Ted Babcock ’68

Whether fundraising for the Williston Northampton Fund, spearheading reunion fundraising efforts including a record-breaking effort for his 50^th and now leading the effort to establish a Class of 1968 Fund for Financial Aid with classmates for his upcoming 55^th, or updating his own estate plans to include a new financial aid fund for BIPOC students, Ted continues to prioritize financial aid. To allow future generations of Williston students to experience the benefits that he and so many of his classmates now recognize, he notes, the school requires alumni support.

Sherrie-Ann Gordon ’00

To honor Sherrie’s legacy, the Gordon family—her father, Dorrick; mother, Beverly; sisters Kimberly Gordon and Jacqueline Elleston; and brother, Derrick—are launching the Sherrie-Ann L. Gordon ’00 Equity Fund for Social and Diverse Experiences, a permanently endowed fund providing non-tuition supplemental aid to Black students with high financial need.

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Katie France ’08

Katie makes an annual recurring gift to the Williston Northampton Fund and choses to support an area that is most important to her by designating that gift to Financial Aid.

“Williston does such a good job of creating good citizens—well-rounded, ethical, and mindful people—and I want to support that,” she explains. “And it’s also very important to me that Williston can continue to give financial aid to those who need it.”

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Patricia Bone ’65

This Northampton School for Girls alumna is funding an innovative visiting-artist program that brings artists of all kinds – musicians, actors, visual artists, dancers, and more – to campus for mini-residencies so the entire Williston Community can participate. Informing her art—and, it seems, her philanthropy—is a philosophy “that really centers around generating joy and happiness and love,” she explains.

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Niels Gjertson ’98

Niels and his brother established a restricted fund to support the Caterwaulers, a boys singing program that shaped their time at Williston. “That connection is one of those things that both my brother and I look back upon fondly,” explains Niels. “He’s a big fancy doctor and I’m a busy depressed lawyer, but the appreciation for music is something we’ll carry with us forever, regardless of wherever our professions may take us—and that’s something built and encouraged by Williston.”

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Haoshu Xu ’13

As a member of our Heads Visiting Council since 2019 and a Wildcat Club member of the 1841 Society, Haoshu describes how being a part of this group allowed her to view the life of the school through a new lens. As a member of our Heads Visiting Council since 2019, Haoshu describes how being a part of this group allows her to view the life of the school through a new lens.

“I got to see firsthand the relentless effort our administration and staff invest in our students. Especially with the pandemic, I am overwhelmed by the amount of thought and work that has gone into ensuring our people’s safety and their ability to still enjoy school life as much as possible. I am more proud of Williston than ever (if that is even possible).”

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Linda Deckard P’87

Linda supports the Williston Northampton Fund through a Founder’s Day Challenge for past parents. Additionally, she established an endowed fund to support financial aid.

“I attribute much of my daughter’s life experiences and skills to the independent school education, guidance and encouragement received from faculty and the extra-curricular activities she was able to join. I am pleased to be able to establish an endowed financial aid fund to provide students with the opportunity to experience a life-changing independent school education.”

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Peter Wold ’67

The recent dedication of Wold House recognized the Wold family’s deep connection to and generous support for Williston. During the event, Peter Wold recalled arriving on campus in the fall of 1964, having driven for three days with his parents from their home in Casper, Wyoming, where he lives today.

“They dropped me off in front of the chapel and said, ‘This school will provide you with many opportunities. Work hard. Take advantage of them,’” he said. “Over the years my appreciation for experience and the education I received here at Williston has grown.”

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Brandon Diaz ’12

It’s just a few miles from where Brandon Diaz ’12 grew up in lower Manhattan to where he now works, at the Madison Avenue headquarters of the global financial services firm Jefferies Group. But Brandon says he could not have made the journey without passing through Williston. “It was probably one of the biggest opportunities of my life,” he says of the school and the financial aid package that allowed him to attend. “I like to think of it as a launchpad for me as a person, finding my identity, but also pointing me to my career and where I am today.”

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ADRIAN MENDOZA ’12

Adrian is a proud supporter of Williston, in particular the school’s initiatives around diversity, having experienced how financial aid changed his own life. “It definitely gave me a path, and shed some clarity on which way I could go,” he says. “There were a lot of different opportunities, but it wasn’t as confusing. I knew that I could build a route to those opportunities if I wanted to, and I had the tools to do it.”

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