Genevieve Via Cava loved teaching and loved her students. Now, seven years after her death, they are learning just how much.
The teacher in Dumont, New Jersey, devoted 45 years of her life to helping students with learning disabilities.
This April, the Dumont Public Schools received a check from her estate for $1 million.
The former educator, who had no children or immediate family of her own, had amassed a small fortune through [gasp!] her exceptional saving habits. She left the astonishing donation in her will to fund scholarships for special education students seeking post-secondary education.
Beginning with next spring's high school graduates, scholarships will be available to one or more special education students planning to continue their education. The amount will depend on how much interest is generated by the $1 million gift, with a maximum amount of $25,000 per student.