# Jane Stephenson, founder of the New Opportunity School for Women, dies at 88  
**Published:** 2026-05-07T14:33:47.000Z  
**Source:** [Kentucky Lantern](https://kentuckylantern.com/2026/05/07/jane-stephenson-founder-of-the-new-opportunity-school-for-women-dies-at-88/)  
**Republished from:** [Kentucky Lantern](https://kentuckylantern.com/2026/05/07/jane-stephenson-founder-of-the-new-opportunity-school-for-women-dies-at-88/) (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)  
**Canonical:** https://kentuckylantern.com/2026/05/07/jane-stephenson-founder-of-the-new-opportunity-school-for-women-dies-at-88/

By Lantern staff, [Kentucky Lantern](https://kentuckylantern.com) · May 7, 2026

![](https://kentuckylantern.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/690140063_10241704232647317_6615191953178678754__fitted-1024x576.jpeg) (Jane Stephenson, founder of the New Opportunity School for Women (photo provided))

Jane Stephenson, founder of the New Opportunity School for Women and the longtime First Lady of Berea College, died on May 2, 2026 after a brief illness, according to her family. She was 88.

Stephenson was born in North Carolina in 1938. She attended Lees McCrae College and Appalachian State University for a degree in business and received a master’s degree from UNC Greensboro, [according to her obituary.](https://www.lakesfuneralhome.com/obituaries/Jane-B-Stephenson?obId=48296663&fbclid=IwY2xjawRperxleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFZa2xVaUJEdUtOajdaQTJUc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHoXD7e3U8qWJ1MTmFCwfgKwvSXXZehx8cfx17SZc-J-ZPHtRcwb3pm4cr44y_aem_vjyQwuDwVKnLkTjYtcr_qA)

Stephenson moved to Lexington in 1966 with her husband, John, and later to Berea in 1984 when John Stephenson became the president of Berea College.

In 1986, she created the New Opportunity School for Women, which brought Appalachian women to Berea’s campus for programs to help them enter college and the workforce. The program grew to sites in four other states, as Stephenson created the NOSW Foundation.

Her obituary noted that “one of her proudest moments” was winning Oprah’s Angel “Use Your Life” Award from Oprah Winfrey, which granted the NOSW $100,000 in 2003. Stephenson also received the AARP “Create the Good Award,” the Kentucky Governor’s Lifetime Achievement Award, the Martha Layne Collins Leadership Award, and numerous others. She was also featured in People Magazine and appeared on The John Walsh Show.

Stephenson also wrote several books, including “Courageous Paths: The Stories of Nine Appalachian Women”; “Dear to My Heart: The Story of the New Opportunity School for Women”; “I am Not a Nobody”; and “Changing Lives in Appalachia.”

She also served as Appalachian Director of The Steele-Reese Foundation from 1997 to 2007, continuing her commitment to the Appalachian region.

She is survived by three children and three grandchildren. Her celebration of life service will be at Maxwell Street Presbyterian Church in Lexington, on June 27, 2026. Visitation will start at 9:30 am. The service will be at 11:00 am, and a reception at noon. The service will be streamed through the Maxwell Street Presbyterian Church website. Memorial donations can be made to the Jane B.Stephenson Memorial Fund at the NOSW Foundation, PO Box 273, Berea, KY 40403. Checks can be made payable to the NOSW Foundation.

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## Sources

- [Kentucky Lantern](https://kentuckylantern.com/2026/05/07/jane-stephenson-founder-of-the-new-opportunity-school-for-women-dies-at-88/)