Alumna Passes Lessons of Experience on to Next Generation

As a volunteer mentor in Transylvania’s 100 Doors to Success program, Jo Ellen Hayden '69 promotes an analytical approach to decision making. An understanding of systems management and the compassionate wisdom that comes with experience make her a great sounding board for students. The decision to further support the school with a planned gift that would help even more students just came naturally.

"I chose to attend Transy because I received a scholarship for tuition that made the decision easy," said Jo Ellen. “Helping students to start out with less debt is important.”

Jo Ellen grew up in Lexington, with parents who encouraged a liberal arts education. Initially majoring in biology, she switched to history and went on to receive a master’s degree in history from Wake Forest University.

Later moving to Washington, D.C., her liberal arts background was an asset as she did technical writing for a biological research company before finding her life’s calling in engineering program management for the Navy. She worked in that field, both as a civil servant and in the private sector, for 38 years.

Horses have also been a predominant hobby for Jo Ellen, who moved back to Lexington with her husband, George Meng, in 2013. She recently received an award for a website that she developed for the U.S. WWI Centennial Commission and Brooke USA, an equine charity, about the use of horses and mules in World War I.

“Transy helped me transition from a very shy girl to a confident young woman. The friendships and experiences with other students of diverse backgrounds, not just in the classroom, but in co-curricular activities, helped to broaden my view of the world,” said Jo Ellen. “I have also used the research and critical thinking skills gained in those formative years throughout my life.”

By making a planned gift, she continues to support such opportunities for future generations of Transylvania students.

You, like Jo Ellen, can make an impact on future Transy students. Contact Diana McKenzie at (859) 233-8801 or legacygiving@transy.edu.