By Mary Lou Janson
Berkeley Preparatory School www.berkeleyprep.org
Mike and Cristina McIlwain are proud graduates and advocates of two of Tampa’s stellar private schools, Berkeley Preparatory School and the Academy of Holy Names. So when the time came to select a school for their daughter Ella, they faced a tough choice. After carefully considering their schools, along with other public and private options, Berkeley Prep emerged the forerunner. Today, Ella, seven, is a first grader and brother Grayson, five, is following in the family footsteps by attending kindergarten at Berkeley Prep. Three-year-old Lucia will join her siblings on campus when she is older. Dr. Mike McIlwain vividly recalls how his years at Berkeley enabled him to build life-long friendships, excel at athletics — as a senior, he was selected Florida Soccer Player of the Year — and learn in a highly supportive, well integrated environment. That valued experience was shared with three sisters and a brother, who graduated from there as well. He remains such a champion of the school that he often volunteers for events and provides professional mentoring to high school students. “The staff and faculty are very family-oriented. They make sure everyone feels comfortable and treat everyone’s kids like they are second parents to those kids; and that’s how our children feel about them,” said Dr. McIlwain, of McIlwain Dentistry, a practice and partnership he runs with an uncle and cousin.
The medical field has proved to be a family affair with sisters, Dr. Laura Cruse and Dr. Kim Smith, working alongside their father at McIlwain Medical Group. Evidence that Berkeley enables graduates to prepare for college and beyond, McIlwain noted. It took a bit of convincing before Cristina was persuaded to cast her parental vote. “The second I stepped foot on campus, I instantly felt at home there. It is easy to be impressed with the campus but the true magic of Berkeley is more behind the scenes,” she said. “We had such an amazing experience Ella’s first year. But she and her brother have very different styles and personalities. It sealed the deal for me to see how well the teachers hone in on each child to determine what works for them and how to instill a love of learning in everyone.” After serving as homeroom mom for both her daughter’s and son’s kindergarten classes, Cristina knows firsthand how well the teachers make sure everyone is learning at their individual levels, never limiting a child’s progress or letting them fall behind. She also observed how students are taught early on to be respectful of each other and make sure no one feels left out. “When you see your kids loving to learn, excited to go to school, leaping out of the car and running to give their teachers a hug, you know you made the right decision.” Founded in 1960, Berkeley is located on a beautiful 80-acre campus in the Town ‘n Country suburb of Tampa. Students from Pre-K through grade 12 engage in a vigorous, balanced course load at every grade level to prepare them for college, as well as provide intellectual, emotional, spiritual and physical development.
www.TampaBayMetro.com
December|January 2014
61