Why was it important for you to organize the 50-year celebration for the Class of 1975?

TOM: I started taking the lead on our reunions a few decades ago. It was “taught” to me at an early age that there is little more important than family and friends. My high school years, and the friendships made then, mean a great deal to me, so I have been compelled to do what I can to keep as many of us together as possible.

How did it feel to see classmates reconnect after so many years, and what stood out about those moments?

TOM: Seeing and feeling the genuine love and happiness between classmates. Perhaps it is just our biased perception, but we have always felt we have a special class. Maybe every class feels that way. At our Sunday brunch, our host, Lisa Bishoff Cornell, always brings out old class photos that go back to Kindergarten through 8th grade. It’s pretty amazing how many of us ended up at Stevenson and are now regulars at our reunions. These are 60+ year relationships!

Why was it important for your class to establish the Class of 1975 Endowment Fund supporting Stevenson students through the Foundation’s One Family program?

TOM: It started out as Tim Mercier’s idea of giving back to AESHS in a way that would last beyond just a reunion. We talked extensively about what a legacy gift could look like. After meeting with the Stevenson Foundation team and learning about One Family, we felt we had a really valuable and meaningful purpose for our legacy gift campaign.

What was the response from your classmates when the idea of the Legacy Campaign was first introduced?

TOM: Tim and I were very cautious about how we presented the campaign. It was important to us that no classmates ever felt like contributing to the campaign was a prerequisite for attending the reunion. We discussed it that way with the planning committee, and everyone on the committee was very supportive. Tim and I were certainly appreciative of that support and felt it validated the idea and our goal. In fact, it was committee members who pushed for the increase from $25k to the “stretch” goal of $30k. It was an ongoing challenge to get folks to actually view the YouTube video. Often, we’d hear from people that they did not really know what the campaign was for. Seeing the video was, and is, such a powerful tool.

What impact do you hope this endowment will have on students and families in the years ahead?

TOM: I think we have a pretty good idea, through the videos and testimonials, of what the One Family program does. We hope our relatively small annual contribution will help the program continue doing what it already does—help under-resourced students make the very most of their high school years. It would also be pretty cool if future classes look at what we were able to do and decide to top the Class of ’75!

What do you hope the Class of 1975’s legacy will be at Stevenson?

TOM: We feel we are a special group of lifelong friends. If our friendship did not start at Stevenson, I think it was cemented there. Perhaps the Legacy Gift will help others see our class as we see it—a pretty special group.

What advice do you have for current SHS students—whether they’re just starting their Stevenson journey or preparing for life after graduation?

TOM: Don’t allow the pressure of high school to keep you from enjoying it. You don’t have to “keep your head down,” working your tail off to such a degree that you look back at your high school years and wonder what happened to forming lifelong friendships and enjoying the ride.