Give Back Through an Estate Gift at Any Age (Retirement Is Not Required!)

For Tanner Williams ’02, scholarships helped him achieve his goal of earning a Bachelor of Science degree in political science. That degree, combined with the unique learning experiences he had outside of the classroom as a student at Truman State University, helped lead Tanner into a successful career with AFT, the American Federation of Teachers. Currently, he serves as the director of organizingand leadership development with Texas AFT in Austin.

A northeast Missouri native, Tanner grew up in Sullivan County, graduating from Green City High School and attending Truman State University. He spent a semester in Jefferson City as a Truman legislative intern in the Missouri Senate and was later accepted as one of 12 individuals working for the Human Rights Campaign for the 2002 Campaign College.

While at Truman, he served in multiple roles on Student Senate and worked hard to increase student voter turnout. While classes and Senate were top priorities, he also worked as a model and showed horses, placing third in the world at the AQHA World Championship Show.

Tanner credits his diverse college experiences in developing his career as a leader and activist. He served seven years as a member of the Truman State University Alumni Board of Directors and continues to serve in leadership roles—including the Diana Foundation and the AIDS Foundation of Houston. Tanner was recently named a 2017 Fellow for the New Leaders Council in Austin.

“In this day and age, in terms of funding for public institutions, there is no question of the need for support at Truman State University,” Tanner says. “Alumni and friends can help support the mission of the University by providing support for students of the future.”

Tanner has elected to provide financial support through two avenues: annual gifts and an estate gift. Half of Tanner’s estate gift will support Truman’s Missouri Government Internship Program, while the other half will be used to establish an endowed scholarship for Truman students from northeast Missouri.

“By establishing a planned gift through my estate, I have made arrangements for a substantial contribution in the future while I continue supporting Truman through annual giving in the present,” Tanner says. “Making this type of commitment to the University now gives me great satisfaction. I love knowing that my gift will provide support for future Truman students.”

You can follow in Tanner’s footsteps and support your Truman passion with an estate gift. Contact Cody Weichelt at 660-785-4124 or cweichelt@truman.edu.