Aiming for Another Record-Setting Year The 2019–2020 Annual Fund officially kicked off on October 4. Headmaster Kerry Brennan, Annual Fund Chairman Bryan Anderson ’88, Mat Cefail of Class I, and Tevin Barros ’14 each took to the podium to share with current and past parents, alumni, faculty, staff, and friends the importance of RL in their lives, and the ways in which donors’ generosity makes a Roxbury Latin education possible. Read excerpts from their speeches here: KERRY BRENNAN, HEADMASTER “You know that last year the school achieved another milestone by busting through the goal and receiving more than $4 million in gifts to the Annual Fund. As notable as that figure is, that 2,189 parents, alumni, and friends of the school believed in us is a similarly impressive reality. They believed that we have the capacity to change lives for the better. Given the talent, versatility, diversity, and ambition of the boys with whom we have the pleasure of working, it would be surprising and, in fact, criminal, were we not to ask of them all that we do. In a culture that cries out for such leadership, we are offering to the world each year a cadre of good men who can change it, who can change our world for the better. In small ways, perhaps even in undiscernible ways, the boys we serve will go on to serve others, to serve those in need, to serve worthy causes. And in doing so they will lead. In the communities they will encounter and shape—families, neighborhoods, cities and towns, states and our Nation, in the workplace, in places of worship—these boys grown into good men will carry with them the burden and the legacy of this place in which character is paramount. Since 1645 we have been in pursuit of a single-minded goal: to fit students to
lead and serve, to represent and reflect that which is good and bright and honorable. // TEVIN BARROS ’14 “My RL journey was truly a special one, and as I stand up here tonight I am overcome with a feeling that most RL boys feel every time they step on campus and reminisce. It is a sense of belonging and pride that I realized I carried with me long after my time at RL. I continued on to attend Tufts University, and when I think about my four years there I agree with most of my peers: that RL sets its students apart in preparation for learning at the next level and in life. Through this shared experience we learned to think critically, challenge our perspectives, and push ourselves through any speed bumps to maximize our potential for growth. After Tufts, I went on to work in an elementary school in my hometown of Dorchester, and I believe RL played a strong role in this decision. My journey from grade school to Tufts was such a unique experience—one sadly not enough students are able to partake in. The commitment of time and effort from the RL community that went into making my journey possible, not only on my behalf, but for so many others, is what makes
N e w s l e t t e r o f Th e R o x b u r y L at i n S c h o o l
43
