A Legacy of Strength and Grace Leveling the Playing Field

Celebrating a legacy of strength and grace was at the heart of Tad and Nancy Jeffrey’s decision to give an incredible $2.5 million gift to Columbus School for Girls in support of tuition assistance and the endowment. This gift will invest in the longevity of our exceptional school and ensure that every student who could flourish and thrive at CSG has the opportunity to do so.

Tad and Nancy Jeffrey were beloved members of our community who dedicated countless hours to the betterment of CSG. Nancy led our school through her service as Board Chair and as co-founder of CSG’s Jubilee fundraisers. Tad was a Board member and devoted volunteer; he helped to create CSG’s first endowment policy and stewarded the endowment throughout his life, offering years of counsel and guidance to ensure the strength and longevity of CSG’s fiscal foundation. Their guidance has shaped CSG into the premier institution it is today.

Anne Jeffrey Wright ’70 says of her parents, “I think they would tell you, if they were here today, that they watched what CSG did for my sisters—Sally Jeffrey O’Neil ’72 and Betsy Jeffrey Balderston ’75—and me and wanted to do everything in their power to ensure that CSG would exist for daughters forever.”

The Wagenbrenner and Alexander families understand the importance of providing our student-athletes with premier facilities so that they can compete at the highest levels. Leah and Mark Wagenbrenner, parents of Maggie ’17, Katie ’19, and Annie ’23, teamed up with Cecily and Brett Alexander, parents of Brooke ’20, Cynthia ’22, and Sarah ’24, to invest in building CSG’s first state-of-the-art turf field. Together with an anonymous donor, they led the fundraising effort to rally community members to join them and make an investment to fund the turf.

“We needed to level the playing field so our girls could focus on their skills rather than worry if they’d slip in the mud or get rained out of the next practice. Our student-athletes deserve the best, and they needed a turf field to be the best,” say Leah and Mark Wagenbrenner.

On September 24, 2022, Columbus School for Girls celebrated the completion of the turf field with a dedication event at Kirk Campus, a tailgate celebration, and an opportunity for the community to cheer on the CSG Unicorns in varsity-level field hockey and soccer games.

“This field is critical for a number of reasons. In particular, it enables our girls to develop their skills to their fullest potential in sports where turf is especially important, such as field hockey,” says Cecily Alexander. “We need to continue to invest in all aspects of the girls’ development, both in and out of the classroom, and we were glad we could help CSG meet this important need,” Brett added.