When she reflects on her career, Jessica Rabb is quick to clarify: Biology may be what she teaches, but teaching itself is her true calling.
“Honestly, I do not have a passion for biology,” the Nashville, Tennessee, resident said. “Biology plays to my academic strengths. My biology aptitudes allow me to teach biology, but teaching is my passion.”
Rabb graduated from Swarthmore College in 1992 with a bachelor’s degree in biology, but her passion for teaching took root at the University of Mississippi School of Education, where she earned her master’s degree in 1996. She completed her education with a doctorate from Harvard University in 2000 and began a journey that would inspire her recent $500,000 testamentary gift to the School of Education.
Rabb initially approached the university with the intention of making a gift of only a portion of her estate. However, the Office of Development’s estate planning service showed her how she could take advantage of the “Give-It-Twice” strategy: a revocable planning option that allows donors to give up to 100% of their estate to charity without sacrificing a penny of their family’s inheritance.
“A testamentary gift like Jessica’s is a commitment made through a will or estate plan and is a powerful way to ensure a lasting impact on a public university and the students it serves,” said Marc Littlecott, advancement director for estate and planned giving. “These gifts provide long-term, stable support that helps institutions expand access, strengthen academic programs and prepare future leaders, often in ways that annual funding alone cannot sustain.”
An extraordinary commitment, especially from a relatively young alumna, Rabb’s gift establishes two endowments in her name: one supporting Transfer to Teach students and another benefiting the Mississippi Teacher Corps. The latter program is special for Rabb.
“The School of Education found a classroom for me in Shaw, Mississippi, and trained me for two years as I was teaching,” the donor said. “I will forever be grateful for that opportunity.”
David Rock, the school’s dean, expressed gratitude for Rabb’s planned gift.
“Her gift honors the transformative experiences she had here and ensures that future generations of teachers will receive the support, preparation and opportunity they need to thrive,” he said. “Through her leadership, she is inspiring others to invest in the enduring power of teaching.”
Rabb brings a sense of purpose to her students at Nashville State Community College, where she has taught biology for 15 years. She also leads biology courses in a prison education program.
Her classes are built on active, engaging learning while helping students discover their own potential.
“Biology is such a relatable topic,” she explained. “We are all alive and live on a planet surrounded by living things. I enjoy helping students understand how living things work from the molecular to ecosystem levels.
“I feel so grateful to be able to help students who often had negative experiences in school now find joy in learning.”
At this stage in her life, the decision to begin estate planning felt both personal and urgent.
“I am entering what may be my last professional chapter before retirement,” Rabb said. “My children are now young adults, and I recently overcame breast cancer. Those things led me to consider what I want my legacy to be.”
And the answer was clear: an investment in future teachers.
“I hope that many years down the road, this gift will support new teachers in Mississippi,” she said. “And I hope it inspires others like me – teachers who may not have a large income – to see that making a gift like this is possible.”
