Alumni Profile
Andrew (’77) and Mary Helen (Wright) Heaner (’77) In support of students
Darlington School and Thornwood School for Girls hold a special place in the hearts and minds of Andrew (’77) and Mary Helen (Wright) Heaner (’77) – instilling in them the intangibles that have allowed them to be successful in their life’s passions. And while the Heaners are loyal alumni who have devoted both time and money to Darlington over the years, the Thornwood Campaign proved to be a perfect vehicle for them to get involved with the Second Century Campaign in a meaningful way.
This article was written by Brian Foster, freelance writer and communications director for the Georgia Conservancy. Foster’s work is regularly featured in V3 Magazine.
32
“Our gift will help future Darlington students to have the same opportunities and experiences that Andrew and I shared at Thornwood and at Darlington in the mid-1970s,” said Mary Helen, who currently serves on the school’s Board of Trustees. The Thornwood Campaign was established in 2008 by a committee of alumnae in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the founding of their alma mater, Thornwood School, the all-girls prep-school that Mary Helen attended in grades 6-8. The campaign consists of two parts, each important to the Heaners in their own way. The first establishes the Thornwood Scholarship, which – once fully endowed – will provide a full, fouryear scholarship each year to a female day student to attend Darlington. The second part of the campaign calls for the naming of Thornwood Hall, a female residence hall, which will ensure Thornwood graduates a permanent place on Darlington’s campus, providing opportunities for them to display tokens of their days as students, and to interact with young women who live there. Founded in 1958, Thornwood remained a school until 1973 when it merged with Darlington, resulting in the present-day, co-ed institution on Cave Spring Road. Mary Helen was a
The Heaners pictured with their dog, Brutus.
Darlington Magazine Magazine Darlington