PLANNED
GIVING
Making a planned gift is a wonderful way to show your support and appreciation for George Mason University and its mission while accommodating your own personal, financial, estate-planning, and philanthropic goals.
Donor Spotlight:
Sarah Federman, PhD
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Sarah Federman, PhD Conflict Analysis and Resolution ’15, finished her master's degree in international affairs at the American University of Paris after conducting deep research on the French National Railways (SNCF), its role in the Holocaust, and its efforts to make amends. After the thesis, she did not feel quite finished with the subject but knew she needed a better understanding of post-conflict issues, research methods, and how narratives function in conflict. Federman reached out to her network about what would be a good next step in her academic career, and the frequent answer was to check out George Mason University’s Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution [then the School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution, or “S-CAR”].
Federman heard that no other institution would offer her what she needed, with many colleagues even suggesting she already sounded like “one of those S-CAR people.” Federman returned to the United States to see firsthand what this place was all about. In the fall of 2012, she attended the new student welcome night to meet faculty and other new students. Federman knew she had to be at the Carter School. She started taking classes while her application was in process.
Admitted with the support of the faculty-selected Presidential Scholarship, Federman could immerse herself in conflict studies. She said, “I felt enlivened by the knowledge exchanges. Every discussion in the classroom was urgent and necessary. I was not just learning about conflicts from the faculty but from the students who survived them.” Federman remembers one of her first classes with two Rwandan students, a Hutu and a Tutsi, asking each other how they would coexist in this space.
Federman used what she learned in her various classes to conduct interviews with 90 Holocaust survivors as well as a dozen other legislators, ambassadors, lawyers, and others involved in the debates over the SNCF’s need to atone for its past. Midway through her doctoral program, Federman received a check from an attorney representing a client she had interviewed for her research on the SNCF. The donor wanted to remain anonymous but asked that Federman keep going and finish the important work she started. The significance of human connection and shared stories was not lost on her – she framed the letter and the check. Federman appreciated the funds and that they represented a vote of confidence from someone personally impacted by her work. By joining the Carter School, Federman had access to the scholarship and academic resources that guided her towards publishing her dissertation, Last Train to Auschwitz: The French National Railways and the Journey to Accountability (May 2021).
Five years after graduating, Federman made a planned gift to provide support for doctoral candidates needing resources to finish their dissertations. She joined a proud legacy of alumni making estate gifts to invest in the future of the Carter School because she recalls how meaningful awards like this were to her classmates. Doctoral candidates across the social sciences face an uphill road, with only 55.9% completing their thesis ten years after beginning coursework. The challenges vary, but lack of resources is a highly cited factor. “I want future doctoral students to feel encouraged like I did, to keep going and finish what they started,” said Federman. “Someone you can’t see is cheering for you.”
Federman did not intend to make her gift known to the public while she is living. We are grateful she agreed to make an exception so that others could learn about the possibility of adding a beloved organization to their estate plans.
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