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Message From the Assistant Head for Advancement

Message From the Assistant Head for Advancement

Message From the Assistant Head for Advancement

“There is true beauty in the constant pursuit of growth,” said Head Monitor Sydney Hopkins ’23, as her class’s journey together on The Holy Hill drew to a close.

I’m fairly certain Sydney did not have the School’s advancement office in mind when addressing the full EHS community. It is indeed, however, “the pursuit of growth” that drives our efforts in support of Episcopal’s mission and community each and every day. Ultimately, it is philanthropy that provides our gifted teachers and hardworking students the tools that make extraordinary growth and achievement possible.

Philanthropy fuels connections with the myriad resources of Washington, D.C., and in 2022-23, it supported over 600 class expeditions into the metro area. When students returned to campus, it was to dormitories that were less crowded, where dorm parents engaged with them even more powerfully thanks to two beautiful new residential buildings and a resulting lower student-to-faculty ratio on all dorms. And perhaps nothing speaks to the impactful intersection of philanthropy and growth as perfectly as the new deButts Health & Wellness Center, a building in which we double down on our commitment to student wellbeing that was dedicated by Simone and Tench Coxe ’76 in honor of Shelley and Boota deButts ’76 and Hunter deButts ’47 and of “a lifelong friendship that began the day two freshmen met as roommates in the fall of 1972.”

Whether it’s a visiting speaker in Pendleton Hall, lab equipment in Baker Science Center, helmets in Hummel Bowl, counseling sessions in the deButts Health & Wellness Center, or professional development in Sperry Lecture Hall, the list of what comes together to help our students grow and achieve at their very best is endless, and it is your generosity that makes it possible.

With your participation, giving to the Roll Call reached a record $3.56 million – over $7,400 per student, exceeding our goal by 2% and providing 9% of the School’s operating revenue. We are thankful for each of the 2,620 gifts to the Roll Call and the tremendous efforts of our hosts and volunteers.

It was beyond exciting to publicly launch the Courage: The Campaign for Episcopal with events across the country, rolling out the priorities and planting the seeds that will take philanthropy at EHS to a whole new level so that it, in turn, can do the same for our school. Giving to Courage has been remarkable to date, and the impact can be felt across campus. This and future generations of Episcopal students are the beneficiaries, and we could not be more grateful to all who have helped bring to life much of what the Courage Campaign aspires to achieve.

On behalf of all of us at The High School who continually strive to advance our mission and deliver an experience of growth and preparation so that our graduates can be courageous forces for good in the world, I thank you for your generosity and commitment. It is an honor to share your devotion to EHS as we work together to ensure its vibrant future.

 

Christina Maher Holt P’12 ’15 ’17
Assistant Head of Advancement