DONOR STORIES

Renbrook School is deeply grateful to our donors for their dedication and generosity. Below you will find stories about some of our donors who have made generous contributions to our campaign.

Katie Nixon

Katie Nixon grew up in a family that believed the key to happiness was doing service for other people. As a child, she learned the lesson her parents modeled. Now, as a parent herself, and a grandparent, she knows it to be true.

Katie’s daughter is a Renbrook alumna and a member of the Upper School faculty. Katie’s grandson is a Renbrook preschooler. Her husband, the late Bill Nixon, taught in the Upper School Science department for 27 years. And Katie? Well, what hasn’t she done? She taught first grade, led the Admissions team, served as a corporator, and is now a member of the Grandparent Group.

As soon as Katie learned about the Take Flight Campaign, she knew she wanted to honor Bill. And she was clear about how she wanted to do that. “My approach is to focus on what I really value, and then give as much as I can to it.” To achieve her goals, Katie is making a comprehensive campaign gift and supporting two priorities of Take Flight: Renbrook’s academic programs through the reimagined library and Renbrook’s people through the creation of a new endowed fund.

“On a practical level, giving a portion now and pledging an additional contribution through a bequest lets me give more,” says Katie, a founding member of Renbrook’s Legacy Society. Remembering when the Legacy Society first started Katie shares, “Bill and I knew immediately we wanted to be a part of it.”

Katie hopes the Bill Nixon Fund for Innovative and Creative Teaching will encourage teachers to think outside the box. “Bill was not constrained by convention, at all. He was incredibly creative… and a great innovator.” It was Bill’s creativity and innovation, along with his passion and individualism that earned him the nickname “Wild Bill” among his former students, who also call him simply “the legend.” Legend indeed. Ask any alum or parent of alum from the 80s through the aughts, and they will have a rousing story about Mr. Nixon, his energetic student-centered teaching, ridiculous jokes, and knack for turning anything into a science experiment.

“The first time Bill and I drove up Renbrook’s driveway, we had no idea how important the school would become for our family,” Katie laughs. “And today, its importance is triply so. I am just so grateful for this education for Frances, and now William.” Perhaps this is why Katie’s advice to her fellow Renbrook parents and grandparents is to support their children’s primary school. “If you have to choose whether to support their education early or later on, do it early. Dispositions toward learning develop early in children, and central to Renbrook is taking kids where they are and giving them what they need, not just academically but as people.

“I want Frances and William to know that our family values education and giving back, which is why I am so happy to be a part of this campaign and in this way. We want students to be lifelong learners,” Katie says. “And that’s exactly what Bill was.”

For her past, present, and future gifts, Renbrook thanks Katie Nixon. We are grateful for her support of the Take Flight Campaign and for all the ways she and her family have made Renbrook a part of their legacy. They are certainly part of ours.

Photo: Katie Nixon (right) with her daughter Fran Nixon Denote ’04 (left) and grandson William ’34 (center)

Heather Viets ’94

“Each morning, coming across the brook was such a touch point for me,” recalls Heather Viets ’94. “I can remember gauging the water: Is it raging? Is it low? I felt like I was entering a magical world when I crossed that brook.”

Heather attended Renbrook from first through eighth grade. These days, she lives in New York City and is a partner at Weil, Gotshal & Manges. As a young alum, she attended alumni events in The City and even returned to Renbrook for her 10th reunion. A few years ago, longing to reconnect on a deeper level, she started volunteering as a corporator. Now Heather serves on the Board of Trustees.

For Heather, whose parents no longer live in Connecticut, Renbrook is her last connection to the area where she grew up. Maybe this is why she was nervous taking those initial steps to engage with the school. Would the connection be gone? Each step she took, she found not only was it still there, but it was surprisingly easy. “I’ve met so many new people, and connected with them,” she says. “People whose paths never would have crossed mine… Renbrook is our common thread.”

She was inspired to join the ranks of Take Flight donors because “I love the school. I remember the experiences, but I also remember the emotions.” Heather’s memories of what she learned and even more so of how she felt at Renbrook are intrinsic to her, and her support of Take Flight is the bridge between her past and her commitment to Renbrook’s future. The campaign’s dual focus on programs and place spoke to her too. “Both touch points mean so much to me. The school as an institution is important. The teachers, the students, the Renbrook experience… That’s all so important,” says Heather. “But the campus is equally important. That old building is so special.”

