LYCOMING COLLEGE SUMMER MAGAZINE 2023

SERVICE Gratitude &

The education I received at Lycoming set me up for success

Col. Elizabeth “Betsy” (Johnson) Checchia ’73 earned her bachelor’s degree in Russian language and Soviet Area studies from Lycoming College. She received a direct commission as an Army 2nd Lieutenant following completion of her master’s degree and enjoyed a career in the military, traveling both domestically and internationally. After 33 years of service in the U.S. Army, she retired in 2009. Due to her family’s financial situation, Checchia’s undergraduate college choices were limited to commuting to the University of Maryland or finding a significant scholarship. “I was accepted into the Lycoming Scholars program and was fortunate to receive a full ride,” she said. She took classes in nearly every department, five classes most semesters, and graduated a semester early. “Honestly, I was a nerd, but I did enjoy playing intramural volleyball with my Snorting Snoopy’s teammates as well as intercollegiate field hockey.” “I also made my first overseas trip during a May Term to Europe and the Soviet Union, which is what got me interested in a military career,” she shared. Checchia chose to name the College as a beneficiary of her retirement accounts, which permits her to have enough income to be comfortable throughout retirement, yet still support Lycoming. Checchia’s family had a tradition of serving in the military. Her grandfather Johnson served in World War I, and her father and his eight siblings all served during World War II and the Korean War. “When I entered college, ROTC wasn’t open to women,” she explains. “Children in most military families move frequently and don’t always get the best K-12 education. I appreciate the financial support I received from Lycoming, which made it possible for a good student from a not-so-wealthy family to get a great education. I wanted to make it possible for those kids to get the top-class college education that Lycoming offers,” she said. Checchia established the Elizabeth “Betsy” (Johnson) Checchia ’73 Endowed Scholarship in 2017 with preference given to ROTC students or students with family members who have served in the military, and her bequest gift will eventually add to that fund. “I donated the money necessary to set up the scholarship over a period of years — it didn’t have to be a lump sum, so it was a financial possibility for me. Making Lycoming a beneficiary of my retirement savings means I’ll be able to access that money until I don’t need it anymore. I hope my fellow alumni will see it’s not that difficult to make these kinds of donations.” To learn more about including Lycoming College in your estate planning, contact Robb Dietrich, assistant vice president for major and planned gifts, at dietrich@lycoming.edu or 570-321-4401.