Seeding the Future

When Asian-American history scholar and author Winifred Chin first set foot on campus with her son, Daniel Goldstein ’19, to take a parent tour, she stumbled upon the Durfee Conservatory. Immediately taken by its peace and beauty, Chin shared the special find with Daniel who began envisioning himself studying there. Chin also stayed connected to greenhouse manager Michael Formosi ’88 and formed a friendship rooted in their shared botanical interests.

Now, seven years later, Daniel has graduated and is a young professional in the field of veterinary and animal sciences, and Chin has decided to give back, providing the Durfee Conservatory with the largest gift in its history.

But her philanthropy doesn’t end at the greenhouse walls. As part of her recent gift to the UMass Amherst Foundation, she has also set aside funds designated toward student scholarships in the College of Natural Sciences—inspired by seeing her son’s experience during his time here.

“I was impressed with the amount of support that he received from his counselors, teachers, and advisors; and it wasn’t just academic support,” she says. “Because of that, he pretty much obtained a job right away working in a vet clinic emergency room and was eventually accepted at the Cornell School of Veterinary Medicine. I credit UMass Amherst for giving him a solid foundation to build on.”

Chin hopes others will support the places and programs that they’ve benefited from as well.

“I think that anyone who is able should give,” she says. “And I would say that if you’re able to give, it would be the best gift anyone can offer to help students—they are our future.”