By Jessica Easthope
Many of Lester Owens’ memories live in a box. Through flashes of his grandparents who raised him after his mother passed away young, his siblings and friends — there’s one memory that will never leave his heart.
“There was a field trip, and we didn’t think we were going, financially wise, and there was a woman who came up to me and my brother and says, by the way, you’re going on a field trip,” Owens said.
The woman paid — and the boys went. They never knew where she came from or who she was.
“There are things that you learn and remember in life so that you can carry it forward,” Owens said. “And that’s what Catholic school is all about, right? Trying to help the next person.”
For Lester and his brother Michael, that woman was an angel. And today Lester is her, he’s a Futures in Education angel, donating every year to give deserving kids a Catholic education.
“It’s very simple. It’s all about the kids,” Owens said. “There’s an advantage in going to those type of schools. It was beneficial to me. You know, just the teachers care and quite frankly, the Futures in Education, what they do is just tremendous.”
Owens says his Catholic education changed the trajectory of his life. He went on to work tirelessly to provide for his family, rising through the ranks at different financial institutions and banks, eventually becoming the first Black operating committee member in Wells Fargo history, responsible for 80,000 employees across 100 countries.
Owens has contributed and helped raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for Futures in Education for nearly two decades — allowing generations of students to attend Catholic school in Brooklyn and Queens.
“To be able to get a scholarship, go to school year over year, to not have to worry about whether or not they can pay for it, makes all the difference in the world,” he said.
That woman’s act of generosity changed everything for Lester and his Catholic education taught him exactly what to do with his own.