With True Courage: Summer 2023

COMMITMENT TO GOVS

Jim ’72 and Polly Pierce P’08 honor Dr. Laurie Quimby’s P’14 selflessness and kindness.

In the summer of 2021, Board of Trustees President Jim Pierce ’72, P’08 began conversations with Head of School Dr. Peter H. Quimby ’85, P’14 about a long-term extension to his contract. “In those conversations, I was reminded of the central role that the head of school’s spouse plays at Govs—how much they give of themselves and how much joy they get from it,” shared Jim. He realized that not only was Peter making a commitment to Governor’s for the next 10 years, but Dr. Laurie Quimby P’14 was making the same commitment.

This got Jim and his wife, Polly, thinking about the most meaningful way for them to deepen their investment in the With True Courage campaign. They decided to honor Laurie’s example by endowing the Dr. Laura Zug Quimby P’08 Scholarship Fund to support the full tuition of one Governor’s student in perpetuity, with preference for a student with demonstrated need from Maine, a place that is dear to the Pierces and the Quimbys.

“I’ve never had a feeling like this before; this was so perfect from so many points of view—a deserving person and a strategically important area of need. It checked every box for me,” said Pierce.

“Inspired by the humanity of Dr. Laurie, as she is affectionately called by Govs students. Her generosity of time and heart in welcoming students into Mansion House each weekend and guiding them with commitment and kindness through their time at the Academy is part of the fabric of our school.”

– DESCRIPTION OF THE

DR. LAURA ZUG QUIMBY P’14 ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP FUND

When surprising Laurie with the news of the gift at a recent board dinner, Pierce said, “For the rest of your time in Byfield, Laurie, there will always be a student at the Academy that has this special kinship with you—and then for the rest of your life, there will always be a student connected to you, too.”

By leveraging the Bass Challenge, the Pierces increased the impact of their gift by 50%.

Jim Pierce ’72, P’08, Dr. Laurie Quimby P’14, and Polly Pierce P’08

BY THE NUMBERS

$94 million

Raised to date

Endowment for Financial Aid

Creating Lasting Value

Through With True Courage, we aim to endow significantly more of our annual student financial aid budget. Since the start of the campaign, we have raised over $19 million in endowment for financial aid.

$100M

53 Number of endowed scholarship funds of $100,000 or more at Govs

The With True Courage campaign continues in its final year, primed for success with a collective push. The campaign stands at over 94% of its $100 million goal.

CAMPAIGN CO-CHAIRS

Stephanie Gardner Ginsberg ’85, P’20 and Stephen G. Kasnet ’62, P’95

12 15

New endowed scholarship funds established during With True Courage Endowed scholarship funds increased during With True Courage

26 Other endowed scholarship funds

The Bass Challenge

30% Nearly 1 in 3 enrolled students receive financial aid

$47,400 Size of our average annual grant

Through the Bass Challenge, donors have had an opportunity to make a generational impact for our community.

donors have bolstered their endowed scholarship fund gifts through the Bass Challenge. 25

Numbers as of June 2023

Gifts of any size count toward our campaign success. If you wish to be in touch about the newsletter or the campaign, please contact Director of Advancement Leslie Dickey at 978.499.3174 or ldickey@govsacademy.org.

CHAMPIONING DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION

Phil Gillespie and Dr. Daniel Randall P’22,’25 establish the first endowed fund for DEI.

Gillespie stressed the significance of advancing the Academy’s commitment to this work: “The school has a great and storied history, but it has largely been one of privilege; we can do more and be better,” he said. Gillespie and Randall stress the urgent need to sponsor more events and speakers to further educate our community.

Trustee Phil Gillespie and Dr. Daniel Randall P’22,’25 have made an extraordinary contribution to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) at Governor’s by establishing the first endowed fund in support of DEI work at Govs. With a vision encompassing the entire Govs family, Gillespie and Randall aim to involve teachers, staff, students, and parents. “Together, we can think creatively and share a community growth

mindset on how to move us all forward to create a robustly diverse and inclusive community,” said Gillespie.

