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Grandparents, Parents of Alumni and Friends

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Parents

Each year my children's teachers go above and beyond the call of duty to provide and care for my children. I am inclined to do the same, for the teachers and all the people who make Shipley what it is. One way to do that is to give generously to the Annual Fund. I find at Shipley, you don't get what you pay for, you get more! Every way I contribute or participate at Shipley influences my children's educational experience and their lives. The bottom line: I feel good and my children experience “good.”

Lori DiGuardi, parent of Carolynne McKenna '12 and Patrick McKenna '14

Education is important not only for our students, but for all young people, so that they can be a contributing element in society. Education is the key to our future as a country and clearly key to our future at Shipley. Just being a part of the future, of shaping the future at Shipley and the education that we offer to our students, motivates me to give. I give for the greater good—for the future of Shipley.

Kenneth J. Huffman, parent of Jay Huffman '94, Laura Huffman Hayes '96, and Daniel Raps-Huffman '13

In Pre-Kindergarten, our son came home and explained to me every single holiday celebrated by each major culture and religion, in detail with an open mind and heart emphasizing the similarities and not the differences. The fact that Shipley not only challenges him to learn about others, but also nurtures him in understanding his own sense of self, is what makes Shipley important to us as a family. Through our contributions, we hope to provide Shipley with the ability to continue to fulfill its commitment to these goals.

Erum Ilyas, parent of Dean '21

I have been involved in many activities at the School–from Lower School homeroom parent and grade coordinator to helping with the Shipley Today tours and co-chairing Shipley Shops. Each experience has been worthwhile and has given me an opportunity to apply my organizational, leadership, and marketing skills. Likewise, these activities are a great way to meet other parents and learn more about the School. Volunteering is a terrific way to become part of the Shipley culture. I can’t think of a more worthwhile endeavor than investing my time and energy in a School and community that has given my family so much.

Renée Johnson
Parent of Philip ’16 and Evan ’19

As I enter my tenth year as a Shipley parent, I am still in awe of all that the School has done for my children. In fact, the Shipley community has become an extension of my family. It has been my pleasure and privilege to chair and support the Annual Fund, knowing that it is these funds that allow the School to evolve and to be the best that it can be. I am grateful for all of the Annual Fund volunteers who have given their time to support the School—it is because of you that we have been so successful.

Sylvia Spector, parent of Abigail '13, Jordan '14, and Evan '16

As a parent, what motivates me to support Shipley is the School’s commitment not only to the student, but to the family, to the community, and to the world. The School’s interest in developing the whole child partners with our efforts as parents, thus working to ensure the best possible results. By giving I hope to fund ventures and endeavors that will strengthen and broaden the School with the best possible faculty, staff, and facilities, as well as to ensure Shipley’s longevity and prosperity.

Cheryl Todd, parent of William '12

From the fall of 1970 to the spring of 1978, Shipley really was my family. I had great teachers and friends and opportunities to discover and grow in many different areas. Now my children are at Shipley, being nurtured and supported in the same way. It is so exciting for me to see them growing as unique individuals—honored for the people they are, but encouraged and supported to become the best they can be. Why do I love giving to Shipley? That’s simple. Because Shipley has given so much to me!

Virginia (Ginny) Knetzger Unger '78, parent of Jimmy '14 and Annie '17

We believe the unique value of a Shipley education is derived from the outstanding teachers. By contributing to the Annual Fund each year, we hope to provide opportunities for these professionals to pursue educational interests and offset some of the ever-escalating costs associated with necessities, such as insurance. We are pleased to have the opportunity to thank the teachers for the wonderful academic foundation they provide for our children.

Ellen and David Watson, parents of Maura '10 and Dan '13

Alumni

I spent two years at Shipley in 9th grade. I had a year or two of summer school. I had my fair share of detentions. Things could have turned out much differently for me—and I don’t mean better—had I not been at Shipley. But with the help of Shipley’s outstanding teachers, I gained academic confidence and learned firsthand the joys that can be derived from learning. I give now with the knowledge that, if it’s not those same outstanding teachers, it is others like them who are sharing their gifts with yet some other student. Only with that formula of care and attention that students receive at Shipley, will they be brought to a place where they gain their own lasting courage for the deed and grace for the doing.

J. Thomas (Tom) Bevan '85
Santa Monica, CA

Steve Piltch is a terrific strategic thinker and has the energy and enthusiasm to implement that strategy effectively. By giving to Shipley, I get to be a part of preserving something I think is the best of its breed, I get to keep up with what’s going on in the institution that contributed so much to my own development, and I get to exchange ideas on education with some of the best and the brightest. I can’t think of a better way to spend my money and my time.

