August is Make-A-Will Month

August is Make-A-Will Month

August 10, 2026

August is Make-A-Will Month, a time to reflect on who and what matters to you most. Whether you are 18 or 108, join a nationwide effort and take 20 minutes to use this free tool to create your will.

Dr. Tonia Dousay is the dean of the School of Education at UAA and a first-generation college graduate. The daughter of two US Navy veterans, she grew up understanding the value of service and hard-won opportunity, values that still shape how she leads today. UAA is part of her professional legacy and the School of Education is her home.

"I'd known for years I needed to prepare a will, but I struggled to pin down concretely what kind of lasting impact I could actually leave," said Dousay. "Naming UAA as a beneficiary of my estate is my way of helping sustain that work and making sure we have the resources to keep fulfilling this mission long after I'm gone."

More than ten years of daydreaming and putting it off became something real in a single afternoon after utilizing the free tools provided by the UA Foundation. It removed the intimidation factor of "estate planning" for Dousay and made the difference between good intentions and an actual plan.

Whether you choose to include the University of Alaska in your plans or not, the UA Foundation has several resources that we can provide to assist you. If you have any questions or would like additional estate planning information, please contact Harry Need, executive director of philanthropy at (907) 786-4840 or [email protected].