Education has been an enduring priority in Joanne Freeman's long life.

"My parents always wanted me to go to college and told me every chance they got," said the 96-year-old Vista del Monte resident. "They hadn't gone to college themselves, but education was very important to them."

Their urgings had the desired effect. Decades before the term was in regular use, Joanne set out from her hometown of Pasadena to become a first-generation student at Santa Barbara College of the University of California, an antecedent of UCSB. Once there, she decided she wanted to teach and switched majors from sociology to education.

"I did my student teaching here and was immediately hired. That felt good because I knew I had a place to go," she said.

So began her 43-year career as a local educator, most of it spent teaching special needs students and testing them for learning disabilities.

Early in her career, Joanne earned a master's degree in special education, and she continued to take classes on a wide range of subjects well into her 80s. "Life is learning and there's always room to learn something new," she said.

Joanne began supporting the Scholarship Foundation in 2003, and a decade later established the George and Joanne Freeman Scholarship to honor her late husband. She also interviewed Foundation applicants for many years until the age of 91.

"Interviewing the students was always memorable. Knowing that I was helping kids go to school and talking with them was extremely gratifying," said Joanne, who has now donated more than $150,000 to the Scholarship Foundation.

She also supports the Cancer Foundation of Santa Barbara and contributes to the Vista del Monte Resident Assistance Fund.

"My family has always tried to help those in need. Supporting the Scholarship Foundation is a good choice, a wise choice because you're helping others help themselves," she said.