Beauchamp Establishes Education Scholarship
Marguerite Janbazian Beauchamp ’39
recently established the Marguerite
Janbazian Endowed Scholarship in honor
of her mother, Nvart Janbazian. The scholarship
benefits an Armenian student with demonstrated
financial need who is enrolled full-time in a
first bachelor’s degree program leading to a career
in education. Beauchamp sat down to answer some
questions on why education and giving back are so
important to her
Why did you decide to go to Beaver College?
I didn’t. My mother did. I had wanted to go to West
Chester State Teachers College, but when I told her,
she said she had been saving for me to go to Beaver!
We lived in Glenside, and it was during the Depression,
so I agreed. I had wanted to go to a school where there were male students. I had been around
females all my life!
Did you receive a scholarship? How did it help?
Yes, it was a work scholarship. Since I had taken typing in high school, I was able to help out in the
Registrar’s Office for Miss Paulhamus and sometimes for Dean Higgins, when needed.
What are some of your fondest memories?
Being a day student, I didn’t have memories of dorm activities, but I did get to be good friends with
other day students when we had our lunch in the Chatterbox. One of my closest friends was Virginia
Harshaw. Now don’t laugh—One of my fondest memories was of a bus driver who always picked me
up when he saw me walking to classes. I could have hugged him sometimes when he rescued me on a
rainy or snowy day. He’d say no one should be out on a day like that! That was when we had classes on
both the Jenkintown and Glenside campuses.
What did you do after you graduated?
It was difficult to find a teaching job. They wanted teachers with experience! How can you get experience
if no one hires you? There was a man at Carmel Church who was a principal at a school
in Jenkintown. The PTA there wanted to start a preschool. He told me to talk to the president,
who hired me right away. Because of the thorough training I received from Miss Ableson, Miss
Creamer and the other instructors in the kindergarten/preschool department, I had no trouble
knowing what to do and how.
What inspired you to establish a scholarship at Arcadia?
I wanted to be a teacher since I was 10 years old. I had an aunt who was a teacher whom her students
adored. I used to visit her during my vacations and was so impressed I wanted to be like her. After I
taught for a few years, and was able to do some successful investing, I thought I could help others who
wanted to attend college and follow their dream, just as I did.
Why is it important to give back to your alma mater?
First of all, to show your appreciation for all their planning, time, caring enough to think of how to
open your minds to new things. I am so proud of what was Beaver College and now Arcadia University.
I wish I were younger and could come and take some courses there! Our minds can always hold
more information. I learned to use the computer at 90 years old, so there’s always hope.
What are your hopes for the scholarship recipients?
I am hoping their dream is to go into education. Go into it because you want to help children be
curious, learn about the world and others around them. It is so exciting to see children’s faces when
they grasp what you are explaining and they just light up. Also, there is satisfaction from parents in
your doing a good job. Don’t go into teaching just to have a job. Don’t get discouraged. Each day is a
challenge worth taking. I loved my 30 years of teaching and give much credit to the training I had at
Beaver College.
