RE Log - Fall 2021

2 Ransom Everglades LOG FALL 2021 From the Pagoda The last two issues of this magazine documented one of the most uncertain times in our school’s history, a period we are glad to leave behind. As I type this letter, I am grateful that we are finally in a very different place. We opened this school year with hope and optimism. Not complacency – we continue to be vigilant and respectful of the virus – but there is an encouraging and palpable excitement about what’s ahead, and an appreciation for what we’ve come through. A lot happened while we had our eyes on the horizon and hands on the tiller. We grew as a community; that has been clear in watching our students interact and engage on our campuses. It was clear on our first football Friday in September, when students and parents populated (not filled) the stands for the first time in more than a year, cheering on the Raiders (they won). It was especially clear after the passing on September 14 of the incomparable Mike Stokes, who influenced countless students during his 48 years at RE. So many of you reached out to the school, and to each other, to share stories of this extraordinary educator. Don’t miss the remembrance authored by Patty Shillington ’77 on page 70. We also witnessed more tangible testaments to our community’s spirit. Some 90 percent of our vaccine-eligible students chose to get vaccinated, putting our community and the greater good first. We are thankful to them and their families. We also exceeded our annual fund goal in one of the most challenging years in our school history, as alumni, families and RE friends rallied to give more than $3 million for the second straight year. And we brought our REinventing Excellence campaign to a close early, surpassing our $75 million target this past summer by more than $7 million. If we had known a pandemic would interrupt this effort, we would never have dreamed of an early conclusion to the campaign. And yet, here we are. Please enjoy perusing our Campaign Report of Giving on page 35. We are, as the cover of this magazine declares, Navigating to Next, and we have a few great stories to share. Don’t miss the piece on page 12 that highlights one of our RE Scholars, Inceni Cabrera ’22 , a student whose contributions to Ransom Everglades during the last four years manage to dwarf the generous scholarship that allowed her to attend. Our RE Scholars program is one of the lesser-known highlights of the campaign that brought us the new Constance & Miguel Fernandez STEM Center. The expanded program connects those who love RE – such as the alumni who supported Inceni throughout high school – with deserving scholars who are making a difference now, and will continue to make a difference out in the world. Devi Sridhar ’01 made the RE community proud as a teenager – she was the youngest U.S. student ever to earn a Rhodes Scholarship – Navigating to Next We opened this school year with hope and optimism. Not complacency – we continue to be vigilant and respectful of the virus – but there is an encouraging and palpable excitement about what’s ahead ...” “ Photos by Josh Prezant