A Nurse’s Bequest, A Future of Compassion

Her planned gift to the Montgomery College Foundation will benefit future health care professionals, educators, and community leaders.

Nearly 40 years ago, Barbara Marchwicki ’81 accepted a work-study position in the Financial Aid Office on Montgomery College’s Takoma Park Campus. She watched staff like Arlene Morette manage a constant flurry of activity, often going the extra mile to help students meet their basic needs. Those daily acts of care and generosity left a lasting impression on her, reinforcing her own commitment to helping others.

As a nursing student at Montgomery College, Marchwicki found inspiration in her professors, who became her role models. Their dedication extended far beyond the classroom, as they provided students with hands-on experiences in surgery rooms, behavioral health institutions, and more. She recalls mentors like Helen A. Statts, the nursing program’s first director, and Mrs. Wartman, who tirelessly guided students through early morning clinicals. Many of her professors were seasoned nurses who chose to teach out of a deep passion for mentorship. Reflecting on their impact, Marchwicki says, “When you’re a student, you think your professor just has a job, and then you realize the incredible dedication they have. To see that in action, it becomes a part of you.”

After MC, Marchwicki attended The Catholic University of America and then began her nursing career at Georgetown Hospital. Her curiosity and drive led her through various specialties, from geriatrics to the neonatal intensive care unit. In 2003, ready for a new challenge, she applied to be a substitute teacher for Montgomery County Public Schools. Just two weeks before the school year started, she was hired as the medical careers teacher at Einstein High School in Kensington, Md. The program later moved to Kennedy High School, where she spent 16 years mentoring students, many of whom went on to become doctors, pharmacists, and physical therapists. Inspired by her MC professors, Marchwicki dedicated herself to creating opportunities for her students to explore, grow, and succeed.

Her passion for mentorship and community service deepened as she saw firsthand how access to education could transform lives. “I remembered what it felt like to be a student trying to make ends meet, living in a small apartment along University Boulevard, relying on work-study and grants,” Marchwicki says.

Those experiences shaped her belief that financial barriers should never stand in the way of determined students. This led to her making a  meaningful decision to support the next generation of Montgomery College nursing students by formalizing a planned gift to the Montgomery College Foundation, a powerful expression of her long-standing values and belief in the College’s mission. By including MC in her estate plans, she joins a special community of donors who have:

• Remembered the Foundation in their will or trust;
• Named the Foundation as a beneficiary of a retirement plan, life insurance policy, or bank account;
• Or established a charitable gift annuity with the Foundation.

When she met with Noah Saposnik, senior campaign director at the Montgomery College Foundation, she realized that MC's affordable tuition meant her planned gift could go further than she ever imagined. That made including the Montgomery College Foundation in her estate plans an easy decision.

From a determined nursing student to a generous supporter planning for the future, Barbara Marchwicki’s legacy is one of mentorship, compassion, and belief in the transformative power of education. Her planned gift will help ensure that future students have access to the same educational opportunities that helped shape her own extraordinary journey.