Rose Jones touched many lives while residing in Eastern Connecticut. She served as a Montville Town Councilwoman, raised three kids, volunteered as a court-appointed special advocate for children, and served two terms on the Community Foundation’s board. She retired as a warden after a 22-year career in Connecticut’s Department of Corrections.

Through a bequest in her will, she established the Rosetta E. Jones Scholarship Fund at the Community Foundation to benefit young people after her lifetime.

“I want the scholarship to provide resources for students, some of whom may come from difficult backgrounds. And, because of the struggles created by racial biases, access to equal opportunities is often lacking.

I want to give students the tools to pursue their dreams, whether it be two or four years of college, vocational training, or any additional education and training that’s going to help them move their lives forward to become self-sustaining, productive, and happy. Because when a dream gets big enough, the odds don’t matter. And that’s what I want for these young people.

As the child of a teen mother, I have a profound understanding of what it’s like to be poor, to be passed over by family and society, and the herculean struggle required to break through all that.

I also believe that none of us are the worst thing we’ve ever done.

My goal is to uplift others similar to myself. I want to break the cycle of generational poverty and the trauma that accompanies that.”

— Rose Jones