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Celebrating Our Benefactors

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Postscripts 2022

Postscripts 2022

Members of the Class of 1966

Mayfield community goes all in for ’A Night in Monte Carlo’

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Celebrating the Class of 1966

This year’s benefit was a brilliant night of togetherness for our Mayfield community, with scrumptious food, silent and live auctions, music, dancing—and some Monte Carlo-style gambling, of course! The evening also fêted a unique honoree: the entire Class of 1966. This inimitable group of graduates has led the way in supporting our Holy Child Financial Assistance program, winning a record eight awards for the highest amount raised as well as an unmatched 15 awards for the highest class participation. In a moving speech, Head of School Kate Morin celebrated the virtues of this tightknit class, quoting from a letter published in their senior yearbook that described Mayfield as “a community of learning”:

But what is a community of learning?

People coming together for the same purpose, going about it in different ways.

Finding a creative newness based in meaningful traditions. Realizing the goal is not success but honest searching. The words seem as relevant now as they were when they were written 55 years ago. Thank you once again, Class of 1966, for your commitment to living with “Actions Not Words.” We also share extra appreciation for event co-chairs Kerry Franco and Kim Perry for creating such a magical night in Monte Carlo to support our financial assistance program.

Celebrating our Benefactors

Head’s Circle Dinner

On Sunday, Oct. 24, 2021, Kate and Skip Morin welcomed Head’s Circle donors ($10,000+) to their home for a beautiful backyard celebration. This annual event brings leadership donors together to relax and chat in a casual environment—and enjoy Kate’s homemade cupcakes! It’s also an opportunity for Kate to outline what’s on the horizon for Mayfield while extending her gratitude to those people who have shared their philanthropic spirit in service of our beloved school.

Meet Mayfield’s new Director of Development: Lisa Vandergriff

A SoCal native with deep Pasadena ties

When Lisa Montes Vandergriff moved to Pasadena 25 years ago, she quickly became involved in local nonprofits, volunteering at her daughters’ elementary schools, Chandler and St. Philip the Apostle, as well as at organizations like Kidspace Children’s Museum and Foothill Family Service. This hands-on outreach—and her degree in communications—led to a job as the founding Schools and Community Editor for Outlook Newspapers, where she became immersed in the local nonprofit and educational communities. A natural networker who thrives on connecting people, Lisa segued into fundraising and stewardship roles at Caltech and Westridge School for Girls, where she has spent the last eight years as Alumnae Director. She is excited to continue working to support all-girls education, and looks forward to renewing and expanding her ties in the Mayfield Senior School community. Originally from Agoura Hills, Lisa is a graduate of Calabasas High School and Cal State University, Northridge.

How did you first learn about Mayfield?

I moved to Pasadena 25 years ago, and I was a bit overwhelmed by how many private schools there were. I’d say the real depth of knowledge with the schools came about through my time at the Outlook newspaper [where] I was editing the content for nonprofits and schools. I came to know Mayfield through the news that was coming in, from events to sports, and just really finding out the personality of the school. I was always impressed by Mayfield students and graduates. I think the best thing about actually working in the environment of all-girls schools is that you see the value of single-sex education and you see the product of your good work. I’m a strong proponent of women and education—I think it is so important. When you’re shaping young women at such a crucial age and putting all of your energy into that, that is something special.

What excites you about being part of a faith-based community?

I was raised Catholic, and my kids were baptized at and went to St. Philip’s. I actually like the fact that faith is part of the education and part of the school’s vision at Mayfield. I find that helps create a whole individual as far as values and the development of a child. I was really happy when [my two daughters] were getting full-time religious education at St. Philip’s rather than just through a side class, like the CCD [catechism program]. I am the product of CCD! But when faith is part of the daily experience, I think those values get ingrained more naturally.

What brought you to development work initially, and what inspires you about it?

After working in TV production and then having kids, my reentry into the workforce came through volunteering, and I parlayed that into development work. I always loved events, and loved to plan a party, so to fundraise in that manner seemed natural. I liked to be able to bring my writing skills to the table. I’m also a natural connector, and networking is one of my favorite parts of that. I think development combines all of those things. I think the key for me is you really have to be behind the organization that you’re fundraising for. I’ve worked at different nonprofits, Foothill Family being one example, supporting women and children and getting them out of domestic violence situations. You have to believe in the mission, and I think it’s a gift to be able to work hard towards something that is meaningful to you. I wholeheartedly believe in girls’ education, and to be able to get behind that is just so exciting.

