A few years ago, I attended a lecture given by legendary financier and billionaire philanthropist Warren Buffett. The most memorable moment occurred when he asked his audience if anyone had heard of the ovarian lottery and the room fell silent.
“I want you to imagine a lottery machine with millions of balls bouncing around inside” he explained. “In fact, there’s exactly the number of balls in the machine as there are people in the world. And at the time you were born, a ball popped out from the machine, representing your life’s ‘lucky number,’ namely where on the planet you’d be born, to whom, etc.”
“Now, how many of you in this room would give up your ball for a chance at a better one from the machine?”
Not one hand went up.
“Just as I suspected. None of you would take that risk because you all lead relatively privileged lives. In fact, I would say that you’ve all won the ovarian lottery.” He then concluded thoughtfully: “With your good fortune, comes even greater responsibility.”
I share this story because it relates to my passion and commitment as The Study’s Director of Advancement & Alumnae Relations. Having been in this role for one year, I believe that Study girls and “old girls” are indeed privileged. But not for the reasons one might assume.
Study girls are privileged because they receive an outstanding education in an environment where they are encouraged to achieve their personal best. Study alumnae, on the other hand, are privileged because the school has long recognized that the world needs great women and empowered them to that end.
Thus, what is most striking to me about both Study students and graduates is the extent to which they are inspired to use their skills and talents for the betterment of society. Not only would Mr. Buffett approve, this is one reason why I feel privileged to be part of The Study community.
I am also privileged to work with highly engaged volunteers who work tirelessly to support the School, including members of The Advancement Committee, Campaign Cabinet and our Foundation Trustees.
Finally, I am privileged to lead the Advancement efforts for The Study School Foundation, which aims to grow the School’s endowment funds. Believing that our girls deserve the most outstanding educational experience possible, our goal is to become the best endowed girls’ day school in Canada.
As such, we are actively seeking philanthropic support for the following four Endowment Funds, each of which match one of the four vision pillars developed by the school’s Board of Governors. For more details, please see the links below.
I welcome any and all questions or conversations about these important funds and thank you in advance for considering philanthropic support.
World-class academic institutions such as ours recognize that the most outstanding young minds and great spirits deserve the opportunity to excel, despite their families’ financial circumstances.
We are committed to removing barriers of accessibility.
Currently, approximately 5% of our student body receives some form of financial support – well below the level offered by leading independent schools around the world. Our long-term goal, therefore, is to provide financial aid to 20% of our students, enabling us to attract and retain the absolute brightest and most dynamic girls in Montreal.
Everyone learns differently. And while we may know this intuitively, neuroscience proves it conclusively. Furthermore, when an individual understands how they learn, they begin adopting better ways to learn – ways suited to their unique learning style.
The implications of this for education cannot be understated.
Led by Learning Specialists, who work in partnership with our parents and highly skilled teachers, we provide personalized learning strategies to all our students. This means, whether a student endeavours to develop exceptional gifts and talents or to conquer a particular learning difference, we are ready and able to coach, guide and empower them.
Every year, The Study proudly graduates a class of creative, articulate, critical-thinking problem-solvers, who possess integrity, tenacity, heart and soul.
And they join a legion of Study alumnae who share an uncanny level of confidence and courage. This occurs because we are committed to developing “self-leadership” in our girls: optimism, self-awareness, moral courage, a commitment to life-long learning and a willingness to work hard, manage emotions and practice self-reflection.
We also encourage our girls to have big, bold dreams and to pursue them unabashedly.
Currently, our dynamic programs foster risk-taking, team-building and innovative thinking. We support our girls’ participation in leadership conferences, debating tournaments, Model UN, our “Women in Leadership” lecture series, life-skills programming, post-secondary and career guidance, the Grade 11 leadership retreat, Community Service programs, The Environmental Club, Student Council and The Force (our House System), etc.
At The Study, we are committed to a whole-student philosophy aimed at meeting the physical, creative and socio-emotional needs of our students. As such, our athletics and wellness programs are designed to help our girls establish and maintain lifelong physical and mental health and overall well-being.
Mens sana in corpore sano. A healthy mind in a healthy body
That is why we place a premium on providing a learning environment that supports and promotes wellness, an active lifestyle, a love of competitive sport, stress-management, good nutrition and balance. We are also passionate about developing athletic prowess in our girls, and continue to strive in our athletic programming to provide every opportunity for each girl to test her limits and exercise great sportsmanship.
