A Beloved College Professor Died. Then She Stunned Her Former Students by Leaving Them Most of Her $2.8 Million Estate

Yahoo

25-05-2025

Over 30 people received the surprise of a lifetime when they learned that their former college professor had left them the majority of her life savings
Professor Cris Hassold taught art history at the New College of Florida in Sarasota for over 50 years and had quietly amassed about $2.8 million in wealth
The inheritance amounts ranged from about $26,000 to $560,000Thirty-one people got the surprise of a lifetime when they found out their former college professor had left them the majority of her life savings.
Professor Cris Hassold taught art history at the New College of Florida in Sarasota for over 50 years. She was known for her unorthodox teaching style and for forging close, life-long bonds with her students, per The New York Times.
'She had a collection of students in the same way that she had endless collections of books,' recalled Dr. Nicole Archer, 49, one former student who now teaches at Montclair State University in New Jersey.
When Hassold died in 2020 at the age of 89, a number of her former students received word that she had left them something in her will — though none knew what, exactly, the bequeathment would entail.
What those former students didn't know is that Hassold — who never married or had children of her own — had amassed a $2.8 million estate over her lifetime, and that she opted to divide the amount among 36 people, 31 of whom were former students, per The Times.
The Times states that Hassold allotted the amounts, which ranged from about $26,000 to $560,000, based on factors like how close she was to the student as well as how much she thought they needed it.
Her former students have since used the money on everything from medical expenses to downpayments on homes.
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Archer, who was one of the students who inherited money from Hassold, told The Times that she received a package from Sarasota in August of 2021 — and found a check for $100,000 inside.
'I truly, honestly believed that I read it wrong,' she told the outlet, adding, 'I remember following the number with my finger, making sure I understood how many zeros it was.'
Archer went on to tell The Times that meeting Hassold as a college freshman was a life-changing experience.
'It was kind of like the most amazing moment I had ever had,' she recalled. 'She [was] just herself. It was a type of woman I had never met.'
Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.Hassold was known to refer to her students as her kids, per The Times. She held long dinners at local restaurants, where she asked students about their dreams and aspirations — while also pushing them to think practically about exactly how they would achieve their goals.
'What do you want to do and how do you get there? Who do you like to read? Where do they teach? They teach abroad? How do you save up the money to go?' her past students recall her asking, per The Times.
Other former students felt as though they received a kind of full-hearted acceptance from Hassold that they didn't necessarily get at home.
Former New College student Katie Helms, 47, got emotional when remembering her old mentor.
'I'll never get the kind of acknowledgment from my parents that I got from her,' Helms, a queer woman, told The Times. 'I think about her almost every day."
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