Gillespie and Randall’s generous support is largely inspired by their personal experiences as parents in a diverse family and their unwavering belief in the importance of equity and inclusion. While serving on the Governor’s Board of Trustees DEI Committee,

Gillespie and Randall have a legacy of supporting all areas of school life, contributing generously to initiatives such as the renovation of the Peter Marshall French Student Center and The Governor’s Fund. They credit the warm and familial atmosphere at Govs and the crucial role teachers played in their daughter’s growth: “Our eldest daughter is a different kid after Govs. Her worldview is broader, and she’s a stronger person,” said Gillespie. He added, “If I’d been able to go to a school like Govs, it would have been a game changer for me. The faculty at Govs truly love the kids, and it shows.”

“Kids today are more interested and open minded, and we can learn from them and perhaps inspire alumni and other parents to support this fund too.”

– PHIL GILLESPIE, P’22,’25

TAKING THE LEAD

Students

Entertainment industry veteran David Brooks P’23 has worked on iconic projects like Squid Game, Ozark, and Good Will Hunting. But for his latest project—an experiential course called ‘The Art of Persuasion’—the crew he directed was a group of 16 Govs seniors who swapped textbooks for a chance to create the marketing plan for the Governor’s art department and its spring 2023 lineup.

“I really wanted students to understand how an overall campaign is put together and the extensive thought, research, and intentionality behind every tactic implemented,” Brooks says of his idea for the course. “They gained hands-on technical experience, but also learned how to manage deadlines, communicate, be accountable—and maybe even discovered a new skill they didn’t realize they had.”

Brooks leveraged over 30 years of experience to create an entertain mentindustry culture in the classroom. The first assignment was an overall brand campaign to announce and promote the spring arts lineup, with

create an arts marketing campaign under the guidance of an industry veteran.

David Brooks P’23

students getting a taste of areas like design, editing, photography and videography, public relations (PR), social media, and project management.

When it came time to build and launch campaigns for each of the ten spring arts events in theater, music, visual arts, and dance, students applied for specific roles. Patrick Manswell ’23 led one of the PR teams; their press release for the Govs arts series was published in the Newburyport Daily News.

“Each person used their talents to contribute to the success of the project,” recalls Manswell, who plans to study marketing at Trinity College. “We worked collaboratively and it was great to see everyone’s strengths and skills come together.”

And Manswell found another unexpected lesson. “Mr. Brooks’s style of teaching gave us a lot of freedom to take the lead in our projects. It helped me gain confidence and develop my leadership skills. I definitely preferred working on a real project because it gave me a chance to apply what I learned.”

Brooks first pitched “The Art of Persuasion” to Academic Dean Karen Gold P’11,’17 and says, “She was a champion of the idea from the start.”

It’s no surprise, given that Gold enjoys getting creative with curriculum. “I’m always thinking about the twenty-first century educational experience, what kind of real-life experiences we can give our students to apply the Seven Essential Skills—like collaboration, communication, and critical thinking—that we value at Govs.”

Though the course is a full-year English elective, Brooks is excited about the cross-disciplinary aspect. “The class touches on so many skills; it was intentionally designed to provide a dynamic mix that touches on writing, design, media, and finance in a fun, applicable, team-oriented way.”

Arts Department Chair Paul Wann P’94 was impressed as students delivered engaging content. “Their work is excellent. The whole endeavor was positive and real for the students, who had to attempt to influence the community with their communication.”

The inaugural course was so popular that next year’s offering will include athletics as well as arts. ‘The Art of Persuasion’ really energized our whole community,” Gold says. “I’m excited to see what’s next.”

“We worked collaboratively and it was great to see everyone’s strengths and skills come together.”

– PATRICK MANSWELL ’23

Govs Arts Spring 2023 lineup poster, featuring ceramicist Patrick Manswell ’23

THE POWER OF ALUMNI GIVING

Jeff Taft ’85 supports endowed financial aid to build a bright future for Govs students.

