Faith Zabriskie ’77 Leaves Legacy Gift of Life Insurance in Gratitude for All That Her Salve Experiences Provided

Faith Zabriskie ’77 never would have predicted ending up at Salve Regina, nor could she have imagined how essential the university would become to her career and her life.

Zabriskie was raised by her grandparents in northern New Jersey and as a teenager was reunited with her mother, who was working in Rhode Island for Salve. “I got to come to Salve when I was a young thing. I was in the president's office and met her. I did a tour of the school and thought it was lovely, but that was it,” says Zabriskie.

Fast forward several years, and Zabriskie was thrilled to be awarded a full scholarship. “I loved it. I thrived. I got involved in school politics, ran for office, and I kept getting elected! I played basketball. I just did anything and everything,” she says.

In fact, she loved politics so much that soon she declared a major in politics and history with a minor in business. She even had the chance to participate in a Pell internship in Washington, D.C., which included meeting John Sirica, a U.S. district judge who presided over the Watergate trials—a memory she still talks about today.

Upon graduating, Zabriskie worked in insurance, financing, and banking and eventually landed in the accounting field. This included working for Marriott for 35 years spending time working and living on the West Coast, Florida, Maryland, and, ultimately, Texas, where she lived for 20 years.

“All the tools that I needed for success were given to me. It’s just amazing when I think back on that education and what foundation it laid,” she says, reflecting on her time at Salve. “It’s a great education—and until you get out into the workforce, you realize that not everyone’s degree is equivalent,” she says. “It was just eye opening.”

Personally, Zabriskie also deeply related to the mission. “I believed in service, integrity, and giving back. This is also about being true to yourself, being open and honest. A lot of people don't know how to do that. I think Salve is the perfect place to learn about yourself—to figure out who you are and what you want to do and then use those gifts and go for it.”

In gratitude for all that her Salve experiences provided for her, Faith gives back generously each year to the university and has planned to leave a legacy through a gift of life insurance.

Presently, Zabriskie resides in Rhode Island and continues to live a caring, purpose-driven life actively volunteering to preserve the Plum Beach Lighthouse—a group that her mother founded. In addition, she has returned to her original church and does outreach, vestry (treasurer), and acolyte for them. She also has a hobby of rescuing animals in need.