Women-powered Philanthropy

“Exeter's incredible students and faculty taught me how to learn from others by listening and testing ideas at the Harkness table. It shaped me for the better, and I am excited to support this wonderful experience for others.”

"As a student from a small town, where a fraction of students went to college, my years at Exeter were pivotal to the trajectory of my academic and professional career. Exeter honed my critical thinking skills while introducing me to friends with different viewpoints and backgrounds. I want to support today’s students in their efforts to realize their full potential and make significant contributions in the future."

"I hope my contribution will allow more girls to have the experience I had and continue to be grateful for today. As I vaccinate Spanish-speaking patients in southern California, they often ask where I learned Spanish. I tell them it was in high school, in large part during three semesters with Sr. Miguel Buisan and living with a family in Cuernavaca as part of an Exeter summer program. I give because I want girls to gain confidence in math and science. I never felt that I was good at math until I had Anja Greer as my teacher in lower year. After her class, I became a math help tutor and eventually a physician. I give because I want girls to form friendships at Exeter that will sustain them as they have me over the last four decades. Finally, I give because I have a 14-year-old daughter who I hope will learn at Exeter that she can do anything."

"Exeter was one of the most formative educational experiences for me. What led me to choose Exeter from my very first visit; was borne out while I was there and continues to impress me as I reconnect with the school, alumni and old friends; is its diversity. While it can be expressed in statistics as a shorthand, it is much more subtle at Exeter and, for me, manifested itself in real diversity of thought and diversity of voice. I'm thrilled to be part of a group that will support women (and inclusion and diversity more broadly) and their contribution during their time at Exeter and thereafter."

I feel so fortunate to have attended Exeter. I learned how to learn, and I challenged myself in ways that I never could have imagined. Exeter encouraged me to lean in to my own intellectual curiosity, and to take pride in independent thinking. I am honored to be part of this community of women, and to encourage young women to boldly and courageously pursue their dreams.

"My Exeter experience made me who I am today. I learned to really think, to support my opinions and to respect the perspectives of the amazing people who I had the pleasure of interacting with around the Harkness table, on the river, in my dorm or throughout campus. I am awed by the Exeter graduates I have met throughout the years and believe strongly in the need for gender and other diversity at all 'tables.' I am honored to support future female Exonians and to be a part of this community."

“Exeter taught me to never stop learning [and] that learning was cool. I hope that by supporting Exeter in this way, the school continues to attract and motivate girls to never stop learning, to keep signing up for more and wanting to do more and achieve more, because that is what is actually 'cool.'”

"Exeter changed my life. From the people I met to the discussions around the Harkness table to the myriad of new experiences — so much of who I am was formed at Exeter. I am honored to support this important initiative and to be a part of this wonderful community of women."

"My husband and I are strong believers in the power of education to transform individuals, communities, and the world in which we live. My personal experience attending Exeter at the onset of coeducation was both life-changing and inspiring and contributed to the career path I later found myself pursuing.  We want to provide that same opportunity for young women who might otherwise not have the financial means to attend Exeter."

"I am giving to the Exeter Women's Leadership Circle Scholarship in honor of my parents, Ruth and Dan Edelman, to provide talented young women "from every quarter" the same opportunity I had to express my voice at the Harkness table. I learned at Exeter I could pursue a career and live by Exeter's values of embracing knowledge and goodness and non sibi."

"The Academy is a wonderful and very special place. It’s important to me that Exeter remain a place that helps young women to flourish academically, to find their voices, to build their confidence, to make lifelong friendships and to see possibilities for what their lives and careers can be like after the Academy."

"Philanthropy is, of course, just one of many ways to give back to Exeter. But as we look boldly to a future in which we welcome young women with an ever-deeper commitment to access, equity and sustainability, I know we can’t do it without the financial support of our alumnae, and I am so proud to join in this effort."

“I went to college, at Dartmouth and then business school, at Stanford. I think Exeter gave me the confidence to participate in conversations (more than other women) and in the classroom at both Dartmouth and Stanford. The methodology of Harkness requires you to participate, you are not allowed to shrink back – having my voice was incredibly helpful when I joined the world of finance. Only 2% of hedge fund teams are women. I have the confidence to speak up and in an industry that is pretty far from equal for women, I owe a lot of my confidence to Exeter.”