Nan Klein ’73 believes that the best teachers are ones who have a real calling to the career and who have a passion to educate as well as enlarge and enlighten the world of their students. That is why she has established the Nan Schuman Klein Future Teacher Scholarship to support students who have a passion to become teachers, especially those who come into teaching after having a career in a different field.
“If someone has started their work life in another area and been successful only to give that up so they can follow their passion—well, that speaks clearly of a mission,” Klein said. “I’d like to think that my scholarship will help them accomplish that mission.”
“I found talking with the people in the Development and Curriculum and Instruction offices helped me see the possibilities. The scholarship will be funded partially through current donations, but mostly through my will. I was totally surprised at how easy it was, and how far the little money I have will stretch!”
Following her graduation from Illinois State University, Klein taught fourth, fifth and sixth grade students in Illinois and started a master’s program in special education. When she moved to California, teaching jobs were sparse and didn’t pay a living wage so Klein worked in sales and then as a receptionist in a small company. That job evolved into a benefits manager position and eventually encompassed all human resource duties.
From there, Klein worked for 20 years in corporate human resources, specializing in employee benefits and “learning new skills and improving my knowledge base with every company.” In every job she had, Klein was involved with computer systems. She said she learned that she had the ability to “take complex requirements and communicate them to the technical experts and to take technical requirements and communicate them to the non-technical human resources staffers.” Klein said that became her niche when she started her own consulting company. “The challenges of educating human resources staff about computer possibilities and potentials, and the technical staff about the legal and non-arbitrary human resources requirements kept me fascinated and involved for the next 10 years,” she said.
Klein’s interest and involvement in education continued through substitute teaching and parent volunteering. She also received a California Governor’s appointment to the Area Board V, a federally funded state program overseeing programs for the developmentally disabled. As a child, Klein’s grandmother, who did volunteer work at the Vermillion County home for the severely retarded, took Klein along and talked with her about what Klein saw and why her grandmother volunteered. Klein, who received awards for outstanding service to the Area Board V and to People With Disabilities, advocated for multiple approaches toward improvement in the lives of the disabled, which she said gave her a great deal of satisfaction.
Klein’s time at Illinois State was shared with her cousins, Michael Sager ‘72 and Marilyn (Drews) Hess ‘70, who also were education majors. Marilyn recently retired after 37 years as a teacher and Mike’s wife, Nancy (Van Horne) Sager ‘73, retired after 35 years of teaching. Klein said she remembers shopping at Mother Murphy’s, taking fencing in Cook Hall, going to the Ewing Castle for an I-House reception and hanging out in the Cage while living at Illinois State. “Funny, I have more memories of an overarching experience than details of specific occasions,” she said.
Klein lived in International House her second year at Illinois State and said she “loved the chatter in various and sundry languages, the annual International Fair and learning about the different cultures from all around the world. I believe that year was my favorite one at Illinois State.” She spent time with her roommate, Hiroko Sato, at her home in Japan, prompting Klein’s fondness for travel and international types of activities, such as her current volunteerism in the Bay Area with the World Baseball Tournament, which was held this year in Alameda, Calif. The tournament has teenage players from Mexico, Italy, Brazil, Australia, Korea, Taiwan and Japan along with some from the U.S. Her husband, Raleigh Klein, who is retired from the Bank of America’s leasing company, is also volunteering as well as their son, Jim, who is a sophomore at Carleton College in Minnesota.
Klein was a member of the ISU Karate Team as well as the co-chair, along with Cindy Uphoff, of the Association of Women Students, a group that encompassed all women at Illinois State. “AWS was a powerful force at Illinois State and brought in speakers like Congressional Representative Shirley Chisholm, Civil Rights leader Julian Bond and former Illinois Governor Dan Walker,” she said. “We also attended a national convention, which had speakers discussing national politics and our roles in the future. It helped broaden our political expectations and taught us to be resourceful and creative.”
Klein said she always “had a soft spot in my heart for Illinois State because I had such a good experience there,” which prompted her to establish her scholarship. “Education is so important to the future, and supporting the teachers of the future just makes sense.”
The fund may be increased at any time through additional gifts. Anyone interested in giving to the Nan Schuman Klein Future Teacher Scholarship Fund can send a check made payable to the Illinois State University Foundation and indicate that it is for the Nan Schuman Klein Future Teacher Scholarship Fund. Mail to: Illinois State University Foundation, Campus Box 8000, Normal, IL 61790-8000. Gifts may also be donated online by printing an online form, or by contacting the Office of Development at (309) 438-8184.
