SCHOLARSHIP FUNDING
» Jim & Kaye Burton
J
im and Kaye Burton walked arm-in-arm down
a sunlit corridor in the Taylor Education
Building at the UK College of Education,
admiring the cheerful, bright-blue pillows
invitingly perched in window seats. They exchanged
delighted smiles; it was a day of celebration.
It was the same building where Kaye had studied as
a student in the 1960s, before becoming a teacher
in Louisville. That’s where she met Jim, a young
engineer at the time. Eventually they settled in
Texas, where Jim worked for Exxon.
“Texas has been very good to us,” Kaye
acknowledged. In turn, the Burtons want to be good
to others.
Kaye grew up in a small town, Lebanon Junction,
in Bullitt County, just outside of Louisville. After
her mother passed away, Kaye and Jim established a
scholarship to honor her parents, John and Frances
Charlton Samuels. This scholarship, which helps
College of Education students, especially those
from Bullitt County, was a step toward furthering
education in Kentucky as much as it paid tribute to
Kaye’s parents.
“We feel that what we’re doing is absolutely the best
thing to do for Kentucky – to support Kentucky
teachers,” Jim said. “We wanted to find a way to
give back, and it’s an honor for us to be able to do
this.”
“We feel good that we can help someone else. I
want to see Kentucky students be educated as much
as I can,” added Kaye. “It’s the best way to improve
the future.”
The Burtons are impressed with the young people
who have benefitted from the scholarship, and
on their recent visit to the college, they had an
opportunity to sit with them and celebrate the
opening of a new courtyard largely made possible
by their gifts.
Once a barren space, the courtyard is now a
welcoming refuge in the middle of the college, with
tables shaded by bright blue umbrellas, artisancrafted metalwork benches, and landscaping. It is,
as the Burtons hoped, a place where students can
have lunch, gather to study, or just unwind between
classes. To Kaye, the College is a special place – an
important part of the Kentucky landscape.
Investing in students – and the College – are
investments in the future of education, Jim said. “If
you care about our future, our economy, our society,
you’ve got to invest in the people who are going to
be making a difference in those things. Teachers are
the key.” «
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