NEWS

Winter 2008

New alumni volunteer leaders
Lab alumni treated to University benefits

Fall 2007

Classes in Action

New alumni volunteer leaders

The Laboratory Schools welcome two new alumni volunteer leaders this year. Russell Elliott, ’62, serves as the chair of the Ida DePencier Society which recognizes alumni contributing $1000 or more to Lab. Dan Kirschner, ’90, serves as chair of the Annual Fund Committee with the goal of increasing alumni participation in the annual fund. He will also work to assist reunion classes in shaping fundraising efforts.

Now retired and residing in Arizona, Mr. Elliott previously served as director of engineering for Johnson & Johnson. “My experience at the Laboratory Schools from Kindergarten through High School was the most enjoyable experience in my life,” he says. “The Lab Schools, along with my parents’ love and guidance, have been and continue to be a great influence in my life.” Mr. Elliott cites late Lab instructor Ida DePencier as “the most effective, loving, and accepting teacher I ever met besides my mother” and encourages other alumni to donate $1,000 or more in their favorite teacher’s name and become a member of the DePencier Society.

Mr. Kirschner is an attorney with Corboy & Demetrio, P.C. He resides in Chicago with his wife Emily. He says that he became a volunteer because, “First and foremost, Lab serves as one the fundamental pillars of who I am today. The relationships formed, lessons learned, and education received at Lab over the years…all come together into a unique, individualistic, and lifelong construct.” Mr. Kirschner reminds fellow alumni that “to recognize the importance of Lab in one's past is not enough. Rather, a show of appreciation for the presence of Lab in our present lives requires that we come together as a Lab community in order to assure the future of Lab in perpetuity for others.”

Lab alumni treated to University benefits

Even after graduation, Lab students continue to benefit from the Schools' connection to the University of Chicago. The University recognizes Lab alumni as University alumni and therefore extends a wealth of opportunities to Lab graduates. Here are a few of the highlights:

• Alumni ID card, which allows access to the libraries and athletic facilities
• Reference privileges at the University of Chicago libraries, with borrowing privileges available for a fee
• Eligibility for membership in New York’s Penn Club and Hyde Park’s own Quadrangle Club, as well as for membership in the Club Quarters hotel chain
• Eligibility for discounted rates for membership at the University’s Ratner Athletics Center or Henry Crown Field House
• Eligibility for the University of Chicago Platinum Visa card, the use of which supports student aid and alumni programs
• Access to Career Advising and Placement Services, which provides career counseling, and access to the Alumni Career Network—13,000 alumni who have volunteered to share their knowledge and expertise with other alumni
• Eligibility for medical and life insurance plans sponsored by the University of Chicago Alumni Association, as well as special rates for car, home, and renter's insurance.

More information on University of Chicago Alumni Benefits

Classes in Action

Fundraising efforts by the Class of ’77 and the parents of the Class of 2007 created two new endowed scholarships at the Laboratory Schools this year. Both are aimed at supporting highly qualified U-High students who would not be able to attend Lab without substantial financial aid.

While serving on Lab’s Alumni Advisory Committee, Charlie Bobrinskoy, ’77 learned that the Laboratory Schools’ endowment is smaller than similarly sized independent schools. As a result, Lab does not have the resources it needs to fund financial aid for students at a time when the cost of education everywhere is increasing faster than family income. School leadership discussed with the committee its belief that a better-funded scholarship program would help sustain the diversity that is so important to a Lab education and would ensure that the best students are able to attend the school.

In partnership with friends and fellow Class of ’77ers John Simpson and Sekhar Bahadur, Mr. Bobrinskoy took action, asking classmates to make a landmark gift in honor of their 30th reunion.

“It takes a few years to realize that the Lab experience was unique and exceptional. There aren’t many places that offer the diversity of ideas and students with such high academic excellence,” says Mr. Simpson. “We want to help maintain the richness of Lab’s student body by providing a scholarship to academically deserving students who financially could not otherwise attend.”

The Class of ’77 efforts have been noteworthy. Already, the class has made gifts and pledges exceeding $125,000. At that level, the fund currently provides about one-fourth of a student’s tuition, a percentage that will hopefully increase over time. The first beneficiaries of these scholarships will start at U-High in fall of 2009.

“There appears to be an increased energy on the part of our alumni to invest in Lab,” says Director of Development and Alumni Relations Sarai Hoffman. “We have been working hard to make sure that our alumni stay connected to the school and understand where it’s going. Labbies can be a pretty motivated group, and it shows in creative ways—even when it comes to fundraising.”

Lab families have also started to become a larger part of the force that is producing new scholarship funds. Even before their first reunion, the Class of 2007 will be able to contribute to a scholarship fund established in their honor. Led by Bob Parsons, father of Elizabeth Parsons, ’07, class parents created an endowed fund that will be allowed to grow for several years before the first scholarship is awarded. “Most of the parents support their own alma maters as well as other charities, so we know that giving back is important,” says Mr. Parsons. “If the Class of ’07 stays involved and continues to build their fund, it will grow to be a meaningful way for them to stay connected with each other and with Lab.”

“From Lab’s perspective, these two initiatives have sparked new and exciting ways of thinking about links between alumni and students,” says Ms. Hoffman. “While annual giving is as important as it ever was, combining resources to create a class scholarship fund presents opportunities for alumni to see the impact of their support more directly, through annual reports and interactions with students. It is very consistent with how we see the Lab community working together across the entire school.”

All content © 2007-08 The University of Chicago | Laboratory Schools 1362 E. 59th St. Chicago, Il. 60637 (773) 702-9450 Fax: (773) 702-7455