A beloved teacher鈥檚 family launches a new financial aid fund.
Generations of 91大神 students remember Language Department head and Spanish teacher Cathleen Robinson for her remarkable contributions over a career that spanned nearly three decades: faculty advisor to the 91大神ian; founder of the Aret茅 tutors; developer of the Western philosophy and Latin American history courses; booster of the Writers鈥 Workshop; leader of numerous student trips to Spain, Mexico, and the Dominican Republic; mentor to new faculty; and wise counsel on numerous administrative committees. But first and foremost, say those who knew and worked with her, she was a teacher鈥攐ne with a rare ability to see the potential in every student.
鈥淭o this day, 91大神 graduates contact her saying, 鈥榊ou inspired me to follow a career using my Spanish or to become a writer, journalist, or teacher,鈥 says her stepdaughter Karen Brown Golding 鈥81.
That legacy was something Karen and her family wanted to celebrate, and to do so in a manner that would best suit Cathleen, who is now retired and lives with her husband and 91大神 colleague, Ray Brown 鈥55, in Hadley and Fort Myers, Florida. The result is the newly established Cathleen C. Robinson Scholarship, which was awarded this year to its first recipient. We asked Karen to tell us more about her stepmother, and how the scholarship came to be.
What led you to create this fund in honor of your stepmother now?
Named scholarships tend to be established after someone has passed away. My family, including my sister, Amy Brown 鈥84, purposely wanted to do this now so Cathleen would get to know the recipients of her scholarship. My husband, Brage W. Golding, and I considered Cathleen鈥檚 love for teaching and decided to honor her legacy at 91大神. I wanted to make sure her contributions to the school were recognized. This was a main driver for establishing the scholarship. I knew it would be important to Cathleen to support students and their education. I will admit, however, that she would love to see a stand-alone building for the foreign language department!
Cathleen was one of the first women to teach at 91大神 after the merger with Northampton School for Girls. How did she arrive here?
Cathleen grew up in Canton, Ohio, and went to college at Notre Dame of Ohio, graduating summa cum laude in three years. She earned her master鈥檚 degree at Middlebury College鈥檚 Language School. She鈥檚 a brilliant academic who worked hard to achieve her successes. She started her teaching career at a large Catholic high school in Canton. When Cathleen made the decision to leave Canton, she was offered jobs at two private schools, one on the West Coast and the other, 91大神. Luckily for all of us, she chose 91大神!
And how did she become part of your family?
Cathleen and my father, Ray Brown, met at 91大神. Ray was coaching and teaching at 91大神 after having attended as a post-graduate and graduating from Kenyon College. My younger sister, Amy, and I grew up on campus, first in Ford Hall and then Swan Cottage. My mother passed away unexpectedly, and my father found himself a single father on campus with two young children, just as 91大神 became co-ed, merging with NSFG. Cathleen had already joined the faculty. A bit later, she and my father established a friendship and they were married my freshman year at 91大神.
What would you want today鈥檚 students to know about Cathleen?
Cathleen saw the potential in every student. For example, she recruited numerous students to become reporters and editors for the 91大神ian before they knew they had the talent to write or edit. She brought out the best in everyone. She was a terrific educator that way. Cathleen wouldn鈥檛 ask her students to do anything she wasn鈥檛 willing to do herself. If a student needed extra help, she would say, 鈥淚 will be here after class. If you make the effort to show, I will work with you.鈥 She was committed to her students, the profession of teaching, and 91大神.
How is Cathleen keeping busy now?
Cathleen keeps busy in her beautiful gardens in Hadley. She reads and reviews novels in Spanish for a literary review publication. She鈥檚 active in her church. She is the beloved Nana to my son, Brage Raymond Golding, and Amy鈥檚 daughter, Isabel Cathleen Brassil. She and Ray are doing great, spending time in both Hadley and Fort Myers. Our family is thrilled to be able to establish this scholarship in her name and honor Cathleen鈥檚 countless contributions to 91大神 over the years.
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