Former Teacher Donates $1.1M to Jackson Catholic Schools

(May 10, 2021 11:39 AM) Lumen Christi School has announced a gift of $1,100,000 from donor and former Lumen Christi teacher Donna Ambs. A substantial portion of this money will be used in the establishment of an endowed fund for Jackson Catholic Schools to attract and retain teachers across all four schools.

Donna Ambs taught for 45 years, mostly in the Business Department at Lumen Christi.  Donna Ambs passed away in 2019 at the age of 78.

As a former Jackson Catholic School teacher, Donna was happy to give back to the very place that helped enrich her life for so many years, Lumen Christi officials said in a press release. She believed the role of teacher was one of the noblest and most relevant professions in the world, and that it is vital that institutions like Jackson Catholic School be a welcome place for educators to build their careers and influence young lives.

A lifetime educator within the Jackson Catholic Schools, Donna was a 1958 graduate of St. Mary Star of the Sea, Jackson Community College, and Michigan State University. She then moved back to the area to become a high school business teacher. During her time as an educator, Donna was known for

her refined disposition and high standards when it came to dress code, conduct, and personal standards with students.  Her high expectations of others was tempered by a great sense of humor, for which she was also fondly remembered. 

When it opened in the fall of 1968, Donna was among the founding group of teachers at Lumen Christi High school. There, she taught Shorthand, Secretarial Block, and Typing classes. Donna was extremely dedicated to the mission of both Lumen Christi and Jackson Catholic Schools, which she exemplified effortlessly throughout her career, until her retirement in 1997.