2021–2022 Donors and Volunteers
Stories Behind the Impact
You Make a Difference
Volunteers gathering classmates for Reunion. Alumni returning to campus to speak to today’s students. Parents investing in student experiences. Faculty and staff fueling innovation. Challenge donors inspiring Giving Day participation. Students making their first gifts to Milton. Support from donors and volunteers touches every corner of our community. Thank you!
As a volunteer and donor, Fazal is one example of a supporter who makes Milton stronger. Please enjoy learning more about our donors and volunteers below, and share your own story by emailing us today.
Milton Loyal
As loyal donors to the Milton Fund, alumni couple Robert O’Gara ’12 and Isabel Wise O’Gara ’13 recently shared that they give because they want to demonstrate their gratitude for the life experiences and friendships Milton gave them.
Thinking back to their days growing up together on Milton’s campus, Rob and Isabel credit their meaningful school experiences with more than just finding their future spouses. Isabel reflected, “‘Dare to be true’ during my formative teenage years influenced my personal development greatly. The encouragement and celebration to be your true self gave me the confidence to be authentic in all settings and developed a sense of self-assurance I have carried into adulthood.” Rob added, “the years I was lucky enough to be at Milton were so important in my journey to college, adulthood, and beyond, and having this creed to live by was transformative. Trusting the person I was becoming and understanding the importance of living up to a high standard set for myself each and every day helped me accomplish everything I’ve accomplished thus far in my life and will continue to be vital in the years ahead.”
Isabel and Rob cherish their lifelong friendships and the life skills they gained while at Milton. “Milton taught me how to work and collaborate with a diverse group of people, thoughts, and experiences; Milton teachers coached me on how to eloquently express my thoughts and communicate them effectively whether in writing or conversation; Milton’s community showed me the importance of a team-first mentality,” shared Isabel. Reflecting on his time at Milton, Rob recognizes the vital role the Milton Fund has at the school. “From maintaining the incredible faculty I was fortunate enough to encounter at school, to continuing the high level of extracurriculars like athletics, dance concerts, plays, improv, etc., and finally the upkeep of our beautiful campus, none of this can happen without the Milton Fund and alumni giving back.”
“Being able to play a part in providing impact to future generations of Mustangs through the Milton Fund is a privilege and the biggest reason I try to be involved as I am to this day.”
—Rob O’Gara ’12
Forbes Goodwin Society
This year, Milton Academy received an incredible gift from a longtime resident of Milton who settled here with their family about 25 years ago. A passionate believer that access to excellent education can make a difference in our greater society, this anonymous donor began to ponder how they could do something positive with their estate. They decided to use their estate to level the playing field for capable students who deserve a Milton education. They frequently saw talented students left behind and wanted to solve this problem. Their bequest intention, created now, will eventually endow a scholarship fund to support talented residents of Milton who want to attend Milton Academy.
This anonymous donor has had a deep connection to Milton Academy and the town of Milton. They enjoy coming to sporting events on campus and have seen firsthand the difference a Milton education can make in students’ lives. For them, it was an easy decision to use their estate to create a bequest intention to support Milton and help talented young residents of the town of Milton for generations to come.
The Forbes Goodwin Society, named in honor of John Murray Forbes, who established the first endowment gift in 1885, and Sarah Storer Goodwin, who led the Girls’ School from 1901 to 1928, honors all donors who make planned gifts to Milton Academy.
Inspiring Today’s Students
Each year, alumni, parents, and friends of Milton are called upon to speak in classes and at events, serving as representatives of experts in their fields and helping to keep our community engaged in the life of the school. On June 10, 2022, Milton hosted commencement exercises, in which the school awarded diplomas to 185 seniors. A highlight of the day was the return to campus of Heather McGhee ’97, author and public policy advocate, who delivered the commencement address.