For Jeff Taft ’85, this is the moment to show his philanthropic support for the Academy. He recently contributed a gift to one of the Academy’s greatest needs: endowment for financial aid.

“Endowed financial aid is critical for Govs. With a competitive financial aid offering, the school is able to accept the best and brightest students, those who are interested, engaged, and will contribute to the community, regardless of their ability to afford tuition,” said Taft.

Taft believes in the power of alumni support and the element of responsibility to pay it forward. “It is about providing others with the opportunities we had as students. Alumni giving is the backbone of this philosophy, allowing future generations to benefit from an even better educational experience,” he explained.

Taft is invested and involved in Govs. Like many of his classmates, there is an added layer of comradery around their classmate, Head of School Dr. Peter H. Quimby ’85, P’14. “I feel it’s important to show our support for all he has accomplished as the head of school and for the extraordinary vision that he continues to provide for the school. It’s a reflection of the collective confidence that we have in his leadership and the trajectory that he has set the school on that brings us great pride as a class,” shared Taft.

As for the campaign and the historic matching gift challenge set forth by Bob ’67 and Anne Bass GP ’26, Taft says, “Without a doubt, the Bass Challenge is an unprecedented opportunity for Govs that must be embraced and I felt compelled to participate.”

Taft added “The With True Courage campaign has given everyone an opportunity to be a part of building a sustainable, bright future for the school, and I am proud to be able to do my part.”

By leveraging the Bass Challenge, Taft increased the impact of his gift by 50%.

“With a competitive financial aid offering, the school is able to accept the best and brightest students … regardless of their ability to afford tuition.”

– JEFF TAFT ’85

NURTURING INDEPENDENCE AND FOSTERING GROWTH

Govs family-like atmosphere inspires Sowjanya Velchala and Sridhar Bogelli P’23 to support The Governor’s Fund.

Sridhar Bogelli and Sowjanya Velchala P ’23 are the proud parents of recent graduate Lakshmi Bogelli ’23. They are also enthusiastic supporters of The Governor’s Fund, the Academy’s annual giving program and a cornerstone of the With True Courage campaign. Together they recognize that by supporting The Governor’s Fund, they are doing their part to support all aspects of the Govs experience, not just for Lakshmi, but for the entire student body.

Lakshmi’s time at Govs was nothing short of transformative. After coming to Govs as a day student, Lakshmi lobbied her parents to let her become a boarding student. They agreed, and were so impressed as she embraced a greater sense of independence and showed a newfound confidence to explore new opportunities and reach out of her comfort zone to find her passions in the classrooms, on the playing field, in the dorms, and as a student leader.

The diverse student body at Govs allowed Lakshmi to make friends from various backgrounds, exposing her to different cultures and perspectives. Meeting international classmates and dormmates broadened Lakshmi’s understanding of the world and enriched her global outlook. “As parents, we saw the supportive community Govs provided to Lakshmi, above and beyond the exceptional academic experience she was having,” said Bogelli and Velchala. “Seeing how much confidence she gained at school gave us confidence in Govs; we knew she was in the right place,” shared Bogelli. Velchala added, “We had heard about the ‘Govs family’ before Lakshmi came to the school, but once she arrived on campus, we fully understood what this meant and how valuable it has been for our daughter and for her classmates.”

For Bogelli and Velchala, giving to The Governor’s Fund is the best way for them to participate in the With True Courage campaign. Their support honors the qualities that define a Governor’s education and that have meant so much to them as parents—a family-like atmosphere that cultivates life-long relationships, academic excellence, and a dedicated faculty who teach and live in an environment that fosters the holistic development of young people.

Sridhar Bogelli P’23, Suma Bogelli, Lakshmi Bogelli ’23, and Sowjanya Velchala P’23 during Commencement Weekend

Jumping the wall.

Liv Hammer ’23 and Piper Moulton ’23 participate in the time-honored Commencement tradition.