STAT BOX
Avid member of her University Dance Company....and has been practicing yoga ever since
Exchange student to Italy in high school....the beginning of a life-long love affair with the Italian language
Married to her high school sweetheart with three young boys
Enjoys yoga, the theater, studying Italian, cooking, and travel
Especially loves visiting Italy, Great Britain, and the Rocky Mountains (American and Canadian)
Co-founder of an education-focused, collective action fund
Q: TO KICK THINGS OFF, WOULD YOU TELL US ABOUT YOUR ORGANIZATION, TRUST FOR LEARNING?
A: Glad to. I am a co-founder of Trust for Learning, a collective action fund (somewhat like SheGives!) in which funders interested in reframing education to be consistent with the way children naturally and effectively learn can come together around a unified giving strategy. We believe that education built on sound cognitive science and developmental practice is better for children, as well as for our economy and civil society. Our priorities are to build the capacity and reach of existing education models that meet these criteria, build children’s social-emotional skills (like executive functions) in addition to academics, and put students at the center of learning. We have a particular focus on early childhood education.
Q: WHAT A FABULOUS IDEA! SWITCHING GEARS A BIT, I KNOW YOU ENJOY TRAVEL. WHAT’S THE MOST AMAZING PLACE YOU’VE VISITED?
A: Italy is closest to my heart and my husband and I have taken many wonderful trips there together. But my most amazing trip was a month I spent in Europe with my whole family. We rented a house for 10 days on the Dingle Coast in Ireland, and then spent another 10 days exploring England and Scotland (London, Edinburgh, the English countryside and the Scottish highlands). We have roots in each, so it was fascinating to visit and compare them all in a short stretch. Then, right before we left, we found the opportunity to link to a family cruise through myth-related sites in Italy and Greece on a small ship…that both my mother and mother-in-law wanted to do! In the end, the trip linked up a bunch of my favorite places, helped me introduce my children to Europe through the lens of their then-favorite books (Harry Potter and Percy Jackson) AND let us have a great time together across generations. It was a dream come true.
Q: ANY PLACES CURRENTLY ON YOUR WISHLIST?
A: I have a LONG list! My top three at the moment are Morocco, Patagonia and sailing in Croatia. I’ve wanted to see Croatia since high school, when my Italian exchange family raved about it…now I’m going to have to hurry before it’s overcrowded! And since I love the Rockies…both American and Canadian….I’m very curious to explore Patagonia and get another dose of wild and wonderful mountains. But next up is hopefully Morocco. My goddaughter just arrived there for a one-year language immersion program and is living with a family in Marrakech. I’ve wanted to see Morocco for a long time, because it’s so different from the cultures I know….and now I have the perfect ambassador!
Q: AND NOW TO WRAP THINGS UP! WHO BROUGHT YOU INTO SHEGIVES? WHAT DO YOU LIKE BEST ABOUT HER?
A: Sarah Burgess Reed brought me into SheGives. I love that she has a vibrant, infectious energy, a penchant for looking out for fellow female colleagues…and a great sense of style.
SheGives connects committed, inquisitive, engaged donors with a slate of diligenced nonprofits in the Greater Boston area. We provide members with relevant data about the nonprofits in our portfolio and an opportunity to meet directly with our nonprofits’ Executive Directors and senior staff in small settings that promote in-depth q&a’s and, ultimately, informed giving. Giving is personally driven, but because we give side-by-side our collective impact is greater. See a list of the vetted nonprofits selected for our slate here.
WhoIsShe is a regular column featuring an appreciative but sometimes irreverent conversation with a SheGives Member.