Heather has high expectations for the campaign. She hopes it will give the school what it needs to maintain the original structures, update the campus for 21st century learning, and develop future generations of leaders. She also hopes the campaign will lead to a stronger, more connected community. “We have a common cause: giving the school what it needs to continue to educate in that uniquely Renbrook way. The school needs the right resources to care for its students, teachers, and buildings, and Take Flight is the way we can provide those resources.”

Heather thinks a lot about Renbrook, “about how amazing it was in my life, how it set me up for success. I think a lot of us owe Renbrook for that.” She wants alumni to know their connection to the school matters and their support for Take Flight is needed. “I think people focus too much on the dollar amount. Yes, Renbrook needs to raise a lot of money, and large donations are important. But this campaign is also about engaging as many people across this community as possible. Renbrook needs everyone’s contribution, whatever it is. We need alumni to be involved, in whatever way makes them feel good and by giving whatever amount is comfortable for them.”

Perhaps more than anything, Heather hopes alumni will use the opportunity Take Flight provides to engage with Renbrook. “It’s been very personally meaningful for me. Every time I engage, I am amazed by how it brings back the old feelings,” says Heather. “It still feels magical. And I love that.”

We love that too. And we thank Heather for all the ways she gives to Renbrook. For her volunteerism, service on the Board, philanthropy, and championing of the Take Flight Campaign, we are grateful.

The Rutledge Family

Early donors to Take Flight, Molly and Tom Rutledge, and the Rutledge Family Foundation are once again fueling the future of Renbrook. With their latest gift of $1 million to bring the reimagined library from visualization to actualization, their total campaign commitment of $2 million represents the largest donation in Renbrook's history.

From the moment she first learned about the project, Molly, who currently serves on the Board of Trustees, knew she and her family wanted to support it. "The whole concept—the thought behind it, the design, the creativity—it’s really exciting. Our first gift to Take Flight was our way of getting it rolling and encouraging others to step up," Molly shares. "This gift is about seeing it through and bringing the new library to fruition."

To Molly and Tom, who have been part of the fabric of Renbrook for 17 years and witnessed the construction of the current library, the reimagined library, with its maker spaces and emphasis on inquiry-based learning, is a natural and necessary extension of the school. They recognize the infinite possibilities the new space will provide students to explore their individual interests and approach learning in ways that work best for them.

"We have three very different children, who are all amazingly successful in their own right," says Tom. "Renbrook had a lot to do with that." Tom and Molly both credit Renbrook—with its student-centered approach to learning—for knowing, empowering, and inspiring each of their children uniquely. "Renbrook has different ways of teaching different kids," Tom says, "and the new library will bolster this."

Molly agrees with Tom. "Libraries aren’t just libraries anymore," she says. "Our current library was an amazing addition when it was built, but it’s ready for an update. So much of learning is hands-on. Plenty of kids do really well in a traditional classroom, but all kids learn better when they are doing. The new library—with the maker spaces, display areas, and the Hawk's Nest up top for the littles to explore—will allow children to learn through doing," says Molly. "And that’s the best kind of learning."

One of Tom’s favorite aspects of the new library is the intentional creation of spaces for multiple children of varying ages to work together. Reflecting on an adage from Chinese philosopher Confucious that was inscribed on a wall at the engineering school he attended, "I hear; I forget. I see; I remember. I do; I understand." Taking learning deeper, Tom espouses the rigor that comes with teaching someone else. "The library is being designed with this in mind," he says. "It will provide opportunities and areas for older kids to teach younger kids. If you have the ability to teach others, you truly understand."

Molly and Tom's daughter Kathryn, a senior at University of Illinois Chicago, graduated from Renbrook in 2017, and their son Dylan, a senior at Avon Old Farms, graduated in 2020. When their daughter Macy, a current eighth grader, graduates in June, they will complete their journey as Renbrook parents and join the ranks of parents of alumni.

"We are grateful to Renbrook for the foundation our children received here. Even though our kids won’t get to use the library, I love the idea of future generations using it and having the same beneficial experience our children did," Molly says.

