Student Club Experience Inspires Anonymous Donor
Read the story below to learn about how a generous alumnus
made HEF's $100,000 endowment for student clubs possible.
Student clubs make a strong impact on the lives of Hopkins students. Club experiences connect students with common goals and interests.
For one 2009 Hopkins alum, student clubs made such an impact on his life that he wanted to pay it forward. He attributes much of his success in the technology industry to his education in Hopkins Public Schools, and especially his involvement in a few student clubs.
When this donor, who wishes to remain anonymous, was in high school, the school district gave him $1,000 to start a new club— the spark for his creation of the Awesome Fund.
The Awesome Fund is Hopkins Education Foundation’s grant program that supports student clubs. Clubs are a great way for students to learn leadership skills and feel engaged in their school community.
“Clubs helped me meet and befriend lots of students who I rarely had classes with. It was great to be able to make those connections. I also got to build relationships with the teachers and staff who supervised the clubs. In many cases, even though I didn’t have classes with those teachers, they became some of my closest advisors and mentors.”
-Anonymous Donor
For some students who are not involved in sports or other activities, clubs may be their most important connection to school. In addition to the fun activities that a club does together, club involvement often provides a sense of belonging and enhances academic learning.
From 2015 to 2017, our Anonymous Donor started this fund with money and stock totaling $50,000. Friends and family of Ethan Lang (class of 2009) also donated to the fund, in his memory. To date, HEF has funded 42 Awesome Fund grants totaling $39,753.
Through the Awesome Fund, HEF wants to encourage students to follow their dreams and get involved in existing clubs or start a new club.
Students work with their club advisor to write a grant proposal and budget. This process is a good learning experience, and receiving a grant is a nice addition to a college or job application.
“Participating in clubs at Hopkins was a huge part of my high school experience. I learned a ton about myself, my classmates, about leadership, and of course about all the cool things that the clubs actually did. This was only possible because Hopkins invested thousands of dollars into our student-led ideas and trusted us to be good stewards of that money. The Awesome Fund was my way of paying that forward and ensuring that student leaders can get that vote of confidence in perpetuity.” - Anonymous Donor
The Next Step: An Endowment!
Two years ago, our Anonymous Donor began to dream bigger for the Awesome Fund, hoping to establish a $100,000 endowment fund beginning with a significant donation from him and his parents.
Former Executive Director Jennifer St. Clair built upon that and worked hard to secure additional funds from 14 more generous donors.
In May of this year, HEF succeeded in establishing a $100,000 Awesome Fund Endowment. We encourage community members to donate to the endowment so that we can continue to fund student clubs for many years to come.
“It’s very hard to overstate the impact Hopkins clubs had on my life. I graduated from high school with leadership skills, a broader worldview, and a clearer picture of what my future career might look like. I was shaped heavily by the mentorship that I received from my clubs’ staff advisors. I’m deeply grateful for these gifts," shared Anonymous Donor
The Anonymous Donor's parents also contributed generously to the endowment fund.
“The Hopkins schools provided a phenomenal education for our children and they ultimately reached great success in life. We attribute this to the education they got in Hopkins and we want to support the school district, and HEF, to help all students receive a strong education," said Anonymous Donor’s father.
“Our son was in several different clubs in high school and had a variety of learning experiences that were valuable for his career. We donated to the endowment because we think that clubs motivate students to learn in different ways and think about what they would like to do in life. We want to empower students to engage in something they are passionate about, and to connect with other students with similar interests. Even a small amount of money can make a big difference for a student club, and for a student’s life.”
- Anonymous Donor’s mother
Thanks to our Anonymous Donor, clubs like Bullet Journaling at North Middle School (awarded winter 2023), Midori a cappella singing club at HHS (fall 2022), Technocrats robotics (spring 2022) at West Middle School, and Boys Volleyball at HHS (winter 2023) have brought joy to students across the district. These are a great illustration of the wide variety of clubs and activities offered in Hopkins and supported by the Awesome Fund so far.
