Dr. Judith Mills Gives Now Through Annual IRA RMD Gifts

Dr. Judith A. Mills grew up in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, but visited her grandparents often in Pineville, Kentucky, and considers Kentucky her second home. Her grandmother taught in a one-room schoolhouse and would take Judith with her during breaks, instilling the importance of education and a strong affection for kids in Eastern Kentucky.

To honor her father and brother, both EKU graduates, Judith established the Drs. S. M. and Judith A. Mills and James Mills Endowed Scholarship Fund for students who have been denied federal financial aid. Her father, Shirley M. Mills, received a degree in education and taught in Eastern Kentucky before pursuing dental school in Tennessee. Her brother, James A. Mills, majored in chemistry, was in ROTC, and learned to fly while at EKU.

“It’s seldom that you give a gift that a lot of people benefit from, including yourself,” Judith says. “I love seeing young people get the help they need. I know that with my support, more than one student will get a college education.”

After establishing a planned gift through a bequest, Judith decided she wanted to see the impact of her giving during her lifetime and started making annual gifts through her IRA required minimum distribution (RMD). “I decided rather than paying taxes on the RMD, I could make a qualified charitable distribution that helps students who may otherwise fall between the cracks financially.”

Judith wants to support students from hard-working, middle-income families who are not eligible for certain federal loans. She hopes others will be inspired to leave a legacy of support for future students, saying: “It makes me feel good that some kids, like the ones I observed as a child in that single-room schoolhouse, could have an opportunity at education because of the gift I gave.”