My
name is Nancy Marrs,
and I was a friend of
Audrey Goldstein, who
recently died after a
long and courageous battle
with cancer. My relationship
with Mrs. Goldstein
was multi-faceted. She
was the mother of one
of my best friends,
Sabra Sherry, whom I
have known since grammar
school. Mrs. Goldstein
was also one of my all-time
favorite teachers, having
been my eighth grade
English teacher at Marblehead
Junior High School
back in the 1970’s.
She was one of the first
teachers to recognize
and encourage my talent
for writing, and she
inspired me to pursue
an English major in
college. Mrs. Goldstein
and I became friends
in our own right, too,
and it was a friendship
that grew and strengthened
during the years that
she lived with cancer.
I was fortunate to know
her on these different
levels and can attest
to what a kind, generous,
and intelligent woman
she was. A teacher in the Marblehead
Public Schools for 23 years,
Mrs. Goldstein was admired
by faculty and students alike.
Though she retired from Marblehead
in 1996, she maintained special
friendships with several
of her fellow teachers. She
taught both upper and lower-level
English students, motivating
them and encouraging them
to strive to do their best.
With her caring demeanor
and superior teaching skills,
Mrs. Goldstein was able to
reach out to young people
in a way that other teachers
didn’t care to or couldn’t.
I am certain that she had
a lasting effect on innumerable
students throughout her long
teaching career.
Due to my great respect
and affection for Mrs. Goldstein,
I am trying to establish
a permanently endowed scholarship
in her name through the Citizens’ Scholarship
Foundation of Marblehead,
Inc. Founded in 1987, CSFM
is a private, non-profit,
tax-exempt foundation dedicated
to providing need-based financial
aid to students who have
graduated from Marblehead
High School and/or who live
in the Marblehead community.
CSFM is affiliated with The
Citizens’ Scholarship
Foundation of America and
Dollars for Scholars (http://csfmarblehead.org/).
Last year, the Citizens’ Scholarship
Foundation of Marblehead
awarded over $120,000 to
60 college freshman, sophomores,
juniors, and seniors with
financial need. By providing
Marblehead college students
with the financial support
they need, CSFM not only
makes a difference in the
individual lives of their
recipients but also makes
a significant contribution
to the Marblehead community
and the larger community
as well. Scholarships can
range in size from $500 to
$7,000, the average size
being $2,500 annually. Since
its inception in 1987, CSFM
has awarded scholarships
to over 600 students totaling
more than $1.4 million in
scholarship dollars.
A scholarship in Audrey
Goldstein’s name would
be a fitting tribute to a
woman who believed in the
power of education...a woman
who dedicated so many years
of her life to teaching generations
of Marblehead Public School
children. To establish a
permanently endowed scholarship,
we must raise $20,000 over
the next five years. I hope
that you will consider making
a donation in her honor (or
multiple donations over the
coming years).
With Great Appreciation,
Nancy Marrs |