Penelope Dyson Foley '63
Los Angeles, CA

During my junior year, the cross country team captain asked me to join the team. Little did he know I was a chronic asthmatic and feared running long distances. With continued encouragement and persuasion, I ran on the team for the next two years and captained the team my senior year. Shipley students encourage one another to dream, take risks, and do the “impossible.” My primary motivation for giving back to Shipley is to help ensure that Shipley will be able to provide future generations of students with the same robust and eye-opening experiences that I had. As time goes on, I hope to continue to increase the amount of my contributions to Shipley, so that Shipley can continue to provide outstanding class instruction, as well as enriching extracurricular activities, that allow students to try things that they otherwise would not do.

Akinwole (Aki) Garrett ’00
Durham, NC

On the first day I arrived at Shipley I felt at home and for the next three years I was guided through an excellent education by outstanding teachers. A Shipley education is even better today and I have been impressed by the student activities, including the wide range of sports and the many service projects that are a tradition at the School. The world needs these graduates and they don’t hesitate to get out there and pitch in! I am comforted to know that Shipley endures and I want to continue to contribute to its future success.

Alma Otley Hix '48
Estes Park, CO

Allowing students and teachers to make very personal connections with one another is one of Shipley's most important attributes. I support Shipley through the Annual Fund in part because I don't live close enough for my children to be able to take advantage of Shipley's education. I hope my contributions help make that experience more accessible and beneficial for other families, many of whom are fellow alumni and their children.

Pamela Supplee Jiranek '80 is pictured with her sisters, Robin Supplee '83 (l)
and Shelley Supplee '78 (r)
Charlottesville, VA

At the time of the Depression in ’29, my parents lost a lot of their money. We were four girls and Miss Brownell kindly offered my mother scholarships, which helped greatly with our education at Shipley. For this I have been eternally grateful. To have attended Shipley and to have received such an excellent education is something I will never forget. I give to help ensure scholarship aid to other deserving students.

Anita Jones Kuhn '39
Falls Village, CT

When my daughter turned five, I applied her to Shipley. She loved it from the first day and had a very happy career there. When Shipley went co-ed, my oldest son took the train to Bryn Mawr and told the Head of School that he wanted to transfer to Shipley. He asked her to give me the good news, because he knew I was not in favor of co-education. He entered Shipley’s 10th grade the next fall and of course his younger brother had to follow, so now I have three children who are Shipley graduates. Giving to Shipley makes me hope that other students, following me and my own children, will be able to benefit from the best teachers and facilities. I also believe that when much is given to you, you must give back.
Barbara (Bobbie) Conole McElroy '51
Ardmore, PA

About six years ago, my life partner and I offered an item as a contribution to the Shipley Auction. I was concerned, though, about whether Shipley would accept us as a couple in accepting the gift from both of us. The inclusion I felt during my years as a student was reinforced when the Director of External Relations indicated that not only would she be thrilled to accept our gift, but also that she looked forward to meeting my partner, Jim. From that time on, Jim has been a strong and supportive Shipley spouse and when a year ago we sat down with our estate attorney, it was Jim who said that he wanted Shipley included in his Will, not on my account, but because he felt welcomed from the moment he became part of the Shipley family. We chose to name Shipley in our Wills because we see what the School is continuing to accomplish: total inclusion, acceptance, and respect. If it were not for the commitment of earlier members of the Centennial Society, the School would not be as strong today, not have the diversity in the student body, and not have the quality of faculty that has been an integral part of the School since its inception. It is an honor for both Jim and me to have the ability to include Shipley in our estate plans.

Derrik (Rik) R. G. Morris ’80 and James H. Kelleher
Philadelphia, PA

My senior year at Shipley I was head of SOS, the community service organization. To support a homeless shelter we organized a food drive, and students had to come in to school on the weekend to help make the food. That weekend there was a winter snow storm, but that didn't stop over 40 students from coming in, an incredible testament to the type of student that Shipley attracts. I am now the alumna giving back to my school, as so many other alumnae/i have in the past. In giving what I can, I want Shipley students to continue to thrive, grow, and enrich their community. That's a cause worth supporting.
Juliette Reiss ’99
North Hollywood, CA

The lifelong friends I made are what really represent the value of Shipley for me. Even though the School today is very different in many ways from the school I attended, I know I would not be the person I am without Shipley. Miss Speer and the legendary teachers at Shipley in the 60s were formidable. We received a first rate education and were exposed to numerous people and situations that I believe were unusual for a school. I still feel a tie to Shipley for being such a vital part of my past and it is through giving yearly that I am able to say “thank you.”

