GIVING BACK TO LA
Why I Give Sarah and Jeff Newton, Senior Parent Gift Co-Chairs (Chase ’14) Jeff and I were delighted to be asked to co-chair the Senior Parent Gift campaign with LeeEllen and Bob. We had known Dan Scheibe for several years before he came to LA and felt it Sarah Newton was important to support his early tenure and his vision for the school in any way that we could. As we have both been actively involved in our own alma maters, we wanted our son to see our demonstrated commitment to his school. Lawrence Academy was the perfect fit for our son; as it does so well, it met Chase where he was in ninth grade and challenged him to be his very best self. We are eternally grateful to the faculty and staff who nurtured, supported, and engaged him at LA. When I first heard about the goal to raise an unprecedented $500,000 from the senior class parents, I was overwhelmed. I was
equally astounded with the back-to-back success of the Class of 2013 and Class of 2014 Senior Parent Gifts. It speaks volumes about the commitment we all share and our ability to set bold goals for our children and their legacy at Lawrence Academy. Every single parent, regardless of means, can support LA in a way that is meaningful and powerful. Our collective participation remains a source of tremendous pride, as will the completion of the new media conferencing center, which will support the children who come after our now graduated seniors. As Dan has said so eloquently, the new building and its setting will “establish and expand our boundaries as an educational institution.” We should all be grateful that we were able to play a role in expanding those educational boundaries.
LeeEllen and Bob Jones, Senior Parent Gift Co-Chairs (Katie ’13, Charlotte ’14, Tim ’17) When Dan Scheibe asked us to co-chair the 2014 Senior Parent Gift campaign, our initial reaction was “no.” We were intimidated by the success of last year’s Senior Parent Gift and were not sure we could top it. However, after giving it some thought, we realized that it would be a great thing to be part of this Bob, Charlotte ’14, and Lee Ellen Jones year’s effort, and we had the opportunity to meet or exceed last year’s fundraising goal. We have two daughters who have now graduated from Lawrence Academy, Katie, Class of 2013, and Charlotte, Class of 2014. Both 38 I FALL 2014
of our girls had tremendous experiences at LA, and we were excited to be able to give back to the community that nurtured their success. For us, it was also appealing that the gift from the Class of 2013 would dovetail into the gift from the Class of 2014, as we were able to follow through on a gift that began with our first daughter’s class and was completed by our second daughter’s class. We are lucky to be part of classes that are so committed to LA. Lawrence Academy is a special community, and we believe the parents at LA realize its uniqueness and are more than willing to participate, whether it’s through volunteering or contributing to the Annual Fund. Dan Scheibe and the Board of Trustees have great plans for the future of Lawrence Academy, and the new media conferencing center is just the beginning. As the parents of two LA graduates, we are excited that the new facility will be a wonderful place for future generations of students at Lawrence Academy.
