MJ Penn ’74 Includes Bequest in Her Will to Establish Future Scholarship at Choate

MJ Penn ’74 remembers a meeting that took place during the fall of 1972, when Headmistress Elizabeth Loomis, Dean of Studies Joanne Sullivan, and MJ’s advisor, English Department Chair Fayetta McKown—along with MJ’s mother—gathered to consider whether MJ, who would have enough credits to graduate early, would be allowed to follow her heart’s desire and go to college after her junior year.

Everyone in that room wanted what was best for her, and that pivotal support for her aspirations is one reason why today MJ says, “Choate Rosemary Hall was the foundation for everything I’ve gone off and done.”

Three years ago, MJ’s mother passed away and MJ received a portion of a trust established by her grandparents. Reflecting on her relationship with the School and her love of Maine—her home for the past 36 years—she decided to include in her estate plan a bequest to Choate that will establish a scholarship for a student from Maine.

She urges other alumni to take the same reflective journey, saying “See what you can find within yourself and within your means.” MJ’s mother, who played a pivotal role in her matriculation at Rosemary Hall, once said to her: “The purpose of education is to make your mind a better place to live in for the rest of your life.” MJ likes the idea of bestowing that gift on future Choate Rosemary Hall students.