On the beautifully sunny day, Heather shared, “It turns out that diversity is a superpower. Research shows that diverse groups are more creative, better at problem solving. People bring their different lived experiences and ways of looking at the world, and together they can see more sides of a problem and come up with more innovative solutions. The data also shows that students who attend diverse schools and have meaningful, authentic relationships across lines of race, have better learning outcomes, and higher levels of critical thinking. And then the benefit of these relationships ladder up to society, because the biggest challenges that we face are going to take collective action and problem solving.” Reflecting on her own commencement speaker, who later became her mother-in-law, and the “collision of cultures” that occurred for her on Milton’s campus, Heather explained to the students that it’s her belief that our personal lives and public policy are connected. “When people of different backgrounds don’t know one another, don’t trust one another, when we lack empathy and solidarity, our public policy reflects that, and it hurts all of us.” Heather’s takeaway message for the Class of 2022 was to “dive right in” when they have opportunities to explore new things and meet new people. She shared that “so many resources have been poured into you by teachers who will still know your name in 25 years, teachers who will remember the first day they met you, by grounds people and staff and administrators, and I think that they do it … because of a sense that what they pour into you, that you will give it back to the world.”
“When you love people who don’t look like you, who don’t come from the same places as you, your humanity grows.”
—Heather McGhee ’97
A Special Thank You to Our Volunteers
Board of Trustees Members
Robert Azeke ’87
Bradley M. Bloom P ’06 ’08, Emeritus
David B. Brewster ’90 P ’25
Douglas Crocker II ’58
Jason O. Dillow ’97
Lisa Donohue ’83
Randall C. Dunn ’83
Yeng Felipe Butler ’92 P ’25 ’33 º
James M. Fitzgibbons ’52 P ’87 ’90 ’93
John B. Fitzgibbons ’87
Eleanor Haller-Jorden ’75 P ’09 º
Franklin W. Hobbs IV ’65 P ’98, Emeritus
Claire D. Hughes Johnson ’90 P ’24 ’27
Peter R. Kagan ’86
Sonu Kalra P ’23 ’26 ’28
Elizabeth B. Katz ’04
William A. Knowlton P ’23
Yunli Lou ’87 P ’24
Ravi Mallela P ’22 ’24
Stuart I. Mathews P ’13 ’17 ’17
John D. McEvoy ’82 P ’19 ’20 ’25
Eugene F. Reilly ’79 P ’10 ’12
H. Marshall Schwarz ’54 P ’84, Emeritus∞
Hendrick Sin P ’23 ’25
Gabriel B. Sunshine P ’22 ’24
Dune D. Thorne ’94
Patrick O. Y. Tsang ’90
Luis M. Viceira P ’16 ’19
Edward E. Wendell, Jr. ’58 P ’94 ’98 ’01
Dr. Sylvia P. Westphal P ’18 ’21 ’25 ’27 ’27
Ronnell L. Wilson ’93
Ka Kay Yip ’83 P ’16 ’23
Alumni and Student Volunteers
|
1940-1949 1950-1959 1960-1969 1970-1979 1980-1989 1990-1999 |
2000-2009 2010-2019 |
2010-2019 (continued) 2020-2025 |
Parent Volunteers
Jessica Christ P ’27
William D. Christ P ’27
Dennis R. DeBassio ’95 P ’29
Maria Fawcett P ’22
Robert R. Fawcett, Jr. P ’22
Joanne Fu P ’24
Gita Karle P ’18
Sara Kim P ’32
Molly Ladd ’92 P ’22 ’25 ’30 º
Van Le P ’24
Li Ling P ’20 ’25
Dr. Blaise Lippa P ’22
Dr. Leon M. Ptaszek P ’27 ’31
Emily Raviola P ’26
James Rosenberg P ’23
Dr. Christine N. Sang ’80 P ’28 ^
Daniele Serafini P ’27 ’30 ’33
Key:
^ Milton Fund Volunteer
o Reunion Volunteer
X Regional Volunteer
§ Senior Gift Volunteer
∞ Deceased
Home
Visit the Impact Site homepage.
Strength in Numbers
Explore the facts and figures behind the impact of your gift.
Community Impact
Discover stories about students and faculty benefiting from your generosity.