Molly and Tom hope their family’s words and actions will inspire other parents to join Take Flight. "A lot of people put so much focus on high school and college, but these formative years are the most important. Children will go farther in fulfilling their potential, no matter what school they attend next, if they have a strong foundation. Your contribution to this campaign is an investment in your child’s future," urges Molly.

For their decades-long support of Renbrook, community-minded generosity, and inspiring leadership, we thank Molly and Tom. Renbrook students of today and for generations to come will explore their curiosity, discover new passions, and soar as learners and doers because of the Rutledges' investment in the future of all our children.

Photo: Tom and Molly Rutledge with their children Dylan '20, Macy '24, and Kathryn '17

The Lewis Family

On school days, you can find Scott Lewis, CEO of the Lewis Business Center, in the morning drop-off line or heading to the Mews for afternoon pickup. Scott, Rachelle, and first-grader Harper Rose have been an integral part of Renbrook’s community since 2019. The Lewises’ involvement goes far beyond just being a part of the community, though. Rachelle and Scott have a strong desire to contribute to the redevelopment of the school and the nurturing of its children. By establishing the Lewis Family Amphitheater, they are doing just that.

"We were inspired by the teachers," shares Rachelle, "by the style of education they provide and the inclusive nature of the campus. We want to be a part of this community, not just now and during Harper Rose’s time as a student here, but for the future too."

Scott says they were drawn immediately to the library when the plans for the campaign were unveiled. "A library offers the opportunity to obtain whatever knowledge you seek," he explains. "We are blessed to be able to contribute, and this gift, this amphitheater, and all that it adds to the library is part of our family’s legacy. It’s something we can do to touch people’s lives in a meaningful way."

It’s Rachelle’s wish that the amphitheater will complement events like Hawktown, the culminating first-grade project recently held in the library. "The ability to congregate, we really took that for granted before 2020," reflects Rachelle. She wishes too that, by blending the indoors and out, the amphitheater will give the community a welcoming space to come together.

"When she’s there, we want Harper Rose to feel the hope we have for her to become whoever she is meant to be. Not just hope for her but for all Renbrook students. That’s what it’s all about, right?" muses Scott. "We hope it allows her to remember what her parents mean to her and to the larger community."

Their advice for fellow donors? "Don’t just be present. Make your presence felt. When you read about how Renbrook started, in a little house, and you experience what it is now—well, if each of us took just a little step forward to add to it, can you imagine what it will become?"

For their gift and their inspiration, Renbrook thanks Rachelle and Scott Lewis. We are grateful for their support of the Take Flight Campaign and for making Renbrook a part of their family’s legacy.

Photo: Rachelle, Scott, and Harper Rose at Hawktown Bank

Alison & Tony Scherer '82

Writing instruction transcends ages, grades, and subject areas. It’s a constant, there for every student every day, all day. Teachers rely on traditional ideas, and they adjust to new techniques. Technology encroaches and expedites.

How, then, to support this massive and critical undertaking? Alison and Tony Scherer '82 have established the Fitzsousa/Scherer Fund to Support the Teaching of Writing at Renbrook. Named in part for Beverly Fitzsousa, Tony’s longtime colleague and friend, the fund honors their love of writing and their shared commitment to fostering young writers. Its primary goal is to support the Director of Writing, a new position Renbrook established in 2022. The fund will allow the director to work with teachers throughout the school on writing instruction, to visit other schools and attend conferences, and to purchase supplies and materials.

At Renbrook, we seek to build a writing culture. We believe every teacher is a writing teacher. For that to be true, we need to give our faculty the opportunity and the time to attend workshops and to grow as writing teachers. We want to bring experts to the community and allow them to meet with teachers and students across grade levels. Authors, essayists, journalists, and poets can share their expertise and their experience. We want to publish student (and faculty) writing internally and externally in newspapers and magazines, on bulletin boards and websites.

In a discussion about artificial intelligence and ChatGPT, Devina Bhalla '15, an English teacher at Gilman School in Baltimore and former student of Tony and Beverly, wondered aloud why anyone would choose to use a computer program as a substitute for the creative process. "Your writing is like your fingerprint," she said. "It’s your identity." That’s true. It also helps students find their identity. What could be more important than that?