Meredith Phelps Rugg '66
New York, NY

Annual Fund dollars helped shape Shipley, and me, in the 1970s and ’80s, and now I support the Annual Fund as a way of continuing the tradition. By volunteering, I have been able to help Shipley and maintain ties to the community. The volunteers, both alumni and parents, whom I have met over the years are a dedicated, dynamic group and all committed to helping Shipley be the best school possible. Thank you to all those who give to Shipley with your time and with your gifts!

Arden Williams Saligman '83
Saint Davids, PA

I support Shipley because Shipley taught me how to have happy, healthy relationships with teachers and classmates and it taught me to try new things. Shipley taught me that it’s okay to be good at a bunch of things—English, Latin, art history, Sprouts (I won a ribbon at the Philadelphia Flower Show!), theater arts, soccer, lacrosse—and not just excellent at one particular thing. I support Shipley because it helps the best teachers stay at Shipley and helps all those programs continue to flourish. By giving to Shipley, I feel I still belong to the same amazing community I went to school in.

David Samson '95
Philadelphia, PA

Of all the education I have received in my life, my time at Shipley was the most influential. While I was a student, some classmates and I wanted to take an extra level calculus course, and Shipley created it just for us. Now as a parent of my own kids, I see how unique it is for a school to do this. I give because I want to make sure that whatever each student at Shipley is interested in pursuing, the School will be able to provide the opportunity. A diversity of interests is what makes a solid community, so fostering many different interests is paramount.

Ryan Sheftel ’91
Rumson, NJ

When I arrived at college I discovered that I knew how to think, examine ideas, study and write clearly—often far beyond my peers. I now recognize that the environment at Shipley respected the whole student and encouraged individual development. Shipley is a very different school today—I was a boarding student in an all-girls school—but I am certain that Shipley is still giving an important, timely experience to its current students. I believe that it is important to express gratitude for what Shipley gave to me.

Deborah Steen '71
Stonington, CT

Grandparents, Parents of Alumni and Friends

For us, what best embodies Shipley’s ability to enrich, challenge, and nurture, is the part of Class Night when each senior is called to the podium to be recognized for who he or she has become and what he or she has contributed to the Shipley community. This personifies the value of Shipley’s mission and the role we all play in ensuring its success. As parents of alumni, we have learned that our appreciation for Shipley didn’t end when our children received their diplomas. By contributing to Shipley’s Annual Fund we hope to allow other families to continue to enjoy all that Shipley has to offer—the benefits of a strong faculty, a diverse and motivated student body, up-to-date facilities, enriching activities, a sense of community, and, most important, being part of a truly valuable and meaningful mission.

Kate and Tom Chapin, parents of Emily '05 and Colin '08

Our involvement with Shipley began when our daughter Amy ’88 chose Shipley from the several private secondary schools that offered her admission. Graduating more than 20 years ago, Amy continues daily to share her Shipley pride in her role in the Admissions Office. Now Amy’s son is a second grader at Shipley and has the extraordinary benefit of classroom experiences that are both academically challenging and nurturing. Amy’s daughter was so excited about being in Pre-Kindergarten this fall that she could hardly wait for the summer to end. We support Shipley because it has provided a wonderful educational experience to our daughter and is providing the same rich experience to our grandchildren, not the least of which is the formation of lifetime friendships with inspiring faculty and convivial classmates.

Nancy and Tom Rutter, parents of Amy Rutter Eads '88 and grandparents of Alexander '20 and Katherine '23 Eads

Colleagues

As I near twenty years of teaching in Shipley’s Lower School, I continue to marvel at the exciting and interesting academic program our teachers provide to Shipley students, all the while keeping a close eye on their social and emotional development. Although my annual fund contributions are modest, they can be depended upon each year because I want to ensure that Shipley’s fine tradition continues for generations to come. I also take satisfaction in knowing that I join a huge army of Shipley supporters when I give. Being a person who likes tradition and appreciates the distinguished role our school has played in the Philadelphia area for 116 years, I like to think I might have a tiny stake in ensuring Shipley’s future success by participating in the Annual Fund.
Carol Henn
Newtown Square, PA

The Shipley School

814 Yarrow Street, Bryn Mawr PA 19010-3525
T: 610.525.4300 F: 610.525.5082

E: webmaster@shipleyschool.org

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