OXFORD, Miss. — Maureen Liberto remembers pursuing a
demanding doctoral program while juggling her busy family
and career. When Liberto entertained the thought of ending
the coursework, her mother gave the encouragement Liberto
needed to persevere.
“I remember specifically thinking that I couldn’t
finish a doctorate with teenagers and everything
else,” said Liberto of Oxford and formerly of
Laurel. “My mom said, ‘Maureen, you will be at that
age and place in your life no matter what youre
doing. Devote some time to education.'”
Liberto, who successfully completed that doctorate
and enjoyed a career in higher education, is
honoring her mother’s belief in the worth of
education through the new Geraldine McGuire
Heffernan Women’s Council Scholarship Endowment at
the University of Mississippi. Her gift of $100,000
establishes the scholarship under the Ole Miss
Womens Council for Philanthropy, which enriches
scholarships by providing leadership training and
mentoring.
Heffernan, who passed away earlier this year at the
age of 96, was “always an educator,” Liberto said.
The Montreal resident was an elementary school
teacher, and Liberto’s father, Fintan Patrick
Heffernan, was a teacher and school administrator.
Both earned their teaching licenses during the
Depression and ultimately received teaching awards
for their many contributions. They were active in
their community by supporting an orphanage and a
hospital.
“Maureen Liberto is an amazing educator and leader,
who obviously is following in her parents’
footsteps,” said Gloria Kellum, vice chancellor for
university relations. “Not only is she providing
major financial support to the University of
Mississippi for this Women’s Council Scholarship
honoring her mother’s life but she also is giving
of herself to our students.
“Upon her retirement, Maureen joined our university
community as a volunteer mentor and counselor. Her
unwavering commitment to helping young people is
remarkable, and we are witnessing the tremendous impact her
contributions are having on our campus. We are profoundly
grateful for her devotion.”
Liberto said that while her mother knew about plans
for the scholarship fund, she wishes she could have
seen it impact. “My mother was a woman of
substance. If she were alive, she would tell
scholarship recipients that self-confidence comes
from education. And, she would tell them that
people can do anything they dream if they put their
minds to work.”
Recipients of the Heffernan Scholarship are to be
selected on academic ability and leadership
potential. They can pursue any academic major but
are to earn minors in leadership and public policy
through the university’s Lott Leadership
Institute.
The Women’s Council Scholarship marks the second
major contribution from Liberto, who with Laurel
businessman Julius W. King gave a combined $200,000
gift to the university establishing the
Liberto/King Professorship in the School of
Business Administration’s area of insurance and
risk management. The professorship honors the
longtime friendship between King and V.A. Liberto,
a businessman and husband of Maureen Liberto.
After retiring in 2005 as assistant director of
admissions and guidance at Jones County Junior
College in Laurel, Liberto moved to Oxford, where
she volunteers as a counselor for university
students. She works with around 50 students in the
Ole Miss First program, assisting them in a variety
of areas, from exploring careers and obtaining
internships to arranging guest speakers to interact
with students on campus.
“There’s just a passion in me for students,” she
said. “Interacting with the students at Ole Miss
makes me feel that there’s hope for America; they
are just so outstanding. This is where I want to
be: sharing knowledge and experience to help guide
young people’s lives. I look forward to coming to
campus every day.”
Liberto chose Oxford as her home after retirement
because of the long relationship her family has
enjoyed with Ole Miss. Her late husband was an
alumnus who gave of his time by serving on the
advisory committee to the School of Business
Administration, as well as on campaigns to raise
private funds. The couple’s three children also
attended the university.
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