Envisioning Her Legacy

Dr. Yvonne Spicer ’84 M’85

Dr. Yvonne Spicer ’84 M’85 has been the first many times in her life. She was among the first women of color to major in industrial arts at SUNY Oswego. She was the first in her family to earn a doctorate degree. She was the first mayor elected in the city of Framingham, Mass., and the first African-American woman to be popularly elected mayor in Massachusetts.

But that is not what she wants to be remembered for.

“I have been the first of so many things in my life,” she said. “But more important to me, is that I hope I am not the last. I hope that I have paved the way for others — especially other women. I hope that I have set an example that shows others they can do anything. You have no limitations.”

Spicer wants her legacy of service to extend beyond her own lifetime, and so she has named SUNY Oswego as a beneficiary in her estate plans. Through her planned gift, she will establish the Willie and Dorothy Spicer Memorial Scholarship to support a student with a financial need from New York City interested in pursuing a STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) discipline.

The scholarship honors her parents. Although neither of her parents attended high school, they raised four children who not only graduated from high school but all graduated from college.

“They truly believed in education and often would share that education is your ticket out of poverty,” Spicer said. “The more education you have, the more opportunities you are afforded.”

She said she appreciates being recognized for the estate gift and being part of the Sheldon Legacy Society.

“I’m glad to be a part of like-minded people who believe that part of our greatest legacy of living is service and opportunities to give back,” she said.

Spicer currently serves as executive director of Life Science Cares (LSC) Boston, leading efforts to activate the financial and human capital of the life sciences industry to disrupt the cycle of poverty and inequality in Greater Boston.

She is able to draw on her past experiences as a city mayor, vice president for advocacy and educational partnerships at the Museum of Science in Boston and a STEM educator to help lift others out of poverty.

“Being a kid who grew up in poverty, I certainly understand the dynamics of poverty and what a difference it can make when people are generous,” she said. “It’s not a matter of needing a handout but a hand up, and it can make a world of difference. At this stage in my life to come full circle and do this work is truly a privilege.”

Similarly, Spicer said she is grateful to have garnered success in her career, and sees creating an estate plan as part of good life planning.

“I want to be able to say that I’ve done my part not only to contribute to the world and make it a better place, but I’m also leaving a legacy beyond my lifetime that will hopefully make a difference in someone’s life,” she said. “The scholarship does that, and that makes me smile.”

To learn more about estate gifts or establishing your own estate plan, visit alumni.oswego.edu/plannedgiving.

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