Living Their Values

Maribeth and Chris Thornton

Alumna Maribeth Thornton and husband Chris treasure the gifts they received through education. Maribeth believes that “education is a ticket to furthering careers and opening minds to new horizons and ideas.” Both come from families that value higher education, with parents returning to school to pursue degrees while Maribeth and Chris were in their teens. 

Maribeth received an MBA from the UNM Anderson School of Management (ASM), a BSN and MSN from the University of Phoenix, and a PhD from UNM’s College of Nursing. Maribeth has dedicated her life to health care, joining the UNM Hospital (UNMH) 22 years ago. She is currently the Associate Chief Nursing Officer at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital. Maribeth is thankful to UNMH for allowing her to grow.  

Chris received his BS in aerospace engineering from Georgia Tech and an MS from Stanford University. He is appreciative for the opportunities his education afforded him. Chris worked for Lockheed Martin for ten years and is currently a senior systems engineer with Boeing. 

The couple met online in 2006 and quickly discovered they had a lot in common. They married in 2009 and raised Chris’ daughter together. As they began to shape their estate plan, their deep-seated desire to give back was at the top of their list. Early on, they knew they wanted their daughter to earn her way and had candid conversations with her about giving the bulk of their estate to charity. 

Maribeth and Chris Thornton

The Thorntons met with an estate attorney and chose to support UNM through a provision in their will. Most of their estate gift supports UNMH through an endowment for nurse education. They also created The Thornton Family Scholarship for nursing students who intend to practice in rural New Mexico. The scholarship will be funded during their lifetime and named in their will. The Thorntons will also support an endowment for scholarships at ASM. 

Maribeth also gives back by mentoring UNM doctoral nursing students and girls working to achieve their Gold Award in the Girl Scouts (which includes a high level of community service). Maribeth is deeply devoted to the Girl Scouts, having served as a board member and chair, and she and Chris have included them in their estate plan. 

Maribeth and Chris are grateful for the gifts they received through education and all of the opportunities and connections provided to them. They believe there is nothing greater than giving back and encourage alumni and student recipients of their generosity to remember that education allowed them to be successful.