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Donor Profiles
Kailey & J.R. Hand Donor Profile
The vision of the Excellence Begins with E Campaign requires collective motivation from a variety of stakeholders to bring it to fruition. We sat down with a family in our community to ask about the inspiration behind their decision to step up as leaders in supporting the capital campaign. Kailey and JR Hand are parents of Harper '31, Jackson (age 5), Beckett (age 3), & Hayes (10 months).
What do you think makes Ensworth unique? Enswor th places a n emphasis on developing the whole person. With academics as a key focus, the opportunities for developing interests in sports, the arts, and service are vast and encouraged. We believe this attention to wellroundedness helps instill confidence in students that will last a lifetime. It develops excellence in academics, extracurriculars, and philanthropy, thus making Ensworth a unique institution.
What inspired you to give to the Excellence Begins with E Capital Campaign? Our family views Ensworth as a community we intend to be part of for many, many years. We are “all-in.” While at Ensworth, we hope our four children will reach their full potential, meet various goals, and fulfill dreams. Contributing to the growth of an institution that will put these hopes into motion is essential to us as parents. Ensworth encourages a love of learning, a spirit of philanthropy, and a focus on kindness—all of which are critical components of being a well-rounded human being. We choose to give to this campaign so our children, along with all of the students at Ensworth, continue to have a facility that supports this.
How does a strong culture of philanthropy enrich the Ensworth experience? We value kindness as a family. It is important that our children grow up knowing there is a world outside of our home- a world that has needs, a world that has issues, and a world we can all help with in many ways. An academic environment that encourages a culture of philanthropy allows our children to experience opportunities for service as a natural part of their everyday lives. They are socialized to give back. It becomes innate, and for us, this might be the most critical component of life-long learning.
We would remind fellow parents that supporting the school in whatever way possible benefits t h e i r c h i l d /c h i l d r e n , b o t h emotiona l ly a nd physica l ly. Emotiona l ly, it prov ides a n opp or t u n it y for pa rent s t o demonstrate a commitment t o o n e ' s c o m m u n i t y a n d p a r t i c i p a t i o n i n r e a c h i n g common goals. Nothing feels better than “giving back,” and we have a first-hand opportunity to show our children how to do this. Physically, it provides all students and staff with a state-of-the-art educational facility. Teachers will be able to implement cutting-edge practices and support lessons/curriculum with world-class technology and resources. Investing in Ensworth allows the school to grow and evolve, constantly becoming the best it can be, and in turn, providing our children with a learning environment that will help them reach their maximum potential.
Finally, we challenge you to be “All-In.” This goes so far beyond a monetary contribution. Give your time: volunteer! Give your support: encourage your student and his/or her peers! Give your thanks: let a teacher or staff member know how much you appreciate them! Full participation, in whatever means possible, makes Ensworth a limitless institution!
Elizabeth & Gregg Gerken, Katie & Mike Haney, & Katherine Letterman Donor Profile
Left to Right: Hunter Haney '23, Katherine Letterman, Kate Haney '25, Mike Haney, William Gerken '26, Katie Haney, Elizabeth and Gregg Gerken
Katherine Letterman is mother of Elizabeth Gerken and Katie Haney. Elizabeth and Gregg Gerken are the parents of William '26, and Katie and Mike Haney are the parents of Kate '25 and Hunter '23.
What do you think makes Ensworth unique? Letterman: The continuit y of a co-educationa l program from kindergarten through 12th grade. Also, the Harkness table in the high school gives a voice to each child and encourages learning, thinking, and speaking.
Gerken: We chose Ensworth because we felt that the school had a commitment to excellence in every area, including academics, the arts, sports, and the cultivation of respect for others. The opportunity for a K-12 academic experience that builds on core skills each year was also appealing. Now that we have been here seven years, I can say with confidence that we made the right choice, and we have seen first-hand the happiness of the students at Ensworth, as the hallways are filled with students’ smiles and laughter.
Haney: We believe that life is better with rich experiences, strong friendships, opportunities to explore and learn, and a solid set of values. Ensworth reaches wide and deep to provide these things. The students are exposed to amazing ways to learn, opportunities to give back, travel, make connections with friends, sing, act in a play, be on a team, and the list goes on... What inspired you to give to the Excellence Begins with E Capital Campaign? Letterman: Education is the one thing given to a child that can never be taken away. Contributing to the Ensworth capital campaign ensures the strongest educational program in the best learning environment. Watching my grandchildren thrive at Ensworth encouraged me to contribute in order to continue the Ensworth legacy for future generations. Gerken: A s a fa mily, we have a lways believed that our commitment to community organizations, especially our school, calls for us to do more than just the minimum. Giving to the capital ca mpa ig n is a recog nition that we have benefited from the investments made by Ensworth families who have come before us, and now it’s our turn to do something to pass the Ensworth experience on to future generations. Fur thermore, our fa mily feels that investing in Ensworth means investing in the va lue of William’s education. We want to ensure that Ensworth has first-class facilities and programming and is widely known as the best choice in Nashville for primary and secondary education. Haney: We se e t he exc el lenc e at Ensworth. W hen you give, whether you give in time, effort, skill, or money, you have some sweat in the game. You become invested. You are on the team that can make a difference. We believe Ensworth is worth our time, effort, dedication and financial support. What excites you the most about the future of Ensworth? Letterman: I love the focus on an individual child so that each student can achieve his or her potential. Ensworth is not a mold into which a child is pressed; the school encourages individual passion and allows the student to explore that dream. The variety of activities and electives offer so many possibilities! development, means that the school will never be static; it will be dynamic! We also value Ensworth’s use of the Harkness table which we believe promotes understanding and respect among people with differing view points, which will be important to society in the future. Haney: We are most excited about the new science classrooms and expanded space for language learning because these resources position our children to be robustly engaged with the world they will face in the coming decades. How does a strong culture of philanthropy enrich the Ensworth experience? Letterman: Learning to give back begins in kindergarten and is built upon each year. Various grades are active in the community volunteering (Habitat for Humanity, Abe’s Garden, Harris-Hillman). Students learn to be grateful for what they have and learn the benefits of philanthropy. A grandmother has a responsibility to model that behavior! Gerken: Giv i n g generou s ly i s a reward in and of itself, but giving also inculcates additional pride in what Ensworth is achieving; giving makes us active participants in Ensworth’s progress. We hope that our giving is an example and a model for William to follow in giving back to the causes and organizations that he values. Haney: We have benef it ted from prev ious phila nthropy a nd we a re ble s s e d t o b e a ble t o c ont r ibut e currently! We hope that our children w i l l lea rn from these exa mples to continue generous philanthropy long after they leave Ensworth. What would you say to others to inspire them to embrace the vision and support the school? Letterman: An Ensworth foundation prepares a child to be intellectually curious, morally sound and an involved member of our community. Why wouldn’t anyone embrace that vision and offer their support? Gerken: It’s difficult to allocate hard-earned and scarce dollars to any initiative, but by giving, one feels more ownership in the school and in its progress—that’s a feeling that will be with us long after William has moved on to college and his career, and that is the kind of feeling that is most worth our investment. ...we have benefited from the investments made by Ensworth families who have come before us, and now it’s our turn to do something to pass the Ensworth experience on to future generations. COMMUNITY
