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Phil ’65 and Linda Ferarra Invest in Nation’s Future with Naval Academy Gift

Phil and Linda FerarraWhen Phil '65 and Linda Ferarra thought about where their philanthropic investment could have the most influence on the future, they chose to include the Naval Academy in their estate plans.

"Like the small private school in Boston that I attended, the Naval Academy expects a lot from students academically, athletically, morally," said Phil, who spent seven years in the Navy and 25 years with Exxon Mobil.

"The quality of the education that midshipmen receive at the Naval Academy not only influences the lives of those individuals," he said, "but also has a profound impact on society as Naval Academy alumni serve as military, corporate, and government leaders."

Linda agrees as a lifelong educator: elementary school teacher, director of gifted and talented education, instructor at Johns Hopkins University and Immaculata College, and principal in the Anne Arundel County Public Schools. She earned her bachelor's and master's in elementary education from State University College of Buffalo and her PhD in education administration from the University of Pennsylvania.

"I feel strongly about the quality of the education at the Naval Academy, particularly the focus on the ethical aspects of values and behavior," she said. "We need this for the future of our country. We need highly motivated students who are working for the greater good."

Married for 30 years, the Ferarras recently helped organize Phil's 45th reunion. Having more interactions with the Naval Academy while living in Annapolis over the last 13 years motivated them to make an estate gift.

"Our interactions with Naval Academy superintendents, Foundation leaders, and midshipmen made it clear to us that this was the right thing to do and that the Naval Academy Foundation would be a good steward of our assets," Phil said.

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