Opening Doors for All Campus Center), Moncrief Library, Head of School entrance, and the Upper School Science Building (on the south end by the Upper School entry). Confined to a wheelchair at the age of 7 by an accident that paralyzed him from the waist down, McHenry never let that define him. McHenry’s family was unable to care for him and placed him in Good Shepherd Lutheran Home. “Never did he ever complain or criticize or question why,” Jennifer said. “He always talked about the people in his life, how his curiosity allowed him to grow, and he never said ‘I can’t.’” For FWCD parent Jennifer Bethea and her son, Brock ’23, connection is a centerpiece of their family values. They strive to break down barriers. “We can enrich each other’s lives by being connected to people,” Jennifer said. “When we have barriers, even those that appear to be small to us, it can really cause us to lose those connections … and we all lose when that happens.” Their commitment to connection comes from an inspiring man in their lives, Ken McHenry, Jennifer’s stepfather and Brock’s grandfather. It was with him in mind that they thought of a meaningful way to foster connection at FWCD. The Bethea family made a donation to the School for the installation of eight automatic doors that are compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. Those doors were installed in the Lou and Nick Martin Campus Center (north side), the Sid W. Richardson Round Gym (main entrance near the Martin 26
THE FALCONER
Ken traveled the world to compete as an athlete in the Paralympics. He was the fastest wheelchair racer in the world at one point, as well as played tennis, basketball and ping pong. His mantra when times were tough, according to Jennifer: “‘Remember, you need to take care of each other’... and he was talking about those beyond our family; he meant all the people who cross our paths every single day in life.” Being on campus with Brock over the years, Jennifer observed occasional instances where mobility-impaired students or visitors were challenged getting around campus, unable to access areas, or needing assistance to access. “My father simply never accepted that these types of barriers should limit him; however, the barriers around us are real,” Jennifer said. “As he continued to increase his dependency on others due to his declining health, it became apparent we could help break down some of these barriers for others.
