Caroline "Carrie" E.B. Lewis had a deep connection to Alaska, having made it her home since the early 1960s after a single visit to the state. A graduate of Tufts University, she was trained as a medical tech. An avid alpine skier, she bragged that she was one of the first outsiders to ski at Alyeska, later joining the ski patrol. Despite her modest lifestyle, Lewis was a generous philanthropist, primarily supporting education and health care initiatives. Her motivation was clear: she was driven by a desire to support Alaskans, make education attainable and ultimately improve the quality of life for her fellow Alaskans.
Increasing Access to Education, Championing Student Success
Lewis began contributing anonymously to the University of Alaska Anchorage through her donor-advised fund, with the only restriction on her giving being “no bricks or mortar.” First-generation student scholarships were a priority of the chancellor at the time, and Carrie’s annual contributions supported that effort. She enjoyed hearing the stories of impact through the thank you letters she received from scholarship students and chose to endow the First-Generation Student Scholarship Fund in 2012. At the same time, she also created the Alaska Endowment for Excellence, a fund that’s only restriction was, again, “no bricks or mortar.” She wanted the chancellor to have the flexibility to respond to evolving high-priority and pressing needs within the university community.
Upon her passing in 2020 at the age of 90, Lewis left an incredible legacy gift in excess of $16 million, devoted to ensuring access to education and supporting student success through two endowments she had previously established.
In honor of Lewis, UAA is utilizing the funds to support its aspiration of putting students first. The Learning Commons, a collaborative peer-to-peer learning initiative that provides tutoring and coaching at no cost to students, is one area benefiting from Lewis' generosity. The Learning Commons' outreach includes the Writing Center, Math Lab, Communication & Presentation Coaching, English Language Learning support, and subject-specific tutoring. Both in-person and online support is available through the program.
The Recruitment and Retention of Alaska Natives into Nursing program is another area receiving Lewis’ support. The RRANN program supports Alaska Natives and American Indians through their nursing education to increase the number of highly skilled and culturally competent nurses and promote positive change to improve the quality of health care within Alaska communities.
Lewis' transformative gifts illustrate her devotion to higher education in Alaska. Roberta "Bobi" Rinehart, UAA director of development, emphasized that Lewis "wanted to help more Alaskans pursue their academic dreams in their home state,” and that is what she did. Said Rinehart, “We are humbled to have the opportunity to carry her vision forward."