Originally from northern New Jersey, Duffy transferred to Radford as a junior after receiving a two-year degree from Marion Junior College in Marion, Virginia. She graduated from Radford with a bachelor’s degree in home economics and went on to teach the subject for two years at Marion Senior High School. She then married, and after moving to North Carolina, spent nine years as a teacher assistant in the K3-K4 age group. It was this role that inspired her to give back.

“I could see in those classes how hard the elementary teachers worked. Many days, I’d go home with some work that could lighten their load. After nine years of working the hardest I’d ever worked in my life with large classes and students coming from diverse backgrounds, I realized how important elementary education is,” said Duffy. “In the back of my mind, I always hoped I would be able to make a contribution somewhere along the way to maybe help a student who was interested in elementary education.”

When deciding to endow a scholarship at Radford, Duffy was drawn to the familiar town of Marion where she began her own higher education journey. The Laura Meinhold Duffy ’65 Elementary Education Scholarship gives preference to students from Marion, Virginia; Wythe County, Virginia; or southwest Virginia, in that order. Making her scholarship available to students from these rural areas was of utmost importance.

A study published in April 2023 found that in recent decades, rural schools have faced immense difficulties filling teaching positions, which has been driven by high levels of preretirement teacher turnover. This turnover is especially high in high-poverty rural schools where over a quarter of their teachers depart each year, which is higher than in high-poverty urban schools. The data also revealed that it was more likely for teachers to move from rural to urban or rural to suburban schools than the reverse. (Ingersoll & Tran, 2023).

“Teachers are needed now more than ever. Many are leaving the profession when the need is the greatest. If I can help in some small way, to make a difference in whether a student can attend and pursue a degree in in elementary education, that makes me feel good,” said Duffy. “And one day, if I live so long, I hope to meet the student who receives this scholarship.”

During her time at Radford, Duffy was an active member of several student organizations including Tri Sigma, Cotillion Club, Student Education Association and Home Economics Club. Duffy also spent time in the Home Management House and completed her student teaching at Riner High School. Looking back, she most enjoyed her core home economics classes and the professors who went above and beyond to help her and her classmates succeed. This year, she looks forward to returning to campus in November for Day of Gratitude, when donors are honored and celebrated for their generosity and commitment to Radford University students.

To learn more about making a gift to support the College of Education and Human Development, please contact Penny Helms White at 540-831-6008.