Making a difference

Retired Teacher Establishes Gillette Family Scholarship to Aid Post-Traditional Students

by Aubi Moon

Beverly Gillette, an Idaho State University College of Education alumna, and a retired Pocatello teacher, and her family have established the new Gillette Family Scholarship to benefit post-traditional students returning to school to become elementary teachers.

For Beverly and her husband Gene, Idaho State University has always meant a lot to them. Not only was ISU the place where they first met in 1960, but it was also the foundation for their belief in the power of education to change lives.

In 1963, Gene earned a bachelor’s degree from ISU in history with minors in geology and military science, and he was also awarded distinguished military honors from the Reserved Officer Training Corps (ROTC). Beverly and Gene were married the next week, and Gene went on active duty with the army.

While Gene served in Vietnam, Beverly moved to stay with family in Kimberly, ID. During this time, Beverly was asked to be a substitute teacher for a Spanish speaking classroom. Her time in the classroom sparked her desire to return to ISU to finish her bachelor’s degree.

“It wasn’t easy, and our budget wasn’t very good, but it was the best insurance policy for the family, and it was a good example for the kids,” said Beverly.

Beverly became the first female in her family to graduate from college by earning a bachelor’s degree in elementary education in 1976 from the ISU College of Education. She said, “10 years and four kids later, I finally did it.”

Upon graduation, Beverly accepted a teaching position at Tendoy Elementary School in Pocatello, where she stayed until her retirement in 1997. As a teacher, Beverly believed in thinking of her students as little people and providing them with the same level of respect she wanted in return. She started every day in her classroom by offering her students a handshake or a hug, and most chose the hug. “I can’t say I was a very good student growing up, which proved to be an asset to me as a teacher,” explained Beverly. “I could relate to the struggling student.”

Beverly’s decision to finish her degree and have a teaching career has inspired generations of her family, leading all four of her children to attend ISU. Upon seeing her lifelong friend, mentor, and fellow retired educator, Rita Haggardt, reach $20,000 for her Terry L. and Rita Haggardt Scholarship Endowment in early 2022, Beverly knew she could make a difference as well.

The $25,000 Gillette Family Scholarship was established to benefit returning ISU students, like Beverly, who hope to finish their bachelor’s degree in elementary education. As Beverly said, “I certainly could have used a scholarship when I went to school, so to pass that along to another is meaningful to me.”

The Gillette’s currently reside in Pocatello. Beverly is active in the Southeast Idaho Retired Educators Association and she enjoys spending time with her family and five grandchildren.