FEATURES
Legacy at the
Forefront By Shannon Drosky, Director of Marketing & Communications
We are deeply grateful to the Bailey and Dawson families for their commitment to providing our students with the very best Country Day experience possible. By making our school a top philanthropic priority, they are moving Country Day’s mission forward and helping us prepare current and future generations of students to lead, think, and do.
Michelle and Mike Bailey To say family is important to Michelle and Mike Bailey is an understatement. When given the opportunity to honor family and Country Day through an investment in a central space on Cannon Campus that aligns with their passion, they jumped all in. Michelle and Mike Bailey’s generous capital gift enables us to better serve our students through an updated and innovative dining facility. Their gift is a testament to their commitment to the future of our school and its students. Mike Bailey shares, “I think Country Day is a terrific school with an exceptional faculty that cares passionately about the students who attend. Having gotten to know the administration and staff very well over the years through my work with the food services on both campuses, I personally can attest to just how much they put into what they do.” The new Michelle and Mike Bailey Upper School Dining Hall, along with other spaces within the new Dowd Student Center, will serve as the heartbeat of campus where students can interact and collaborate. “I see this new space becoming the epicenter of the school given its flexibility to be used for dining and school events as well as internal and external meetings,” Mike continues. “My wife and I are, and always will be, very proud to be associated with Charlotte Country Day School.” 18
PERSPECTIVES
Amy Levine Dawson ’00 and Alfred Dawson As a lifer, Amy Levine Dawson ’00 has called Country Day home for nearly 35 years. First as a student, graduating to alumna and advocate, she and her husband, Alfred, are now current parents of three students and a future Buc. When asked why they decided to make an investment in Country Day through the naming of the Dawson Dining Hall, she shares, “As a family, we have reflected on what has made a lasting impact in our lives, and education and the time we spent in school holds many of our most cherished memories and moments. We would love for our children and the community to have similar experiences throughout their time at Country Day.” The Dawson’s generous capital gift supports Country Day’s key strategic priority to create new opportunities for our students in a distinctive learning environment. The Dawson Dining Hall and other spaces within the new Dowd Student Center will boost Country Day’s ability to foster community. “The Dawson Dining Hall is a place for the Lower School children to come together to enjoy a healthy meal and socialize with friends,” Amy continues. “It is also a place where parents can join their children to share a special meal during the school year. We love how the space is multifunctional. It can easily be converted into an event space and has rooms to host meetings. We think the Dowd Student Center will become a central part of the Cannon Campus.”
