Above L to R: Teenage Karla Yates Reyff and Leslie Hughes
By Gail Mallimson, University Development
Leslie Hughes’ and Karla Yates Reyff’s paths intertwined in life in so many ways, it seems they were destined to be friends. The two first met decades ago, in Mrs. Pera’s kindergarten class at St. Vincent de Paul school in San Francisco’s Marina District and were friends through elementary and middle school. After that they lost touch, but over the years they ran into each other in San Francisco, until they resumed their friendship which is now tight and steadfast.
Surprisingly, Leslie and Karla did not meet while attending their alma mater, SF State, because they were there many years apart. Despite this, they have inspired each other to become devoted donors to the University, especially the Guardian Scholars Program (GSP), which supports former and current foster kids in their educational journeys at the University. Leslie and Karla are now united in their commitment to help foster students who lack a solid support system to graduate and succeed.
After grade school, Leslie attended Lowell High School and then SF State, where she studied Spanish, English, and education – subjects that she was passionate about. She earned a B.A. in 1966 and a Standard Secondary Credential in 1967, which launched her career as a teacher. She taught in San Francisco public schools for 42 years until she retired in 2009. Leslie still lives in San Francisco, just a couple of miles away from the neighborhood she grew up in.
Karla attended San Jose State University and Indiana University of Pennsylvania after high school but left before receiving a degree from either university. Eventually, she got divorced and returned to San Francisco with her young son Blaise in tow. As a single mom, her experience at SF State was focused on practicality and expediency, but she knows that the degree she received allowed her to pursue her rewarding career at the U.S. Department of Industrial Relations. “It was a really good job,” says Karla. “And I got the ticket from San Francisco State.”
Above L to R: Teenage Leslie Hughes & Karla Yates Reyff
Above L to R: Teenage Leslie Hughes & Karla Yates Reyff
Both women made lifelong friends at SF State, and Karla enjoyed an added benefit from her time there. After she retired in 1996, she searched for the opportunity to try something new. A credential she received from a night class in adult education at SF State more than 40 years before allowed her to start a second career in substitute teaching, which she enjoyed and found fulfilling.
Leslie kept an affiliation with SF State and some faculty members whom she studied with. When she sat down with a lawyer to create an estate trust about 20 years ago, she decided to make a large planned gift to the University. Her development officer introduced her to the Guardian Scholars Program, which impressed her so much that she also became a yearly donor.
When Karla’s mom passed away, she inherited some money and started to look for a place to donate her required IRA distribution. Leslie suggested the Guardian Scholars Program to Karla and she immediately fell in love with the program. She has given yearly to GSP for several years and has also made a large bequest in her will.
While Karla and Leslie’s legacies will live on at the University through their generous giving and their lasting friendship, they have also passed the baton to Karla’s son Blaise, whom she was raising while a student at SF State. Blaise graduated with a B.A. in History from SF State in 2004 and is now a high school history teacher at a private high school in San Francisco. “He’s pretty proud of graduating from SF State,” says Karla. “I always told him that he needed a degree for a career, and he loves his job now. So that’s another reason to be grateful to SF State.” “We’ve both gotten so much from the University,” says Leslie. “It feels good to pay it forward.”
Pictured at right: Leslie Hughes & Karla Yates Reyff today
