Empowering Others with a Lesley Education
Kim Orefice Turner is a teacher who credits Lesley with her excellent preparation for success in the classroom. She and her family wanted to empower other Lesley students to do the same.
The Timocracy Foundation was established by Kim and her parents in memory of Kim’s brother, Tim, who died tragically in a car accident during his senior year in high school. The Timocracy Scholarship Fund for Lesley’s School of Education grew out of the love of education that Tim shared with his sister and the Orefice family. The fund annually awards two merit-based scholarships of $5,000 to students who are studying to be early childhood or elementary school teachers. Each applicant must submit an application and a personal statement about the positive impact a teacher has had on their lives and how the experience inspired them to pursue a career in education.
The second annual awards were presented on September 14th at a reception at the School of Education with Dean Bill Stokes, Kim Orefice Turner and her husband Chad, her parents, Pam and Peter, and several students, staff and faculty. This year’s recipients are School of Education Master’s candidates Molly Cosel and Jenna Koeman.
Inspiring Joy and Giving
Kim told those gathered that “Our mission is to inspire joy and an enthusiasm for giving, and to encourage love of and service to humanity.” Reflecting on her Lesley education and her new career as a 5th grade teacher at the Lynnfield Middle School, she says that “We believe, as Tim did, that love and education are important values. Teachers touch many lives in ongoing, immeasurable ways.”
Kim explains that Timocracy is defined by Plato as being “governed on principles of honor and supporting the good,” and that Lesley’s Timocracy Scholars are awarded to students who “do good for the sake of doing good.” The Orefice family is doing enormous good at Lesley and in the community through their philanthropic support.
In thanking the Orefices for their generous benefaction, awardee Molly Cosel explained that the award “Made me feel very supported and acknowledged by my community. It gives me self-confidence to continue what I already love and relates directly to what I want to do as a teacher, giving kids self-confidence and support.”
Lesley thanks the Orefice family for their ongoing and generous support, and congratulates this year’s recipients on their award.