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Gratitude Dinner Shines Light on Power of Generosity
Upper schoolers, including the entire Class of 2025, faculty, friends, and donors, gathered on Sunday, April 6, to celebrate the generosity that fuels scholarship and endowment at McDonogh. The Gratitude Dinner: A Celebration of Scholarship and Endowment was an opportunity to demonstrate how the generosity of donors, who believe in the transformative power of a McDonogh education, impacts every student.
In welcoming the guests, Head of School Dave Farace '87 noted, "These benefactors are deeply committed to our students, devoted to our teachers, and passionate about strengthening our programs. Through scholarships and endowed gifts, they have left a mark on our community, impacting every student on campus and ensuring that McDonogh continues to provide exceptional opportunities for generations to come."
Then, Ruth Elias '25, a scholarship recipient, and faculty member John Wood, whose teaching excellence has been enhanced through endowed gifts, shared their experiences.
Saying Yes to Opportunity: Ruth Elias '25
Standing behind the podium, Ruth Elias '25 confidently addressed the crowd—a moment that stood in stark contrast to the nervous fourth grader who arrived at McDonogh in August 2016. She began her remarks by recalling that first day: the looming brick buildings, the way her stomach churned with anxiety, and how she clung to her older sister, who carried herself with quiet confidence, hoping to borrow her courage. But when they reached Elderkin Hall, the dreaded moment of separation arrived.
Ruth recalled, "It became clear to me that though we were now attending the same school, I could no longer cling to her nor the precedents she set. It was my responsibility to form an identity of my own." She continued, "And now, having almost completed my journey here, I can say that I'm so glad that it happened at McDonogh, where the doors swing wide with opportunity."
Ruth shared her deep gratitude for McDonogh's 'yes' culture, especially as she explored her passion for music. She recounted a meaningful Middle School experience that took place when the McDonogh Singers were planning a performance in Disney World. At the time, Ruth said she had already prepared to stay behind due to financial constraints, but her disappointment turned to surprise and joy when her mother received an email from her teacher, Suzanne Eldridge, saying that Ruth would receive financial assistance and be able to attend.
Smiling at the memory, she added, "That 'yes' allowed me to sing with my peers and feel fully part of the experience."
That wouldn't be the last time McDonogh offered support. Ruth also received financial assistance for private music lessons, allowing her to continue nurturing her passion. In fact, shortly before delivering her remarks at the Gratitude Dinner, she had just performed a lead role in "FAME! The Musical" in the Ceres M. Horn Theatre.
Reflecting on her sister's journey and her own, Ruth spoke of the many ways McDonogh empowers students to pursue distinct passions—from robotics to football to improv. She said, "I believe that McDonogh's greatest trait is its ability to support its students' expeditions into themselves so each one develops into a perfectly unique individual."
In closing, Ruth thanked those in attendance for their generosity, adding that support for the Scholarship Program doesn't just open doors—it inspires. "When you say 'yes' to students, you say 'yes' to their futures," she said. "And you've inspired me to ensure the same doors remain open for those who come next."
More to the Story: John Wood
Veteran history teacher John Wood began his remarks by sharing a bit of his own story—how he became a teacher and the spark that ignited his lifelong love of learning. It began with his sophomore year English teacher, who, Wood says, had the greatest impact on him. Nearly 50 years later, he can still recall specific points his teacher made about Mark Twain's "Huckleberry Finn" and how he felt reading particular passages. "It was like a world opening up, and the most powerful message was that there was so much more in the book than the words on the page," he said. That same year, he was introduced to Shakespeare and began to discover that literature offered more than just stories—it was a way to live and to think.
When Wood arrived at McDonogh in February 1992, he walked into Room 3 of Allan Building to teach his first class. He recalled the legendary faculty who surrounded him—Marty McKibbin, Dave Harley, "Big" Smoot, [Bob] Seigman, and Ray Oliver. Oliver, who was in the final year of his half-century career, was a calm, quiet presence who, as Wood put it, taught him in ways he only recognized years later. Fittingly, in 2019, Wood received the Ray Oliver Endowed Teaching Chair.
Wood went on to express his gratitude to donors who make professional development possible, sharing that for more than 30 years at McDonogh, he has been able to feed his curiosity by attending conferences, traveling, and presenting research. "Maybe the most lasting thing we can accomplish in a school is to nurture a curiosity that reminds us there's more to the story than we now know," he said.
To illustrate that point, Wood described a formative experience during his time teaching African history, when a professional development endowment allowed him to spend two weeks in Senegal. "I met a craftsman with a human-powered water pump, a teacher who built his own schoolhouse, and a women's collective drying and selling fish," he recalled—an experience that deeply shaped his belief that history is about people and their experiences.
In more recent years, endowment support has also enabled Wood to lead trips to Vietnam, where students learned firsthand from veterans, survivors, and others still living with the war's legacy.
Addressing donors at the Gratitude Dinner, Wood concluded, "To get to do what we love to do—to teach—is not a sacrifice. It's an opportunity. A teacher is not something you become once. It's something you are always becoming. And your support makes that possible."
