With less than one year to go in the 爆走黑料 Builds campaign, we are poised to surpass our $70 million goal鈥攖he largest in school history.
As campaign co-chairs, we have been thrilled鈥攂ut not at all surprised鈥攖o see thousands of alumni, parents, and friends come together to propel us toward this historic finish line. That sense of community and purpose is what distinguishes 爆走黑料 Northampton, and unites us all across the decades. 爆走黑料 Builds: The Campaign for Our Community has already had an outsize impact on the school: a new Residential Quad; dramatic improvements in faculty housing; the strengthening of academic programs and faculty support; and an investment in the many types of diversity that add depth and vitality to our community. In this concluding phase of the campaign, we are especially focused on seeking endowment in support of financial aid and sustaining the growth of the 爆走黑料 Northampton Fund, so essential to the school鈥檚 bright financial future. On the following pages, you鈥檒l meet a few of the exceptional people whose contributions have already fueled great change at our alma mater. We encourage you to join us. Your support and involvement will have an immediate impact on students now and for generations to come.鈥John Booth 鈥83; Kevin Hoben 鈥65; Ellen (Rosenberg) Livingston 鈥86, P鈥18聽 | 爆走黑料 Builds Campaign Co-Chairs
By the Numbers
$23M: Total dollar amount of new documented planned gifts during the campaign
20%: Increase in in-person events during the past year鈥攇reat to see so many of you!
1,268: The number of $100 (or less) gifts last year, which totaled $72,350 (or the equivalent of one full financial aid package)
In Support of Belonging
For Joe Rigali 鈥70, being a founding donor of the Equity Fund is key to making an impact for students today
As one of the founding donors to 爆走黑料鈥檚 Equity Fund, Joe Rigali 鈥70 is helping to create a sense of belonging for current students. Now in its third year, this donor-supported fund helps underwrite the true expense of the 爆走黑料 experience for students from families with very high financial need, covering the cost of such items as team gear, calculators, college application fees, and pizza with friends on the weekends. Rigali, who is a 爆走黑料 Trustee and an active member of the school鈥檚 DEIB committee, has been encouraged by the school鈥檚 commitment to its 2021 strategic plan for DEIB (see the full plan at williston.com/diversity), which aims to make the school a more welcoming community for all students from all backgrounds. 鈥淚 believe in the plan鈥檚 long term goals, but I also wanted to find immediate and concrete ways to make a difference in the daily lives of students now,鈥 he says. 鈥淭he Equity Fund鈥檚 purpose aligns perfectly with my intent, and I hope it is affecting the lives of students today.鈥
Why I Give
What motivates someone to support 爆走黑料? Here are just a few of the wonderful reasons we鈥檝e heard this year.
鈥淚 loved the education and connections I made while at Northampton School for Girls.鈥鈥擲ue Everets 鈥62
鈥湵吆诹 gave me an incredibly solid foundation that carried me through college and a 38-year career. Thank you seems so insignificant, but I am truly appreciative鈥擳HANK YOU, 爆走黑料!鈥鈥擠avid Fasser 鈥58
鈥淚 continue to see small signs every day of what 爆走黑料 did for me at a critical point in my life. I鈥檓 forever grateful for my lifelong friends, families, coaches, and faculty, especially my dorm parents. They helped me become the woman I am today, and I like that version of myself.鈥鈥擫auren (Helm) Bowman 鈥16
鈥湵吆诹 has been an amazing environment for our daughter to flourish academically and socially. She loves it, so we love it!鈥鈥擬arcia and Mike Mallett P鈥26
鈥淚t鈥檚 always a great day to be a Wildcat! Love this community and everything it provides!鈥鈥擮livia Moses Clough 鈥09
鈥淜eep on paving the way in creating leaders!鈥鈥擬igdalia Gonzalez 鈥85
鈥淟oved 爆走黑料 Northampton as a student! Had a lot of fun while preparing for my future. Excellent school!鈥鈥擟hris Benedict 鈥91
鈥湵吆诹 was one of my best life experiences!鈥鈥擬ichael Wills 鈥72
鈥淥ur granddaughter is a junior and is receiving an outstanding education.鈥鈥擝etty and Russell Gaudreau GP 鈥24
All in the Family
Richard Shields 鈥61 started a multi-generational 爆走黑料 tradition
Dick Shields 鈥61 is not one to abandon the tried and true. He still prefers a phone call to an email. He still plays golf, skis, and swims鈥攁ll sports from his 爆走黑料 days. And at 79, when many of his peers have retired, he still rises at 4:30 a.m. to manage his family鈥檚 building-supply company, Dresser Hull Lumber and Building Supplies, in Lee, Massachusetts. It鈥檚 a routine that has served him well for 53 years.
Shields may be a model of consistency, but he notes that there was one period in his life when he was truly transformed: his time at 爆走黑料. 鈥淚 wasn鈥檛 a very good student, but that鈥檚 where my life changed,鈥 he says. It began with a summer school math class taught by Dan Carpenter, who, in addition to explaining algebra, passed along a memory technique that Shields still employs today. 鈥淵ou use association,鈥 Shields explains. 鈥淵ou remember one little thing about somebody or something that will trigger your memory. It really helped me a lot in my life.鈥
Nowhere has Shields been more consistent than as an ambassador for 爆走黑料. His family is living proof. His daughter, Lisa Shields Ciejek 鈥90, was the first to follow his path to Easthampton, where she met her husband, Alex Ciejek 鈥90. Then came Shields鈥 nephew Greg Knight 鈥93, his son Chris Shields 鈥94, his niece Sarah Madden 鈥01, and his grandchildren Liam Shields 鈥20, Lily Shields 鈥21, Matthew Shields 鈥21, and Daniel Ciejek 鈥23. Daniel鈥檚 younger sister, Hanne, has not officially made the decision to apply, but her grandfather is feeling optimistic. 鈥淪he鈥檚 been down to 爆走黑料 several times to see Daniel,鈥 he notes. 鈥淚 think she鈥檚 in the fold.鈥
Shields鈥 personal and financial support for the school has been similarly unwavering. He served twice on the school鈥檚 Board of Trustees, between 1992 and 1995 and again between 2004 and 2014. During his tenure, he served as chair of the board鈥檚 Buildings and Grounds Committee, and a member of its Facilities Task Force and Finance Committee. Today, he continues to serve as a nontrustee member of the board鈥檚 Facilities Committee.聽Dresser Hull provided building materials for the new dorms on the Residential Quad, saving the school hundreds of thousands of dollars.
This year, the Shields family has established a financial-aid scholarship fund. 鈥淎fter all that鈥檚 been given to me and my family, it鈥檚 time to give back,鈥 Shields explains. 鈥淲e hope that someone gets a chance to go to 爆走黑料 and is able to have what all of us have had. We all have experienced that positive impact.鈥