Profiles of Giving

Larry Hall

Larry Hall was Dean of Students at the Academy for 20 years and currently works part-time in the school's Alumni Relations Office. He also began the exchange program with Munich, Germany, in 1978. Larry explains that one of the reasons he started the exchange program "was to give students with demonstrated financial need the opportunity to participate in foreign travel programs. Therefore, I have provided Sewickley Academy with a gift of retirement plan assets for the sole purpose of supporting student foreign travel."

Larry is committed to exchange programs and believes they offer students a global experience difficult to replicate in a classroom. The foreign exchange program fosters a deeper understanding of human global connections through an appreciation of our differences. These programs provide students vital language skills as well as the ability to function in different cultures. Overall, students gain the educational edge they need to succeed in a highly competitive, diverse, and interdependent world.

As a member of the Pillars Society, Larry is helping to sustain Sewickley Academy's tradition of excellence for years to come. The Pillars Society recognizes benefactors who have provided for the Academy's future through charitable gifts such as bequests, trusts, retirement assets or other estate plan gifts.

Gretchen Hansen 

Growing up, Gretchen Hansen had the chance to experience a vibrant and diverse school community, so when she and her late husband, Sewickley Academy alumnus Gregg Hansen '77, decided to send their children to the Academy, she was hoping for a similar experience for her kids. "When I visited the school, I was so happy with the level of diversity in every facet. No one wants their children to grow up in a cocoon!" With four girls attending - Katherine '07, Julia '09, Laura '12, Sarah '18, - she's had time to realize what a wide breadth of opportunity there is for her girls. "Kids here get a taste of everything and are encouraged to participate widely."

By supporting the PICTURE THIS Campaign, Gretchen believes that she can continue to honor her late husband's vision for increasing the endowment, and it entails more than money: "My philosophy is that philanthropy is so much more than just writing a check. It's coming to the school to donate blood, to participate in activities, to give your time. It's easy to give when it's easy, but it's the giving that requires sacrifice that has the biggest impact personally and outwardly."

Sewickley Academy is a place where the Hansen girls have grown and flourished, and it is Gretchen's hope that it can be a place where, no matter what their background or socioeconomic situation, all students can attend and excel. She is carrying on the Hansen family vision for supporting programs in education, an area she calls "a big passion" of Gregg's. Gretchen Hansen, ever-generous in her philanthropy and commitment to the Academy, is proud to support what's at the core of this Campaign: "It's a great school because of the people who are here. Of course you need facilities and tools, but at the end of the day, it's about people and how we can affect them positively."

Darlene and David Motley

Board of Trustees member David Motley and his wife, Darlene, have a broader reference point than most on independent schools. Because of their relocation to David's hometown of Pittsburgh from Atlanta, their two children, Renee '10 and Carrington '12, attended two other independent schools before coming to the Academy. This allowed the family to assess each aspect of an Academy education on a national level. David explains, "Because of our familiarity with independent schools, we had an idea of the type of education that we wanted for our children. We were looking for a place where the children would have the ability to explore different areas and try a variety of things. It was clear to us that the Academy would provide the depth and breadth of experience that we wanted."

The Motleys have seen their children grow and blossom through the opportunities the Academy has offered. Watching this transformation, the Motleys are confident they made the right decision in choosing Sewickley Academy for their children. David explains, "One of our aspirations as parents is to make sure our children realize their full potential whatever that may be. Having them at the Academy has given us a level of comfort and assurance that this is happening."

Darlene and David are enthusiastic about the goals of the PICTURE THIS Campaign. More specifically, they feel strongly about the additional funds that will go toward assisting families with the cost of an independent school education. They recognize that their children have been the beneficiaries of a unique experience and want to be a part of making this possible for other students. On another level, they see the Campaign as a way to make a great education even better. David says, "Darlene and I share a belief that we have a responsibility not only to sustain the quality educational experience that the school provides, but also to ensure that Sewickley Academy is the distinctive school among distinguished schools for years to come."

Alden H. J. Sector

Alden H. J. Sector has been a part of the Sewickley Academy community since his arrival in 1955, including teaching fifth grade and Middle School history for 33 years. Ancient history is Mr. Sector's favorite topic amongst those he has taught. He is an avid collector of antiques and looks every part the distinguished and discriminating expert. Always smartly dressed, his bright blue eyes have seen many students come and go through the Academy throughout the years. He has also witnessed some key transformations at the school, including the creation of the Senior School in 1962. "Sewickley Academy was the focus of my life for a long time," explains Alden, "I formed lasting friendships with some of my students and with their parents as well." After retiring in 1988, Mr. Sector has remained a very close friend of the school and its constituents, establishing the Sector Speaker Series in honor of his parents. The series invites distinguished speakers to the Academy each spring to address audiences in the Rea Auditorium.

Mr. Sector is also a new member of the Pillars Society. The Society recognizes those benefactors who have provided for the Academy's future through gifts such as bequests, trusts, or other estate plan gifts. Mr. Sector has recently made a significant contribution to the PICTURE THIS Campaign which will establish the Alden H. J. Sector Chair in History. The funds from his gift will underwrite the chair holder's salary and provide him/her with a stipend and additional funds which will support learning experiences such as taking students to productions or inviting speakers into the classroom.

Though his relationship with the Academy is unique in its breadth and tenure, he acknowledges that those considering a similar gift have many different reasons for giving: "People give for different reasons, one of which is because they appreciate what the school has done for their kids." For Mr. Sector, it was former student Amy Simmons Sebastian, who prompted him to consider a gift. "I was in the process of writing a new will. I decided that the school had been an integral part of my life since I was 25 years old and this is what I wanted to do."