Donor Stories: Monique Caubere
Monique Caubere to Endow Scholarship Fund with Bequest to Support Graduate Students
Monique Caubere was born in France and moved to the U.S. with her family when she was 5. Now retired, Monique worked for more than 30 years in fundraising at various colleges—including as director of sponsored programs at Mercy from 2008 to 2015.
“Mercy is a vibrant environment. Its mission lives and thrives each day,” she says. “Its ongoing commitment to ensuring access and inclusivity appeals to students and fosters their success.” To help Mercy continue to thrive in the future, Monique has arranged a bequest to the University from her trust to establish an endowed scholarship fund to support graduate students.
“Throughout my career, I was aware that scholarships are mostly available for undergraduates,” she says. “However, few if any scholarships are available for graduate students. I see this as a significant issue that needs to be addressed. Because most graduate students are adults and living independently from their parents, they have many responsibilities in addition to their studies—families to support, demanding jobs, and hectic schedules.”
Monique hopes that her gift will help reduce the hours that graduate students need to work while earning their degree and assist them in completing their education.
“I was lucky. My parents paid for my undergraduate education,” she says. “However, my lifelong friend and former college roommate had to pay for her own education. She worked hard at school to maintain the good grades required for her to retain the scholarship. She also worked many hours on weekends to earn enough to meet her living expenses. This marked the first time I saw the huge benefit of having a scholarship and how it can make all the difference.”
Monique encourages others to consider the legacies they could leave to support future Mavericks. “Mercy is a good investment in the future,” she concludes. “The University is dynamic and continues to grow despite uncertain economic times—and an endowed scholarship is a gift that keeps on giving.”
