SPRINGFIELD GARDENS — When he was a student at St. Mary Magdalene School in Springfield Gardens 60 years ago, Lester Owens didn’t have the money to go on a class trip, but someone stepped forward and paid for him and his brother, Michael.
“I still remember this lady, who I don’t remember ever meeting before, coming up to us, and telling us, ‘You’re going on the school trip, and I hope you enjoy yourselves,’ ” he recalled. “And then the principal told us that someone had paid for us.”
Owens does not remember where the class went on the trip. However, he said he will never forget the woman’s generosity: “I just thought it was something special.”
It proved to be a pivotal moment in his life, inspiring him to follow her example.
Owens, 69, who retired from his position as head of operations for Wells Fargo in 2024, is today a major donor to Futures in Education, the nonprofit organization that provides scholarships and other assistance for students in Catholic schools in the Diocese of Brooklyn. He is also a member of the organization’s board of trustees.
“Catholic school made me what I am today,” he explained. “I want kids to enjoy the same opportunities that I enjoyed.”
John Notaro, executive director of Futures in Education, said Owens brings a lot to the table.
“He is enthusiastic about it, and he is unapologetic about sharing with others the mission of Futures. His enthusiasm is contagious,” he added. “He is an enormous advocate for our work, and he has been doing it for more than two decades.”
Futures in Education, which held its annual Scholarship Fund Dinner on April 28 at Cipriani Wall Street, provides help to students and families in several ways. Among its endeavors is the Angels Program, which allows individual donors to subsidize a student’s school tuition.
Owens is a proud product of Catholic schools in the diocese. He attended St. Teresa of Avila School in Crown Heights from kindergarten through fourth grade, then transferred to St. Mary Magdalene, where he graduated in 1972. He also attended Catholic high school at St. Pascal Baylon in St. Albans. All three of the schools he attended have since closed.
Owens earned a B.A. from Long Island University, an executive M.B.A. from Fairleigh Dickinson University, and attended the Executive Management Program at Harvard University.
He went on to spend decades as a successful banker, working in management positions at several banks, including Deutsche Bank, Citibank, JP Morgan, and Wells Fargo.
RELATED: Slain Security Guard’s Son Gets Catholic Scholarship Through Futures in Education
Owens attributed his success to two things.
“It is about being passionate about what you do. And it is also about being a good listener,” he explained. “I had a knack for wanting to listen and observe and to understand and to never repeat mistakes people made.”
But he also appreciates the foundation his Catholic education gave him. And he has fond memories of one teacher he had at St. Mary Magdalene, Mrs. Maloney.
“If it were not for Mrs. Maloney, Lester Owens wouldn’t be where he is today, because what she taught me was structure,” he explained. “She taught me about caring and working together. She taught me about God and faith, and how all those things intertwine.
“I’m grateful for everything Catholic schools gave me.”