Inspired: Stories of Giving

Hawken is such a fun place to be! I love how kind my colleagues are, and I love how this translates into students excited to arrive at school each day. They’re exceptionally cared for, and because of this, are thrilled to engage in their own learning.

Hawken truly values and attends to the whole child. Whether our students work with teachers for math, learning enhancement, art, or athletics, our faculty care for the entirety of our students. We value academics and intellect, but also place a high importance on character and integrity. We work as a team of educators across grade-levels, divisions, and campuses to really promote and celebrate the growth and special qualities of each one of our students.

I also love that Hawken encourages faculty to seek out professional development opportunities. Most recently, I spent time visiting schools with makerspaces, which helped shape the facility and programming at the new Goldberg Family Innovation Lab. I was able to test out furniture designs, observe classes, and consider new tools and machines to add to our space. I also thought of curricular projects to bring back to our faculty that I would not have envisioned otherwise.

The Innovation Lab only opened this fall, but we are already seeing our students embody a sense of “maker empowerment.” They’ve embraced the idea that the world we live in is not the world we must inhabit tomorrow – we can design, tinker, prototype, and build to make it better. We hope Hawken students will stand out in their creativity, “I-can-do-that” attitude, and comfort with using tools from handsaws to laser cutters and circuitry.

I’m grateful for the many people who support the school philanthropically. They help make Hawken both a wonderful place for students to learn and grow and an exceptional professional environment. Every hour of every day, the Hawken Fund empowers our students and faculty to say “yes” to new and innovative ideas.

Every morning, our students arrive at school ready to work hard, and even though they may not directly interface with me, they deserve to be supported. As a faculty member, I’m inspired to give to the Hawken Fund because I know there’s only so much I can do in my role and I want to invest in every one of my colleagues and students.

Anna Delia
Director of the Lyndhurst Innovation Lab
 

Matthew and Jakob love going to school! The experiences are what really stick with them – Matthew loved the Camp Asbury trip in fifth grade, and Jakob can tell you anything you want to know about the monarch butterfly. After school, they’ve both enjoyed the opportunity to try new activities – chess, academic challenge, and fencing.

Our children have fun at school, but they’re also being challenged in meaningful ways. We appreciate that our sons’ teachers are thoughtful about what types of skills students will need in the future. As a result, the curriculum is exceptionally innovative. Every day, Matthew and Jakob are given choices and independence. This engages them in their learning and deepens their sense of personal responsibility.

We’re pleased to support the Hawken Fund every year because we believe in the School. We see how committed the Hawken parent community is and we want to be a part of that. It’s also great to be able to direct our gift to the programs that our boys enjoy the most, and know that we’re making an immediate impact on their experience.

Linda & Tim
Parents of Matthew ’25 & Jakob ’30
 

Hawken is the type of place where you smile at someone walking by and they smile back. This school is full of authentic people, and I appreciate that Hawken encourages you to work hard to become the best version of yourself.

It would be impossible to choose a favorite class or a specific teacher who’s meant a lot to me. I’m a lifer at Hawken, and I can honestly say that every single teacher has had an impact on me. Each one has challenged me to think in a different way.

Participating in speech and debate has helped me find my voice and has given me the confidence to pursue my other interests. I’ve enjoyed my involvement with tennis, chess, Calliope, the AffNo, and the Asian Culture Club. And without speech and debate, my co-editor and I wouldn’t have made a Jeff Goldblum themed Calliope announcement in front of the entire Upper School at School Meeting!

Hawken isn’t afraid to tackle hard subjects. I write for the AffNo and we’ve published pieces that have sparked some challenging yet productive conversations. Having faculty who are accessible and open to confronting difficult questions has helped me and my classmates realize that in this complex world, our voices matter.

Thank you to the many people who give to the Hawken Fund. I’ve seen every single one of my friends benefit from your generosity. Because of your support, Hawken students are finding their voices. Your impact on our education is extraordinary.

Samia ’19
 

Tal: One of the first things we noticed as new Hawken parents is that the Lower School students always hold the door open for the younger kids, even when there is no adult there telling them to do so. It's a small act that speaks volumes about their ability to recognize others and their willingness to help.

Additionally, it feels wonderful to know that every day when we send Sam to Hawken, the School is actively working to reinforce the values that we try to teach in our home - fair play, inclusion, compassion, integrity, and empathy, among others.

Sam is excited to go to school every day because Hawken provides a unique learning environment that encourages curiosity and self-discovery. I’d be remiss not to mention that he also really loves lunch!
Our family looks forward to making many more great memories at Hawken over the years.

Brian: As a Hawken graduate, it's been amazing to see how Hawken has grown, especially with the expansion of the Lower School and the incredible Nido facilities for Hawken’s youngest students. And yet, at the same time, the core values that Hawken taught me remain consistent. It gives me a lot of pride walking the halls and seeing the next generation learning in the same classrooms that I did, even with some of the same teachers, such as Mrs. Beier!

Every time I walk into the Nido, I can't help but remember playing in the outdoor courtyard that used to be in that space and learning to make apple butter. I also remember enjoying the Apple Brown Betty dessert that we used to get at lunchtime - I guess now we know where Sam got his love of Hawken food!

I credit much of my success in education and beyond to the foundation that Hawken provided me. Tal and I give to the Hawken Fund because we know that tuition alone doesn’t provide the resources for all of the amazing experiences that Hawken provides, and we want to ensure that this generation of students has every opportunity to grow in character and intellect.

Tal & Brian ’98
Parents of Sam ’33
An independent, coeducational, college preparatory day school, toddler through grade 12

Early Childhood, Lower, and Middle Schools, 5000 Clubside Rd, Lyndhurst, OH 44124
Birchwood School of Hawken, 4400 West 140th Street, Cleveland, OH 44135 

Upper School, PO Box 8002 (12465 County Line Rd), Gates Mills, OH 44040
Mastery School of Hawken, 11025 Magnolia Dr, Cleveland, OH 44106

Gries Center, 10823 Magnolia Dr, Cleveland, OH 44106

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