Making a greater impact while reducing tax burden

Claudette Miller Landrum ’63 is grateful to Magnificat for providing her with the confidence and tools needed to not only navigate all of the ups and downs of life successfully, but to fully extend herself and achieve success beyond what she believed possible.

After graduating from Magnificat, Claudette married and raised three children, frequently moving from one place to another before putting down roots in Mississippi. It is there where the faith and values nourished at Magnificat were rekindled: lifelong learning, fortitude, and striving to be the best version of herself. She earned an associate’s degree in accounting while working full time and later continued her education at the University of Southern Mississippi. She was fortunate to have challenging career opportunities, but being parish secretary at Sacred Heart Parish in Hattiesburg was her most fulfilling job.

Now retired from Sacred Heart, Claudette continues to serve the parish as a volunteer. In her free time, she and her husband enjoy spending time with family, swimming, nature walks with their dogs, and traveling domestically and abroad.

“I was inspired to give back to Magnificat because of the excellent formation I received that instilled in me the strength to overcome the rocks and crags of life—and walk with Jesus through it all,” she said. “I come from humble beginnings. I want to make [a Magnificat education] possible for others.”

With her background in accounting and the counsel of her youngest daughter, who is an accountant and foundation executive, supporting Magnificat by making qualified charitable distributions (QCDs) to satisfy all or part of her required minimum distribution (RMD) is a no brainer. Making QCDs allows Claudette to make a greater impact at Magnificat while reducing her taxable income, which can lower Medicare premiums as well.