Megan Carroll ’85
At the young age of 30, Megan Carroll ’85 was ready to think longterm about her commitment to Phillips Academy. “Just after my first child was born, I executed a will as part of my estate planning and included the different institutions I wanted to support,” Carroll says. PA was among one of her priorities. “If you cannot give as much as you would like during your lifetime, leaving some sort of legacy behind is a wonderful way to show your gratitude,” she says.
Principal and founder of Carroll Associates—a Boston area law firm that represents visual and performing artists and their patrons—Carroll is well versed in estate planning. “When drafting a will, some people might think that their relatively small posthumous gift won’t make a big difference to a large organization or institution, but it really can make a difference if everyone participates,” she explains. “You give based on your desire to help an organization that has meant something to you and influenced you. For me, Andover was one of the most enjoyable and important educational experiences of my life.”
Arriving at PA as an 11th grader, Carroll was guided by three faculty members with whom she still remains in contact. “Lynn Herbst, Susan Lloyd, and Cristina Rubio helped to teach me how to think critically and creatively, and helped to ground me while supporting my optimistic attitude,” Carroll says. Rubio, a ballet instructor, encouraged Carroll to continue her avocation in adulthood. A classically trained ballet dancer, Carroll has performed, directed, and choreographed for various dance and theatre groups for about two decades. “Today, I perform with the Boston Liturgical Dance Ensemble, am on their board, and serve as attorney for the company,” she says. “I enjoy being an arts attorney who is still involved in the arts.”
Carroll is also an adjunct professor in the Business Law department at Boston College— her alma mater—and an adjunct professor at New England School of Law. “I tell my students that it is never too early to write a will,” she says. “Whether you have significant resources or not, a will helps you provide thoughtful gifts for those people and organizations that are most meaningful to you.”