RE Log - Fall 2021

14 Ransom Everglades LOG FALL 2021 “I couldn’t believe it,” she said. “I wanted to go here so much. I was really happy to be part of the community.” As Inceni enters her senior year as an RE Scholar, it’s difficult to determine who has benefited most from the relationship – Inceni, the school or the alumni providing funding. Cabrera is an active member of the school’s Diversity Council, and she has participated in band performances (she plays six instruments), the upper school play, and the former Digital Art Club. She went from being a nervous first-time sailor as a freshman to earning her boater’s license as a member of the Advanced Bay Studies class. She plans to pursue sailing in the future. “We are profoundly grateful to Inceni’s sponsors for making this her reality,” Rich Cabrera said. “It’s great that kids like my daughter get this opportunity, and are able to shine and grow and flourish.” Rich Cabrera has developed close relationships with the alumni supporting his daughter – one of whom is Jon Madorsky ’91 , an RE trustee since last year. Madorsky, Inceni Cabrera and her father are frequently in touch, sharing ideas on how to best support Inceni’s education – whether through summer opportunities, discussions of standardized testing or college application guidance. Madorsky, a managing partner of a private equity firm in Chicago, said he plans to continue investing in RE’s program even after Cabrera graduates in May 2022. “It’s been amazing,” he said. “It allows me to see a really direct impact on a human being. That’s a really cool thing. I feel really good because Inceni is an extraordinary student of life, and to take that extraordinary student of life and help bring her to Ransom Everglades, that just makes the whole community better.” The scholarship program offers donors the opportunity to support one student for four or seven years, and it is designed to ensure that Ransom Everglades attracts the top students in Miami, regardless of their ability to pay. All financial awards are need-based, not merit-based. Ransom Everglades has a long history of supporting students with financial aid, offering more than $70 million in aid to more than 2,700 students over the last 15 years. It also has previously connected promising students with specific donors during their years at RE. The school’s REinventing Excellence campaign, completed in June 2021, expanded on that tradition of student support, establishing a structure for gifts that matched generous individuals with outstanding students. The school has five new annual financial aid funds, and is looking to grow the program for the future. Individuals may provide full scholarships (annual commitment of $50,000) or half-scholarships (annual commitment of $25,000) for either four years (high school) or seven (middle and high school). The scholarships are designed to cover tuition and incidentals, relieving students and their families of financial anxiety during their time at RE. The son of a single mother who worked in the service industry, Thomas Willis ’04 received seven years of support from Ray Zemon ’66 , one of the first to join the RE Scholars program. Willis returned to RE after college, serving as the director of summer programs, coaching baseball and “ It’s been amazing. It allows me to see a really direct impact on a human being. That’s a really cool thing.” – Jon Madorsky ’91 Inceni Cabrera ’22 performing with the RE band and in the school play. Photos by Carl Kafka