According to psychologists who study the science of generosity, giving often fulfills people’s sense of purpose in life. Marlone Henderson, Ph.D., professor of psychology at The University of Texas at Austin, says that many donors intentionally put great emphasis on whether a campaign or a cause is congruent with their values. “When potential donors are thinking Kim Hicks ’02 and Matt Miller ’02 about giving to something that will materialize in the far-off future or giving to beneficiaries in geographically Several years distant locations, they likely think more later, Smith and abstractly and care more about whether the cause aligns with Meredith McDaniel ’92, P ’30, ’28, and Sampson’s triplet their values,” says Henderson. “Usually when donors make big Patrick Chang P ’30, ’28 grandchildren, Alex gifts, they are imagining their gifts lasting through the ages.” ’29, Elizabeth ’29 “Lasting through the ages” is what Matt Miller ’02 and his and Robert Roth wife, Kim Hicks ’02, had in mind when they decided to make a transformational gift to the future Science and Technology Center. ’29, enrolled in St. Stephen’s Middle School. “We fell more in love with the community as we learned about “When I think back to my time in physics and robotics and all the special opportunities granted to their student body, especially those kinds of classes, it was primitive by comparison to what since we were now on the mailing list for the Spartan [Magazine] we’re doing for students today,” says Miller. “But then it’s in publication! We are confident that our contributions will enable exactly the same facility that we students globally to meet were in 20 years ago and that I St. Stephen’s mission ‘to inspire a think people were probably in 20 lasting love of learning and spirit of years before that — that was when service so that each of our students it clicked. We were just wanting to lives a life of meaning and enriches do something for the school, but the world,’” says Smith. also seeing the need of having the The act of giving matters today facilities that match the quality of and forever, and the generosity of the curriculum.” Lasting Impact donors will be felt “We’d honestly been looking for for generations to come. something that felt like a really “We believe a well-rounded good fit for us, where we felt like we education requires contemporary were actually making an impact. — HANI TALEBI, Ph.D., P ’31, ’29, ’27 tools and an environment that And as we talked about different spurs engagement,” says Dr. things, this was one of the initial Talebi. “Today’s learners thrive things that really resonated,” says when spaces are purpose-built for inquiry, collaboration and Hicks. creativity — where a student can move from a whiteboard sketch Miller and Hicks first met as students at St. Stephen’s. After to prototyping to testing in a single afternoon. St. Stephen’s has moving back to Austin, the couple found themselves drawn to the vision and culture to make those moments happen every day, campus again as active volunteers. Through their gift, they hope and we wanted to help accelerate that. Our gift is simply a vote to give future students the same experience of deep connection of confidence in the school’s ability to prepare students to think and a supportive community that, as Hicks notes, they both deeply, work ethically and build solutions that matter.” treasure and never take for granted. “We know our gifts will be used wisely by the St. Stephen’s Generosity has come full circle and is what prompted Trish leadership, who provide such wonderful learning opportunities Smith GP ’29, ’29, ’29 and her husband, Marty Sampson GP to their diverse student body and foster leaders during their ’29, ’29, ’29, to make regular leadership gifts to the Annual Fund St. Stephen’s education and beyond,” says Smith. and a multiyear gift to the future Science and Technology Center. “Our original inspiration to give modestly to St. Stephen’s came in 2013, when we first moved to Austin,” says Smith. “We began contributing to the school because they graciously let me hike their campus.”
“This is about taking the gratitude we feel now and crafting something meaningful with it for the St. Stephen’s community of tomorrow.”
sstx.org
7