Whitney Gulden, Esq. ’12, Creates Estate-Plan Gift to Hotchkiss and Joins the Town Hill Society

After graduating from Trinity College, Whitney Gulden, Esq. ’12 worked for a law firm that specializes in estate planning. During that time, the partners encouraged her to create her own estate plan and offered to review her work. She became one of the few young twenty-somethings to have a complete estate plan, including will, powers of attorney, and more. She learned that estate planning is not just for older generations or prohibitively expensive.

When her beloved father, Charles F. "Chuck" Gulden ’79, passed away suddenly in 2017, Whitney further realized the importance of good planning. These experiences have reinforced her belief that everyone should review their estate plans, at least every five years, and that we all have a duty to ourselves and our families to have a plan in place.

Whitney is a third generation Hotchkiss alumna and, having included Hotchkiss in her very first estate plan, is currently the youngest member of the Town Hill Society. Hotchkiss has been extremely influential on the Gulden family, and her estate plan further emphasizes this long-lasting connection.

Whitney grew up hearing many stories from her father and her grandfather, Charles “Charlie" Gulden ’53, P’79, GP’12, about their challenging and rewarding experiences at the School. Whitney knew she wanted to be a part of that same kind of educational environment, one in which she and her peers would develop a lifelong love of learning. 

When Whitney finally arrived in Lakeville as an upper mid, she discovered that she was now in a community of “wildly smart and amazing people” who illustrated what she knew of the School from her family’s stories. She found a new home at Hotchkiss and built lifelong friendships along the way.

Three generations of Hotchkiss Guldens.

While Whitney’s understanding of estate planning certainly was developed through her personal and professional experiences, she wants others to know that regardless of one’s age or wealth, creating a well-thought-out will is an essential task. This last gift really does establish your legacy, celebrating the people and institutions that meant the most during one’s lifetime. Whitney’s encouragement is that there is no better time than now and that no amount that is too small.

Hotchkiss became one of the places Whitney values most, and she wanted to ensure she continued her family’s legacy of support. Her bequest to the endowment will provide permanent funding for important initiatives such as financial aid and faculty development. Whitney is not only thrilled to make this ultimate gift in honor of her father, but she is even more inspired and motivated by the knowledge that it will grow in value over time, providing increasing support for the School that gave her family so much.

Whitney graduated from Trinity College in 2016 and then went on to receive her J.D. from Brooklyn Law School in 2020. In addition to her Town Hill Society membership, she is currently a Class Agent, member of the Hotchkiss Board of Governors, and valued True Blue Society member. She looks forward to continuing to serve The Hotchkiss School and its community.