with a required withdrawal, a moment of reflection, and a desire to make a difference.