As you start in this position at Mayfield, what are you looking forward to taking on?

I think there are so many great people and connections within this community. And I feel like I’ve just only dipped a toe in. I am looking forward to strengthening or renewing ties for people who maybe haven’t had reason to stay connected. I think there’s so many great things on the horizon for Mayfield. You obviously just completed this wonderful renovation of Strub Hall. I’d love to welcome people back to see that, to take pride in that. Also, with the 75th anniversary [of the school’s Bellefontaine campus] coming up, I think there’s so much to celebrate, so much history. And there’s going to be a new Head of School soon, and I think that’s a new opportunity to reengage with the community. Those are really great opportunities on their own, but when you combine all those together, it’s really powerful. So I just think there’s a lot of really exciting growth opportunities, and I’m excited to be part of that growth, and help grow the network between current parents, past parents, alums and grandparents. I’m just really excited about all the things that are to come!

Legacy gifts secure our future

Myra Johnson ’51 1933-2021

Myra Johnson ’51 was born in Los Angeles and raised in Pasadena. Myra grew up in a devout Catholic family that attended St. Andrew parish, and as a student at Mayfield, Myra participated in the French club, played basketball and volleyball, and performed in school theater productions. She was also a student journalist, and as co-editor of the first Crossroads yearbook, she dedicated the inaugural edition to Dr. Charles and Vera Strub, the donors of the estate that became the Mayfield Senior School campus in 1950. She was also a member of the Sodality of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Myra went on to receive her bachelor’s degree at Stanford University and devoted her professional years to Bank of America, where she worked as an executive secretary for 44 years.

Although Myra didn’t have children, she was an influential figure in her family, especially to her two nephews, Frank and William Johnson. William continues to express his gratitude for Myra’s generosity in helping finance his high school years at La Salle and getting him a job at Bank of America, where he, like his aunt, worked until retirement. Going through her old pictures, Frank noted how elegant and welltraveled their aunt was. Even later in life, Myra continued to enjoy concerts and singing. At the time of her passing at the age of 87, Myra divided her estate among her devoted nephews, her longtime church, St. Andrew, and her beloved Mayfield Senior School. It seems only fitting that, as a member of the first class to graduate at the Bellefontaine campus, Myra will be forever remembered as one of the influential donors whose generosity directly supported the restoration of Strub Hall.

Jacquelyn “Jackie” Brown Kivley ’47 started her Catholic education at Holy Family School and continued at Mayfield Senior School. Although Jackie’s family moved to Merced her junior year, her love of Mayfield was so strong that a classmate’s family generously opened their home to Jackie so she could graduate from Mayfield. Upon her return, Jackie was promptly named Senior Class President! She was also active in sports, served as the business manager for the Crier newspaper and Crossroads yearbook, and was a member of the Sodality of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Jackie briefly worked at Mayfield after her graduation, and when she returned to Merced, she met the man who became her husband, Robert Kivley. Together they raised five children and enjoyed spending time with their five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Jackie made it clear to those close to her that Mayfield nurtured her faith as well as a lifelong commitment to service. She helped support St. Vincent de Paul Society, Hinds Hospice and Catholic Women and Friends. Jackie began her philanthropy for Mayfield in the 1980s, directing her donations to the scholarship program, which she had benefited from as a student. Jackie never missed a year, and was proud to be a leadership donor. When she eventually became a member of the Bellefontaine Society, it was only fitting that she would direct her bequest in support of the Holy Child Financial Assistance Fund. It was always Jackie’s ardent hope that young women would continue to benefit from Mayfield in the many ways she did, and now her generosity ensures that today’s students are able to pursue their education, explore their faith and nurture their friendships in a way that would have made Jackie proud.

