3 minute read
Building Bridges to the Future
Building Bridges to the Future
By Jennifer Wu ’00, Director of Community Relations
Throughout our school’s history, philanthropy has been the bridge that connects our past to our present and future. When our Founders envisioned starting a new school in the basement of a church, they couldn’t foresee all the innovation that would take place in our facilities. Yet they built the foundation for a future of which we are the beneficiaries of today.
Since then, donors have followed in their footsteps, supporting the school through remodels, renovations, campaigns and challenges, and enabling us to inspire students in their educational journey. And as we celebrated the close of our Inspiring Greatness campaign at the 2023 Licence to Give Gala in April, we were reminded of their generosity.
Our gala Presenting Sponsors, The Fabrizi Family | Advance Marble & Granite, continued this legacy of support in the future of HTS. “We were inspired to give because the school, and Helen in particular, took a chance on our son Jase ’23 by welcoming him as a Grade 12 student,” says Renato Fabrizi. The Fabrizi’s credit HTS’s innovative and personalized learning environment with empowering Jase, Laura ’26 and Vienna ’30 to take risks and develop self-confidence. The message they share with their kids is one that speaks to any HTS student: “Find your own way, don’t follow someone else’s.”
Current students Madison Choe ’25 and Sophia Balgione ’25 were a highlight of the evening—showcasing our Fashion Forward programme alongside a custom dress made for Ms. Raso using state-ofthe-art equipment, thanks to the generosity of our donors. “It was a process that was full of many challenges, one of which was to incorporate butterflies into our design to reflect our transformational journey,” says Sophia. Madison explains that “being able to bring my designs to life was thrilling and is an experience every student should be able to have. The beauty of HTS’ environment is that it allows you to reach your potential, beyond what you thought you could do.”
Bringing the moment full circle, we auctioned a Fashion Forward bespoke design and dress experience package which was purchased by Andrea DeGasperis-Ronco ’00—now a current parent at HTS. “I was so thrilled to be able to support these inspiring students while supporting HTS,” said Andrea. “The school had an amazing impact in my own life and, as alumni ourselves, it fills Michael Ronco ’99 and I with pride to be able to ensure that our kids and other students can benefit from an innovative HTS education.”
The Gala was an amazing opportunity for our community to celebrate the accomplishments of the past and all that lies ahead. Generous donors have enabled us to let our imaginations soar, so all that’s left to do now is the work of learning and leading in our community. What impact will our students have? What innovations will come from conversations in our halls? What lifelong bonds will be forged in our bright community spaces? At HTS, our learners, educators and entire community are invigorated by the opportunity to boldly imagine the possibilities ahead.
Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage.
