Linda & Lynda’s Legacy

On Sunday, October 1, thirty or more good friends gathered to celebrate the tremendous dedication, professional accomplishments and happy retirement of Linda Borock and Lynda Blankenship. For nearly twenty years, Linda served as the director of The Rensselaerville Institute’s Minds On program, originally started by Mary Ann Ronconi back in 1983. Linda took a small local experiential learning program that got kids out of the classroom for hands-on learning and grew it to reach a cumulative total of more than 30,000 students and teachers. 

Notably, in addition to longtime program partners, volunteers, mentors, board members and family in attendance, was a second guest of honor, Lynda Blankenship. Lynda worked with Minds On for decades until her retirement just last year, serving as a longtime mentor and volunteer, but moreover, as a bottomless well of moral support and educational expertise.

It is bittersweet to see these two very special women retire from education–they have left an indelible impression on so many young minds. But, we wish Linda and Lynda the very best in retirement including lots of rest, relaxation and time with their beloved dog, Teo.

We are also proud to continue supporting “the Linda’s” and our campus’ legacy of inspiring young local minds through hands on learning to foster a more vibrant Capital Region. In doing so, the Carey Institute has extended fiscal sponsorship to NextGen Immersions, LLC, led by veteran educators and mentors Alison Miller and Marilou Pudiak-Town, with the goal to reach 1,000 students each year.

We hope you will support us by making a legacy contribution to the Lynda & Linda Education Fund and keep kids coming to the Carey Institute for years to come.