4 minute read
Breaking Ground
Serafina Early Learning Center
Alumna’s Legacy Lives on in New Early Learning Center
The youngest students at Delphian will soon have a school building of their own.
Delphian broke ground in April on the new Serafina Early Learning Center. The vision for the project has been at least five years in the making but was made possible by a donation from a generous Delphian family.
Located just west of the main playground in the west staff housing loop, the 1400-square-foot building will provide our youngest students with a warm and supportive environment, and learning spaces young minds need to explore, create, grow, learn and thrive. It will have the capacity to accommodate up to twenty-five children, focusing on ages two through four. This will provide a unique opportunity for young students to start developing their abilities, creativity and knowledge.
To embody a shared love for Delphian and to honor Melissa McPhail Holyfield, who passed in February 2022, Shon Holyfield provided a generous gift to complete the project’s funding.
“Serafina” is the childhood home of one of Melissa’s heroes in her epic fantasy series, A Pattern of Shadow & Light. The Holyfields and the school unanimously agreed on the name for the center.
“Melissa was a beloved graduate, staff member and dedicated volunteer. Her presence, her viewpoint and her actions had a significant positive impact on me personally, and on the Delphian group as a whole. This learning center, in a beautiful way, carries that same positive impact to future generations. Yes, “Serafina” is a region in the world she created, but it is also an apt description for the woman it was chosen to honor,” said Head of School, Trevor Ott.
-Shon Holyfield
At the groundbreaking ceremony, Shon had the following to say: “Thanks to Melissa McPhail Holyfield, I learned of Delphian years ago. Thank you Melissa! Thanks to my amazing daughters – Sarah and Juliet – I saw first-hand how great Delphian staff are and learned about their non-stop journey towards making things better.
"Delphian is simply the best school available anywhere. It’s not the school or the curriculum or the facilities that make Delphian the best––it’s the people that work there and what they do. Delphian staff create and maintain a safe environment, where students can learn without punishment, humiliation, favoritism, or bias. Another way to say it–– Delphian is simply the best group of people anywhere.”
Shon went on to say that almost every person he knows has had their life meaningfully improved because of Delphian. “Delphian staff devote their lives to improving other people’s lives. They don’t do it for high pay or awards or acknowledgment. They do it because they genuinely care about others and want people to do well in life. Few groups exhibit this level of care. Donating to Delphian is important to me because it acknowledges the rightness of what Delphian staff do every day. It says, ‘Thank you for all you do. Thank you for being you. Thank you for the beautiful effects you create. Thank you for every moment of every day you spend empowering others. Thank you.’”
Now, it’s our turn to say “Thank you!” to Shon and the Holyfield family for making this project possible. The doors to Serafina are expected to open in 2023.
