Dr. Beverly Martens P`00, `02, `06—IRA Distribution Gift and Estate Gift

As a wayland parent, Dr. Beverly Martens saw firsthand how Wayland Academy impacted her children. All three of her children, Erin Dawson `00, Leah Rhodes `02, and David Martens `06, were four-year day students at Wayland Academy. 

When thinking about sending their oldest daughter, Erin, to Wayland, a good friend told them, “A valedictorian will be a valedictorian at any school, but an average student will become an exceptional student at Wayland.” After Erin spent two years there, there was no question Leah and David wanted the Wayland experience. 

Beverly and her family appreciate the positive impact Wayland left them. From her experience as a parent, she found that “Wayland Academy students interact across grade, socioeconomic, and cultural differences preparing them for life after high school. When my kids graduated, they were prepared for college independence and knew how to prioritize.” 

Beverly and her husband decided to give back to Wayland because “We feel strongly about supporting our local community which enabled us and our children to be successful and to give back to institutions that positively impacted our family and lives. We want to help Wayland Academy provide others with the same opportunities our children had.”

There are several different ways that Beverly contributes to Wayland. “I chose to contribute through an IRA distribution to allow maximum impact for Wayland with no tax consequences for us. We felt using stock as a gift was a good way to manage our assets.  We also decided a planned gift would be an influential way for us to direct the money in our estate to a cause of our choice.” 

Currently, Beverly’s children are finding success in a variety of fields. The oldest, Erin Dawson `00, is an orthopedic surgeon specializing in hand surgery in Phoenix, AZ, and she and her husband have one daughter. Leah Rhodes `02 currently resides in Madison, WI, and works as a structural engineer, serving as the bridge design team leader at MSA, and she and her husband have three sons. The youngest
of the three, David Martens `06, is a Master Sergeant in the Air Force as a Loadmaster, traveling the world for his work. 

Beverly and her husband, Dr. Alan Martens, are veterinarians in Waupun, Wisconsin. As Beverly retires, she is excited to travel, enjoy the outdoors, volunteer with animals, and spend time with her family.

“We feel strongly about supporting our local community which enabled us and our children to be successful and to give back to institutions that positively impacted our family and lives. We want to help Wayland Academy provide others with the same opportunities our children had.”