RE LOG Fall 2017

FALL 2017 Ransom Everglades LOG 31 Rudy Prio Touzet ’76 and his fellow trustees stand on the threshold of an exciting future The decision by the Ransom Everglades board of trustees to acquire the La Brisa property in the summer of 2016 repre- sented one of the boldest moves in the school’s history. The acquisition opened a door to a future with more trees, wider quads and expansive lawns even as the school makes dramatic material improve- ments to its campus, beginning in 2018 with the construction of a state-of-the-art Multidisciplinary + STEM Center on its current Upper School grounds. Though it’s been 47 years since Board of Trustees Chair Rudy Prio Touzet ’76 arrived to the Ransom School as a wide- eyed “critter”– the designation handed all of the seventh-grade students at the time – Prio Touzet said he’s never been more excited about the future of Ransom Everglades. Eight years ago, Prio Touzet, the founder and chief executive officer of Banyan Street Capital, was invited to join the school’s 30-member board, and last year he assumed the mantle of chair. He took time out of his busy schedule this summer to reflect on his personal history at the school and what lies ahead for Ransom Everglades. You joined RE’s board in 2009 and became chair in 2016. Why get so involved? Ransom Everglades really al- tered the direction of my life. I can’t imagine where I would be otherwise. I came from a very small elementary school off Eighth Street that was made up of Cuban immi- grants, Loyola School. There were about 100 students in a house that was no more than 6-7,000 square feet. My mom made it her mission to make sure my brother Carlos and I found our way to The Ransom School. Carlos, who was four years older, arrived to Ransom first. I remember the feeling of, “Wow, this is unbelievable.” I remember it like it was yesterday. It opened my eyes to possibilities. I’m confident it’s the same feeling some of our Breakthrough Miami students experience today when they first set foot on our campuses. What made you say “wow”? There used to be a building that housed arts, next to the swimming pool. It was like the Pagoda. You opened up the window and you had a clear shot of the bay. I never went to a school where you had the arts to begin with. So to have all of that, an arts program, a view of the bay, overlooking the pool, it was inspiring. I made the most of every minute. I played basketball, baseball and football. I was in the choir and a couple of musicals. And I had great teachers. Engaged teachers. I remember Morgan Kelly. Mr. Kelly was a character. He wore suspenders with shorts. He was crotchety, but he was intense with geography, and I just got immersed in his class. The last course I took was econom- ics with Mike Stokes. At that point, I was pre-med. I was all math and science to that point. But I took that class and ended up minoring in economics. That really made a difference for me. My mother was very active at the school. I’m not sure how she managed it, but she did, even with limited English skills. She eventually became the head of the parents’ association. My brother and I moved fast through Loyola, so we were very young at Ransom Everglades. I was 16 when I graduated. My mom gave me no choice: I “The acquisition of La Brisa was, in my mind, the only proper answer to allow Ransom Everglades to provide a much-needed facelift to its facilities without losing the original feel of the campus.”