A grateful family gives back
When Glenn Wildenradt (`74) crossed the stage at graduation to receive his diploma, the crowd erupted into cheers and applause. That excitement was a testimony to the commitment that the College – students, faculty, and administrators – made to helping Glenn attend Saint Mary's. As his sister Jan Berckefeldt put it, "Saint Mary's is a community that cares about its students."
Diagnosed with Muscular Dystrophy at the age of six, Glenn used an electric wheelchair that he operated with his thumbs, and had a personal attendant at all times. Glenn attended college before the Americans with Disabilities Act; and his parents, Herbert and Margaret, were looking for a place that was willing to work with him. The family found that place in Saint Mary's College. After a meeting with then-College President Brother Mel Anderson, Glenn was accepted into the College, and Brother Mel remained close with his parents.
Some of the accommodations that Glenn received at the College included special ramping, note-taking by fellow students, and professors giving him oral instead of written exams. He graduated with Magna Cum Laude honors from the College. Jan describes her brother as one of the coolest people she has ever known, "My brother was funny, engaging and so smart, a guy you wanted to be around. He cut through people's discomfort with disabilities." She noted that the people who helped him during his time at Saint Mary's also benefited. "They learned compassion and kindness, and not to fear people who are different," she said. "Glenn's education was a group effort."
Glenn lived at home while attending Saint Mary's. His parents dropped him off in the morning, and picked him up after class at day's end. Glenn's parents were deeply grateful for the support that their son received at Saint Mary's, and they generously supported the College in many different ways.
"My family has a legacy of giving to the College through different gift options," said Jan. Her parents supported a campaign for the library and named a room after Glenn. The gift recognized the care that library staff had provided to Glenn who studied there between classes, as well as their help in getting required class materials. Their parents also made the College a beneficiary of a life insurance policy, and went on to make several gifts to establish an endowed scholarship in Glenn's name. Glenn had died of muscular dystrophy in 1977 at age 26, while working on a master's in city planning at UC Berkeley. "He wanted to make cities more accessible," Jan said. Ultimately his parents created a Charitable Remainder Trust in their estate that grew the scholarship after their deaths.
Jan has also generously supported the College with her own donations that include an estate gift to grow the endowed scholarship in her brother's name, as well as gifts to the Saint Mary's Museum of Art. The College will receive her family's works by early California landscape artist Juan Wandesforde, as well as a fund for conservation and preservation of the works. "The Saint Mary's Museum has a significant collection of early California art, and these works will be an important addition to the College's collection," said Jan, whose family has a long history in California as one of the historic ranching families in Danville. Jan's professional interests were influenced by her family's background, and she has worked extensively in the fields of historic and architectural preservation.
Jan values philanthropic giving in large part because of her family's – particularly brother Glenn's – influence. "I have been blessed in my life, and want to give back," said Jan. "Our family scholarship honors the education that my brother received at the College. Sometimes it's hard for people to see past a person's disability to their possibility and intelligence, but Saint Mary's did."
