In 2002, our branch established the research and project grant in the name of Dr. J. Jeanne Garrison, a longtime supporter of education.
Jeanne is a retired geography educator, weather record-keeper and amateur architect. She is a woman of varied interests and tell us that “one of the major attributes of intelligence is curiosity…indulge your curiosity and life becomes exponentially more interesting.” Her meticulous attention to detail is evident in her weather record keeping. She began keeping track of Victorville’s weather in 1993. For 30 years prior to that she kept records of the weather near Capitol Reef National Park in Utah. She has noticed yearly variations within a consistent pattern. “For example, Victorville always has a hot spell in March, followed by a cooling off – I’m not sure why. And we always get our hottest weather just after school starts in the fall.”
Her interest in architecture started very early in life. Her grandparent’s home in Adelanto was extremely inconvenient, no wall space, just doors. She passed much of her idle time trying to find ways to redesign the home. After she retired in 1981, she went into partnership with a friend in Utah. She would design the houses and he would build them.
Jeanne is active in many organizations besides AAUW. She belongs to the California Retired Teachers Association, the Daughters of the American Revolution, the local historical society and Seniors with Inquiring Minds.
Grant Recipients
Jodie L. McCann
M.F.A., Film Production
University of Southern California
Career Development Grant awarded 2005-06
Donations from 12 sponsors funded Ms. McCann’s grant. She plans to create challenging, imaginative film and television programs for children. She has written and directed six short films and completed three scripts that she hopes to produce soon. She’s also started work on a feature animation project and a short-format television program for children.
Learning and Loving Education Center – Pat Davis, Director
The first step: Beginning English Skills for Success
Morgan Hill, California
Community Action Grant awarded 2007-08
This program provides weekly educational, vocational, and language-acquisition training and technology-based classes to 25 low-income, ethnic, immigrant, refugee, and limited-English-speaking women who are entering a learning environment for the first time. The program will improve the lives of these women while increasing their English literacy level and providing access to bilingual job-training programs and information technology.