arol Williams ’68 grew up in Montoursville, Pa., in a home filled with books and magazines. As soon as she began reading around age six, she was soaking up Life Magazine and Reader’s Digest, from which she learned a lot about history and current events growing up. “My family and church upbringing taught me the values of human life and dignity, the ‘do unto others’ mentality. My father served on the school board, one of my uncles was president of a union, and the others were active in our town. I suppose it was in my blood why I was so interested in civil rights and decided to study political science at Lycoming,” said Carol. A first-generation college student, Carol commuted while helping her family around the house and working part time. She enjoyed attending theatre and musical performances on campus, but her busy schedule didn’t leave much time for extracurricular involvement. Carol spent most of her career working for the Commonwealth of PA in policy positions, where she credits those early years of reading and her Lycoming education for providing her with strong research and analytical skills helpful to her work. “I liked moving around from state to government to private sector positions. I spent about 12 years within the PA Department of Health, moving up to the role of bureau director. I then left to help run an in-patient drug and alcohol treatment program for three years. It was the best and worst of times. I learned so much about treatment and people, and every day was a new adventure. I then returned to the state where I enjoyed grant work, getting to meet with the grantees, and witnessing what was working and what wasn’t. I consider myself a generalist, so I always liked seeing the big picture and keeping things moving.” Her late husband, Robert Leyon, taught at Dickinson College, so they both understood the value of a liberal arts education. “Such an education gives students the skills to tackle dense reading materials and to think and write about them critically.” This motivated Carol to make a bequest to Lycoming that will support civic engagement and civil discourse at the College. “We’re witnessing a lack of community involvement. Most of the people serving on boards are from my generation. I want to inspire young people to see the importance of community involvement. Everyone should understand the basics of the Constitution and the role of civic responsibility.” “I encourage civic literacy and engagement. Read the newspapers and attend township meetings, review the agendas and attend schoolboard meetings. Find opportunities to stay informed and express your issues with others. This is how we strengthen our communities.” To learn more about including Lycoming College in your estate planning, contact Robb Dietrich, interim vice president for advancement, at dietrich@lycoming.edu or 570-321-4401. Strengthening communities through civic engagement Find opportunities to stay informed and express your issues with others. This is how we strengthen our communities. C Carol poses with her abstract acrylic painting (lower right), a skill she acquired after her husband encouraged her to find an enjoyable hobby for her retirement
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