What inspired you to support Freedom School Partners and invest in summer learning opportunities for scholars?
I was originally introduced to FSP and its mission after meeting Mary Nell McPherson, FSP’s founder, through friends. I attended some fundraising events and heard firsthand from folks who had been positively impacted by FSP, either as scholars, servant leader interns (SLIs), donors or FSP team members. Prior to my involvement with FSP, I was unaware of the huge problem of summer learning loss, particularly among under-resourced students, and the more I learned, the more inspired I became to support FSP’s mission of combatting summer learning loss while also focusing on the whole child.
Why do you believe access to high-quality summer programs, especially those focused on reading—is important for the communities we serve?
The numbers don’t lie, and I have spoken to enough educators who have confirmed that they have personally observed the “summer slide” among their students. Typically, under-resourced students lose 2-3 months of learning during the summer. However, on average, 80% of Freedom School scholars gain or maintain their reading ability. And, while that number is impressive, the activities offered are also opportunities that so many of these young people would never be able to experience otherwise during the summer. They learn vital skills such as team-building, self-control, problem-solving, decision-making (I could go on). These skills are critical to building a bright future for these scholars, who will be in a better position to contribute positively to their communities in the years ahead.
How does your partnership (or giving) create opportunities not only for
Well, I’ll start with the personal growth part first. I was honored to have been asked to be on the Board of Directors back in 2016. Being on the Board exposed me to so much, including the fundamentals of board work and the level of hard work and budgeting that goes into running a non-profit. At the time, I was working for American Airlines and hadn’t had a lot of time to get involved with all the volunteer opportunities available with FSP, but when I retired from the airline in July 2019, throwing myself into volunteerism was a huge help during a transition from 35 years in the corporate world. While at American, it was fun for me to see how our partnership with FSP contributed to activities like the book fair and reading at Harambee, and it was fun to use volunteer activities as teambuilding opportunities. And I’ve seen so many employees volunteering on behalf of the many dedicated corporations in Charlotte that support Freedom School. It’s fun to watch those teams come together and enjoy the relationship-building opportunities that occur within the teams while they interact with the scholars.
When you think about the impact of your support, what kind of opportunities do you hope scholars will gain from their summer at Freedom School?
I’m certainly aware that my financial gifts- and all individual and corporate giving- are critically important to FSP’s continued operation and to promoting its growth to support more scholars. And I haven’t even touched on the benefits FSP provides the Servant Leader Interns, who do great work to support the scholars! But it’s through interacting with the incredible FSP staff during the year and, importantly, spending time with the scholars during the six-week program itself, where I truly see the benefits that everyone gains through the organization. That continues to draw me in. I see energy, I see hope, I see fun…..and I know that the scholars are gaining confidence in their abilities and their strengths. I believe that, through the encouragement that the staff, SLIs and volunteers provide, these scholars will have the confidence to continue the educational pursuits or trades that they enjoy. There are so many success stories that previous scholars have shared. So many have been the beneficiaries of Freedom School Partners through the years, and I am lucky to say that I am one of them.
