Alumni Council

Dear Fellow St. Paul’s Alumni,

 

I love St. Paul’s, not just because it’s where I attended school and now where our children go to school, but also because its administrators, teachers, and staff truly believe in their God-given mission to properly prepare the next generation.

 

2 Timothy 3:17 states “…that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” This is displayed in no better way than when I watch my children pledge themselves to God, our country and each other on the “Red Steps.” It is from that place that I (and many of you) started my St. Paul’s journey as a student, and where I stood fourteen years later at the end of my St. Paul’s journey. Furthermore, it is from those steps that I attribute so many blessings of my life.

 

This spirit cannot be fulfilled, though, without the necessary resources to support curricular research and implementation for our teachers, fund extra-curricular activities that make our children well-rounded, enhance the use of hands-on technology in a fast-moving world, and improve campus safety and security. Let’s face it, the world is not the same as it was when you and I graduated from St. Paul’s. Now more than ever, we need to ensure that current and future St. Paul’s students receive a well-rounded education in a safe and secure environment. That is why I am so humbled to serve as your Alumni Chair in support of the 2024 Saints Fund.

 

I have to be honest, though. When I was asked to volunteer, I initially said “no.” I strongly dislike talking to people about money, and I particularly don’t like to ask for it. But I could not get the words of Reverend Lydia Knizley Johnson ‘01 out of my mind. One morning while watching my daughter, Katherine, and her classmates sing on the Red Steps, Rev. Johnson reminded us that Jesus was not just in that place, but He is everywhere. What a lesson to hear, and what an honor it was to know that my children will carry that lesson with them into this complicated and confusing world. God impressed on me in that moment that I must say, “Here I am, Lord.”

 

As such, I promise to dedicate this year to making sure St. Paul’s continues to be the wonderful school that it has been for my fellow alumni and me to a new generation of families. I am not alone thanks to the service-minded leadership and teachers who work tirelessly to fulfill this mission every single day. Do you know of another school whose Head of School takes time out of his busy schedule to play the Wizard in the 5^th Grade play – to all the children’s delight? What about the devotion shown by the faculty who dressed in costumes at the raft race at Mirror Lake to show “Science in Action” for our 6^th graders? I bet you have plenty of your own stories from when you were a St. Paul’s Saint! What a gift our dedicated faculty and staff have always been, and continue to be.

 

Join me in committing to make St. Paul’s a philanthropic priority this year. Every gift matters, regardless of the size.  When we join together in unity of purpose for God’s will, we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. With that in mind, let’s partner in making St. Paul’s as strong as it has ever been!

 

Sincerely,

 

Margaret Sue Browning ‘95

Alumni Chair

2024-2025 Saints Fund