Enduring Gratitude

Enduring Gratitude Comes to Life at the Maria Hotchkiss Dinner

BY JULIA ELLIOTT

“I GIVE TO HOTCHKISS because Hotchkiss was a gift to me,” says John Khoury ’95, speaking in a video played for attendees at this year’s Maria Hotchkiss Dinner, “and to the extent I can play any role in providing that gift to others, I want to do so.”

Khoury, who named his investment firm Long Pond Capital after the pond at Hotchkiss, gives back to the School by volunteering as president of The Hotchkiss Fund, by giving regularly to the Fund, and through the endowed scholarship he set up in honor of his father, the Charles Khoury Scholarship. “He was a first-generation immigrant to Canada,” Khoury says. “He really valued the education that I [received at] Hotchkiss. I endowed a scholarship in his name to provide that same opportunity, hopefully, to other people.”

For the 158 attendees who gathered this past April in New York City, the evening was a success from the start. It was the first time in two years that major donors, trustees, administrators, and faculty had been able to attend the event in person. “We were thrilled to be together again,” says former trustee Vicky Rogers ’79, P’07 who enjoyed the opportunity to catch up with others face-to-face. “People were happy and proud to be there.”

The Maria Hotchkiss Dinner is the School’s preeminent annual gathering to celebrate its most generous donors. This year’s theme of “Enduring Gratitude” echoed throughout the night. In speeches, presentations, and conversations, attendees were reminded of the School’s immense appreciation for Hotchkiss’s generous donors, the thankfulness of Hotchkiss students who

“I give to Hotchkiss because Hotchkiss was a gift to me.”

—JOHN KHOURY ’95

receive financial aid, and the gratitude that motivates many alumni and parents to give back to the School. Chloe Field ’11, another dinner attendee, gives back to the School through a scholarship fund. Field’s generosity was motivated by the phenomenal friends she made at Hotchkiss and the ways in which they broadened her perspective on the world—especially her classmate, Petr Placek ’11. Placek was a hockey player who chose Hotchkiss because it allowed him to play high-level athletics while also pursuing a rigorous education. That combination was not available in his native Czech Republic and would have been out of his family’s reach without financial aid. In his honor, Field created the Petr Placek Scholarship.

“The ability to give back and possibly open that door for other students who are incredibly deserving is very important to me and something I was really excited to do,” says Field. “I give to Hotchkiss because Hotchkiss gave me so much.”

“Chloe’s gift was the largest tenth reunion gift on record,” says John S. Reed Jr. ’81, P’12,’14,’18, senior advisor, principal gifts. “That alone to me was moving. And I was also inspired by how sincere, humble, and genuinely grateful both she and John Khoury were about their gifts to Hotchkiss.”

Rich Bernstein ’64, P’92, who was not able to attend the dinner but delivered a video address, is similarly motivated by a desire to pass along to others the generosity given to him at Hotchkiss. Bernstein hopes to extend to future Hotchkiss students the chance to be instructed by expert teachers such as those who taught him and

“The abilty to give back and possibly open that door for other students who are incredibly deserving is very important to me and something I was really excited to do.”

—CHLOE FIELD ’11

his son Adam Bernstein ’92 (now the obituary editor at The Washington Post) to think deeply and critically and to write well. Rich Benstein gives back to Hotchkiss through the Bernstein Family Master Teaching Fund, which supports faculty development, fosters students’ critical thinking, and creates engaging learning environments. “For me, faculty development is critical,” says Bernstein, who serves on the faculty of Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. “That’s how you encourage and help develop students—[when faculty] learn from each other and have the resources to encourage their own development.”

“Rich is a wonderful man,” says John Weber, leadership giving officer. “He is always enthusiastic and genuinely interested in helping Hotchkiss attract and maintain the highest quality of teaching. What’s so special is that the Bernstein Family Master Teaching Fund is endowed in perpetuity.” For Vicky Rogers, the highlight of the Maria Hotchkiss Dinner was Head of School Craig Bradley’s remarks, during which he shared the stories of several students who have benefited from financial aid. “Students are what the school is all about,” says Rogers, “and it’s very meaningful to hear the impact of the gift of financial aid, how Hotchkiss is changing students’ lives and the opportunities they wouldn’t have had otherwise.”

One student Bradley profiled, Emily Bukowski ’22, said she was grateful for the teachers and her coaches in her life who genuinely root for her success. Richie Mamam Nbiba ’23, who served as head of BaHSA (the Black and Hispanic Student Alliance), co-president of the upper-mid class, and is co-president of the School this year, was quoted as saying that she is grateful to Hotchkiss for helping her find the power of her voice. Billy Meneses ’22, who came to Hotchkiss thanks to New Jersey Seeds, an organization that assists lower-income students in gaining access to excellent secondary-school opportunities, was quoted by Bradley as being most appreciative of Hotchkiss’s warm, joyful, and open community. Mitchell Riley V ’22, who will be attending the Naval Academy in the fall of 2022, said that coming to Hotchkiss was simply the greatest opportunity of his life.

Elie Smith Déu ’89 knows firsthand the power of a Hotchkiss education. “My Hotchkiss experience was positively transformative,” she says. “It had an incredible impact on my life and my decision to go into education.” Déu, who is now head of school at Williamsburg Northside School, a K-8 grade independent school in Brooklyn, attended Hotchkiss on financial aid. She believes that access and affordability are critical for all students and has made financial aid giving her priority. “My time at Hotchkiss allowed me to realize that I could step into spaces that I hadn’t even envisioned for myself,” she says. “I want to ensure that others have that same opportunity.” “I, too, feel a deep sense of gratitude,” Bradley stated in his closing remarks. “I am grateful to be together in person for the first time since 2019. I am grateful for your fellowship and good company. Most of all, I am grateful for your enduring support of Hotchkiss.” H

“For me, faculty development is critical. That’s how you encourage and help develop students.”

—RICH BERNSTEIN ’64, P’92

Since 2016, the Bernstein Family Master Teaching Fund has supported 11 Hotchkiss faculty members, granting them the opportunity to attend conferences and conduct research across the country and internationally. “It’s been very gratifying for me to see that,” says Bernstein. He also funds the MacLeish Scholars Program, now in its second year, through which students engage in archival research, creative writing, and bookmaking that encourages scholarship, creativity, and hands-on learning (see p. 15).

“My time at Hotchkiss allowed me to realize that I could step into spaces that I hadn’t even envisioned for myself. I want to ensure that others have that same opportunity.”

—ELIE SMITH DÉU ’89

MEET THE ALUMNI in this video by hovering your phone’s camera over this QR code.