Page 16 - Priorities #30 2005-April

A Passion for Quality Education Is The Driving Force For These Donors
By Zuzka Fedorkova, Class of 2000
I am a newly-minted college grad whose life was
on several occasions impacted by the generosity of people I did not even know. Now, I am navigating my way through the job market and wondering how I can pay rent and also have a positive impact on the lives of others. I couldn’t have come across a more interesting project than this one—talking to people about their reasons for believing in and supporting the Golden Jubilee Campaign.
Hearing the variety of their reasons, or their philosophies of giving and helping, has been an inspiring experience for me. Our school is lucky to have such a tremendous community and I am lucky to be a part of it. I interviewed a wide range of people who had interesting things to say about investing their time and their resources in this cause. Some of them are quoted in this magazine, others will appear in later issues and on the Campaign Website.
Rick and Amy Magnuson: Current and Alumni Parents
We’ve had three kids at the Priory. We like the emphasis on values and strong academics. The Benedictine emphasis on how people treat
others around them is very important to us.
The Priory needs to keep investing in itself and its
facilities because it is in a very competitive area; other schools are upgrading their facilities. We supported the housing initiative because on-campus housing can give the school a real competitive advantage by being better able to attract and retain key faculty and staff.
16
Lorry Lokey: Friend of the Priory
Education is the
most important philanthropic goal for me. What we amount to as individuals is determined by our upbringing and
education. Of course, there are many great donor causes, such as the various health organizations
or environmental issues, but I decided to lock in on education because I think it is the most important—it is a basic building block.
The appeal of the Priory is that it provides quality education. I support local schools, mostly private ones, although I have also supported three public schools. I’m not motivated by the schools’ milestone anniversaries—what I care about is quality education and that is what Woodside Priory provides.
Dotty and Terry Hayes: Alumni Parents
Dotty speaking:
I am particularly excited about the Performing Arts Center. The campus deserves
a flagship building
that will complete the picture and give a physical counterpart to the
human component of the Priory. It is crucial that the facilities match the school’s great human potential and its values.
Aside from updating the physical plant for the next 50 years, it is also important to build a good endowment in order to make the school sustainable and to be able to continue supporting students who need financial aid.
For me, Priory is a very special place. It would be great for the physical grounds to reflect that.
I couldn’t have come across a more interesting project than this one— talking to people about their reasons for believing in and supporting the Golden Jubilee Campaign.