When Oklahoma native Christi Shdeed Morrow ’92 visited Trinity on the advice of her high school counselor, she remembers that it immediately felt right. “I knew that I would develop in mind, body, and spirit while at Trinity and I did,” she says.
A history and art history major, she fondly recalls late art history professor John Hutton showing his students how to interpret history through paintings, not just through texts. “He showed us how artists portrayed the most marginalized people in society and how artists made social statements,” she says. “I think that inspired me to serve and give more of myself to those in need. He opened my eyes.”
Thanks to his inspiration, Christi became active in the Trinity University Volunteer Action Community and Student Association and developed a commitment to community service, a Trinity-nurtured focus that continues to play a huge role in her life.
As director of community services at the Episcopal School of Dallas, Christi has educated students about how they can provide a service to their own communities and non-profit organizations.
Grateful for her rewarding career spawned by her Trinity experience, Christi has supported her alma mater with annual gifts since her graduation in 1992. Now she has taken an additional step by remembering Trinity in her estate plans.
“I want to acknowledge and honor the role that Trinity played in my life,” she says. “I want to make a statement that I believe in the future of Trinity. This is a way for me to stay connected to Trinity.”
Although some may feel developing an estate plan is a daunting task, Christi found “it was not a difficult process at all.”
“Our attorney guided my husband, Cory, and me through the process, and we were pleased when it was signed. We owe it to our children to have an estate plan. An added bonus was that we were able to establish some gifts to the institutions we love.”
Christi hopes that their gift will help future generations of students and also inspire other alumni to make planned gifts to Trinity. “As we look back on our lives, we want to acknowledge the institutions that shaped us.”
Christi met former Trinity University President Danny Anderson at an alumni event in Dallas and was impressed by what she heard. “Trinity has pressed the accelerator button,” she notes. She also recognized in him a kindred spirit. “Dr. Anderson wants to advance Trinity while staying true to its mission. He feels compelled to both lead Trinity and serve Trinity.”