Jacquelyn “Jackie” Brown Kivley ’47 1929-2022

My Legacy, My Gift

Myra, Jackie and Peggy joined the Bellefontaine Society when they included Mayfield Senior School in their estate plans—a decision that will help Mayfield’s educational mission to endure. You can bequeath a percentage or residue of your estate, a specific dollar amount, or make gifts of life insurance, retirement funds, and other deferred gifts. To learn more about the advantages of making charitable bequests to Mayfield, please contact Angela Howell ’76, Associate Head of School for Strategic Initiatives, at (626) 204-1006 or angela.howell@mayfieldsenior.org.

OUR LEGAL TITLE IS: MAYFIELD SENIOR SCHOOL OF THE HOLY CHILD JESUS

Peggy Smith ’72: ‘Actions not words’ as a family value

Peggy Smith ’72 formed a deep understanding of the “Actions Not Words” motto long before she attended Mayfield, saying her sense of service is “deeply rooted in family values.” In Youngstown, Ohio, her grandmother would make lunches for families in need, discreetly doling them out at the back door of her house. Years later, Peggy’s mother helped lead the effort to reopen the church thrift shop at the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Pasadena. And, although Peggy encountered challenges in her teen years, she remembers Mayfield as “an oasis,” and hopes to share that gift. “I want other young women to find at Mayfield a safe, nurturing, fun, academically rigorous and spiritually fulfilling and challenging place to learn and grow.” Peggy adds, “Mayfield’s values, particularly caring about the community, have informed my career choices and volunteerism to this day.” Peggy has worked with organizations including Asociación Nacional Pro Personas Mayores, Goodwill Southern California and Cancer Support Community Pasadena, and she sees how Mayfield prepared her goddaughter, Claire Magula ’10, for a life of service, too—Claire now works for a large nonprofit affordable-housing developer in Seattle, Wash.

“Young women today face challenges that…we didn’t know,” says Peggy, but she strongly believes that “Mayfield will equip them for life in the 2020s and beyond.” Peggy has always believed in charitable estate giving—she was part of the Planned Giving Committee when the Bellefontaine Society launched at Mayfield—and was happy to formalize her planned gift intentions during our Strub Hall: Century 2 Campaign. “Joining the Bellefontaine Society was easy!” says Peggy, and she wants to encourage other alums and community members to consider giving back in this way. “We have many options for

Peggy is wearing the cross created by the monks at St. Andrew’s Abbey that was gifted to her class for their graduation ceremony.

remembering Mayfield in our will or trust.” Peggy’s estate plans are a founding contribution toward Mayfield’s campaign fundraising initiative to secure $7.5 million in unrestricted bequest pledges by 2025.

And, this fall, Peggy is looking forward to celebrating her 50th reunion in the newly renovated Strub Hall. She made remarkable connections at 500 Bellefontaine with the other amazing women who make up the Class of 1972 and knows their shared Mayfield education is an unbreakable bond—and definitely something to celebrate!

PUT YOUR IRA TO WORK FOR MAYFIELD

Your generous gifts are vital to maintaining a healthy annual fund for today’s Mayfield students and essential to growing our endowment to ensure that our Catholic, Holy Child mission endures for generations to come. Do you have a traditional IRA account? If you are 70½ or older, you may make a tax-free contribution of up to $100,000 from your IRA directly to Mayfield Senior School. While you cannot claim a charitable deduction for IRA gifts to charity, it does reduce your taxable income because the amount of the transfer is not included as part of your taxable income. Also, IRA gifts to charity can be used to fulfill your required minimum distribution (RMD). To complete an IRA Charitable Rollover, please contact your IRA Administrator for their instructions.

Since IRA required minimum distributions continue in 2022, you might consider a gift of some or all of those funds to Mayfield Senior

School to lower your taxes. If this strategy makes sense for you or you have further questions, please feel free to contact Angela M. Howell ’76, Associate Head of School for Strategic Initiatives at angela. howell@mayfieldsenior.org or (626) 204-1006, or consult with your accountant or financial advisor. “I am so pleased to be able to support the Holy Child Financial Assistance program with contributions from my IRA. This year, I also decided to use some of my required minimum distribution to help expand Mayfield's financial literacy curriculum—it’s such an inspiring and important program!”

— ANNE KORTLANDER ’66

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