After Teaching for 46 Years, She Left $350K to Employer

Linda Hill spent 46 years at Claflin University helping students become better writers—and death won't stop her from helping more. The assistant professor of English, who died last year, left the Orangeburg, SC, institution $350,000 in her will for endowed scholarships for English majors, CNN reports. The university, which is naming its writing center after Hill, says it is the largest donation it has ever received from a staff member. The writing center was dedicating during a ceremony this week in which Hill's family presented a check to the university. "You cannot replace someone like Ms. Hill who gave Claflin 46 years of outstanding service, said Claflin President Dr. Dwaun Warmack in a statement on the university's website. "Her work was a labor of love and you can tell she really loved Claflin by this generous gift."

"This money will be able to assist a lot of students and first-generation students who are aspiring to become great people but don't have the means," said Marcus Burgess, Interim VP for Institution Advancement, per WLTX. "It will enable them to earn that college degree." Hill's colleagues say she treated her students like they were her children. She was happiest when she was working with students," said Peggy Ratliff. "She adopted several students as her Claflin children. She took time with her students. That's why I think she left the money because she wanted to give students more opportunities to succeed." (More uplifting news stories.)