PA R E N T I M PA C T
How Tabor Reaffirmed One Family’s Conviction in the Power of Education In 2021, many high school seniors suffered a lost year. The
body,” Warren says. “He had a group of five or six friends
pandemic wrought changes that stunted the educational,
who were so supportive of each other. I admired it. I never
athletic, and social-emotional growth of students across the
had that when I was his age. But these boys really had each
country. For Warren and Kathy Skillman P’21, whose son
other’s backs, and I think that speaks to the quality of the
Nic graduated from Tabor last June, they couldn’t feel more
student body that Tabor brings in.”
fortunate for their family’s experience, despite all these challenges.
Kathy echoes this sentiment when describing how Nic and several friends were inducted into the Cum Laude Society.
“When I talked to friends who had kids in the public school
“There was a group of them and I think they had talked
and some of the other private schools, they were just tearing
about it amongst themselves. There was competition, which
their hair out,” Kathy says. “And Nic’s schedule continued
often gets a bad rap, but it was healthy. They spurred and
with some regularity.”
supported each other’s success.”
During Commencement Weekend, the Skillmans swelled
Shortly after commencement, the Skillmans contacted
with pride and gratitude as they marveled at their son’s
Tabor’s Advancement Office to pledge a generous gift that
growth and the individuals who fostered it.
honors the school’s transformative power.
about where Nic was “ Thinking when he came into Tabor compared to where he ended up when he left—it was transformational. Year over year was just a cumulatively positive experience.
”
– Warren Skillman
As the Skillmans reflected on what fueled this transformation, their thoughts centered on Nic’s teachers and peers. The importance of his advisor, Matt Voci, loomed large. “Our very first meeting was one of the best parent-teacher conferences I’ve ever had because he really understood
“We’re both first generation college graduates and very much believe in paying back and paying it forward,” says Kathy. “Our schools are at the top of the list for what we give to because education has been such a big part of our lives in getting us to where we are now.” Warren adds, “Tabor doesn’t have a huge endowment relative to some other big private schools which we think they’re every bit as good as, so we wanted to support that as well.” “We just wanted to say thank you,” Kathy says. “When you’re a parent and you see your kid is happy at school, that’s really all you want because everything else will follow. And at Tabor, he was very happy and supported.”
my son,” Kathy says. He met the kids where they were and didn’t cookie-cut his interactions.” They were also appreciative of English teacher Christopher White who ignited Nic’s passion for mountain biking. “He had always wanted to be good at something athletically,” Warren says. “He was frustrated for a long time but then he fell in love with biking. When that happened, it transformed his confidence. Tabor was there to take that and mold him and project him forward.” “The other integral component to his success at Tabor was the student
10 ANNUAL REPORT on Giving | 2020-2021
Warren, Kathy & NIC SKILLMAN '21
