Saints Alumni, Walk this Way!

BY KARA MAYS

The St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes Alumni Association fosters interest in and promotes the welfare of the school, its faculty, students, and alumni, and encourages closer relationships among these groups. Amidst the most ambitious campaign in school history, Saints Together: Our Campaign for Community, the school is excited to celebrate a transformational gift from the SSSAS Alumni Association Board (AAB) that will support all three pillars of this historic campaign: the Upper School project, The Saints Fund, and the Gift of a Saints Education.

In recognition of their gift, a welcoming brick walkway for The Terrace at the Upper School will be named for the AAB. “The Alumni Walk will be a beloved outdoor area for student activities, faculty, and alumni to commemorate all who have paved the way before us. SSSAS has a rich history of traditions and timeless hallmarks that make us who we are today. This beautiful new walkway will be such a nice space to bring us together for Saints celebrations and community events,” said Erin McConnell ’99, AAB president and parent of Alex ’30, Charlie ’32, and Stella ’35 Blaker.

As the Alumni Association’s governing body, the AAB have been ardent philanthropic supporters since the Association’s inception. Records show that St. Agnes School had an alumnae association as far back as 1938 and St. Stephen’s School had an alumni association in 1978. The two associations merged together when the school merged in fall 1991.

At the time discussion of this gift began, the AAB Executive Committee included President Christian Ferry ’93 (parent of Spencer ’23 and Walker ’26), Vice President Yumi Belanga ’96 (parent of Alessia ’27), and Treasurer Dave Cogar ’87 (parent of Jackson ’16 and Mackenzie ’19).

“The AAB has always been focused on alumni communication, engagement, and philanthropy,” said Dave. “Supporting Saints Together fits our mission.”

An initial $50,000 pledge was made and fulfilled in 2021, followed by a second $20,000 pledge in 2022, and lastly a $30,000 pledge in 2023 to total $100,000. “We wanted to signal to our alumni that the AAB fully supports the campaign and wanted to encourage them to join us in giving back,” said Dave.

“This commitment allowed us to not only show gratitude for what the school has done for us as students, but also how it continues to emphasize connection beyond the years on campus,” said Yumi. “The school has left a lasting impact on us, and we are returning that impact in a way that helps Saints of today and tomorrow experience the same meaningful value.”

The new Upper School wing, on track to be completed this fall, will catapult our facilities to match the needs of our community, while also securing our trajectory into our next hundred years. “The space will provide infinite opportunities for greater community engagement for our students, parents, and alumni. It will make SSSAS a better place for all,” said Dave.

Every year the AAB and Alumni Class Ambassadors work together to keep alumni engaged and informed. Class Ambassadors are lead volunteers from individual graduating classes who serve as representatives between their classmates and the school for the purpose of gathering and sharing information and philanthropic stewardship. The AAB aims to increase philanthropic engagement and raise the overall alumni giving percentage, a reflection of alumni sentiment and engagement. “All big gifts begin from earlier small ones,” said Dave.

“We hope that fellow alums appreciate their SSSAS experiences, the lifelong friendships, cherished teachers and coaches, and their preparation for adulthood. And we hope they are willing to pay it forward by giving back to SSSAS, just as past alumni did for us,” said Yumi. “Supporting Saints Together allows innovative opportunities for both students and our esteemed educators, and those benefits will reach beyond our campuses into the community.”

COMING SOON!

More information about naming a brick for
The Alumni Walk
will be available this fall.