“She missed opportunities,” Diane continued.

“She turned down a research placement overseas because she didn’t want to move two small children without a support network.

She spent savings on tutoring and train fares.

Those things mattered.”

Marianne eventually founded a data education program that paid teachers to work with students whose schools lacked advanced courses.

It grew slowly, supported by grants and community partners.

Her work was not merely the backdrop to our daughters’ triumph.

It was an accomplishment with its own purpose.