With the Fitzsousa/Scherer Fund to Support the Teaching of Writing, Renbrook will establish a clear vision of this goal and multiple paths toward achieving it. For that and for their dedication and service to the mission of Renbrook, we thank Tony and Alison Scherer.

Photo: Tony Scherer '82 and Devina Bhalla '15

The Gengras Family

Few families are as intricately woven into Renbrook’s history as the Gengrases. Edie and E. Clayton "Skip" Gengras, Jr. currently serve as co-chairs of the Grandparent Executive Committee, and Edie is a former member of the faculty and a past trustee. Edie and Skip’s sons, Chip Gengras ’85 and Jonathan Gengras ’87, are graduates of Renbrook, and all of them have fond memories of the boys' days as Renbrook athletes. Jonathan and his wife Robyn, who currently serves as the Chair of the Board of Trustees, are the proud parents of two Renbrook alumni, Ged ’19 and Mary ’20, and a current Renbrook student, Katherine ’23, all of whom they describe as "diehard Renbrook athletes." Chip and his wife Ashley’s children, Julia ’15, Emmy ’17 and Clayt ’19, also have fond memories of their time as Hawks.

It’s these memories and the positive impact that Renbrook’s athletic program has had on their children that inspired the Gengras family’s generosity and ultimately the creation of Gengras Family Field. With Renbrook being the Gengras family’s common experience, it made sense to them to combine their legacies in a gift to the school that would celebrate the sports program that has meant so much to their family.

For their part, Edie and Skip love the "Take Flight" theme because it invokes memories of the Rentschlers yet looks to the future. And what better way to honor the future of Renbrook than with this remarkable gift? Robyn and Jonathan also wanted to give something of value to future Hawks while honoring their family’s deep Renbrook roots. The field, it was decided, would be a lasting testament to a special school-family relationship.

Renbrook is deeply grateful to the Gengras family for their dedication and generosity.

Photo: Ashley and Chip Gengras ‘85, Katherine Gengras ’23, Robyn and Jonathan Gengras ’87, Edie and Skip Gengras, Jr.

The Manafort Family

In the past, climbing the hill to get to the Upper Athletic Fields meant navigating puddles, roots, and rocks, on a muddy, ill-defined pathway. Now, thanks to the Manafort Family, their vision of a beautiful and welcoming community space, and their dedication to Renbrook, visitors to the fields traverse an elegant stone walkway on their path to a spacious flagstone plaza that is flanked by a stone wall displaying the school name and our iconic armillary sphere.

Manafort Family Plaza is a gift from the Manafort Family Foundation, which includes current families Jim and Jolyn Manafort (Madelyn ’24 and James ’28), Justin and Tabitha Manafort (Samantha ’18, Justin ’19, and Tommi Rose ’24), and William and Heather Manafort (Olivia ’24 and Owen ’31), along with parents of alumni Jason and Sandra Manafort ( Evan '13, Jon '16 and Julia '18), and grandparents Jon and Elisa Manafort. In addition to being the proud parents of two Renbrook alumni and one current student, Justin is a Renbrook trustee and Tab is a former member of the faculty. Jolyn, who is also a Renbrook trustee, reflected on the gift, its goal, and its impact on the Renbrook community in a recent conversation with the editor of Renbrook Magazine. "Because our children and our children's cousins have all had such wonderful Renbrook experiences, we wanted to give something wonderful back to the school that had given them so much," shares Jolyn. "We envisioned the plaza as a space to bring the community together."

And bring us together it has! Manafort Family Plaza was the perfect gathering place for families and friends last October when we launched Take Flight and celebrated our community during Fall Fest. Jolyn’s hope is that "our family's donation to the capital campaign can help to improve the school so that other families can benefit as ours has for many more years to come."

Thank you to the Manafort family for their support of the Take Flight Campaign and for their love of our Renbrook community.

Back row: Jason and Sandra Manafort, Justin and Tabitha Manafort, Jim and Jolyn Manafort, Heather and William Manafort

Front row: Owen ’31, Tommi Rose ’24, James ’28, Madelyn ’24 (kneeling in front), Olivia ’24