Sophia Academy
20th Anniversary
On September 28, 2021, Sophia Academy entered its third decade as a learning community that inspires each girl to embrace her culture, strengths, and beliefs as positive elements of her life. The success of our graduates demonstrates that we are essential to Rhode Island’s pursuit of educational equity and excellence.
Campaign Goal Achieved!
Over the 2021-2022 academic year, many individuals and organizations stepped forward to invest in Sophia Academy’s future, helping us to surpass our $4.3 million campaign goal! These gifts will be put to work immediately to help our amazing students create and follow their dreams.
To learn more about Sophia Academy and the ways you can support our students through annual fund giving, please contact us at info@sophia-academy.org or visit www.sophia-academy.org/ways-to-give.
We are deeply grateful to the generous community of 20th Anniversary Campaign donors and leaders who have stepped up to support our students by funding our five strategic priorities:
SophiaWorld: Continue to build a world-class, model program for middle school girls, guided by our Mission, Portrait of the Graduate and Guiding Principles.
SophiaCorps: Establish a public purpose through a residency in middle school education that increases the number of educators of color in Rhode Island.
SophiaWellness: Fully fund our innovative social/emotional support and health services.
SophiaFamily: Engage parents and deepen the impact on the families we serve by creating a hub of programs with community partners.
SophiaForever: Through endowment, planned giving, and building reserves, ensure Sophia Academy has the resources for its transformative work.
Jayda, Class of 2021, with her sister, at Sophia Academy’s 2021 Graduation.
““Sophia Academy has taught me to be a strong, independent, and socially conscious young woman. Being surrounded by strong female role models encouraged me to be more than what others thought I could be.””
Sophia Academy in its first year (2001), then located at the Alqonquin House on Broad Street in Providence.
“Within our small community, our big ideas beamed bright, and I always felt as though we made up for our size in our now ever-present tenacity. In the future, I hope there are other alumnae, who like me, have been able to dream, and dream big. I know that to expand Sophia’s programming is to further push the boundaries of what we would have once believed to be possible for our students. The future is bright, and with a Sophia education, endless.”
20th Anniversary cAMPAIGN Leadership
Alison Eichler and Joan Sorensen, Co-Chairs
Joy Fox, President, Board of Trustees
Hope Alswang
Lil O’Rourke
Maura Farrell, Head of School
20TH ANNIVERSARY PLANNING COMMITTEE
Kristin Abdel-Aziz
Hope Alswang
Lara Couturier
Alison Eichler
Janet Hasson
Carisa Johnson
Lil O’Rourke
Kim Perry
Maura Farrell
Thank You
We are grateful to the following individuals, families, and organizations for their commitment to the 20th Anniversary Campaign*:
Leadership Donors
Anonymous
The Malcolm Chace Family
The Murray Family Charitable Foundation
Barbara A. Papitto and the Papitto Foundation
Cynthia B. Patterson
Judith and John Remondi
Cathy and Tom Ryan
Joan Wernig Sorensen and Pablo Sorensen
Endowment Donors
Anonymous
Lisa Bisaccia and Robert Naparstek
Rallis Conover Family Fund
The Estate of Anita M. Cunningham
The Farrell Family
Patricia Griffin and Jerry Chorney
The Murray Family Charitable Foundation
O'Hanian-Szostak Foundation
Joan Wernig Sorensen and Pablo Sorensen
Strategic Priorities Donors
Kristen and Hani Abdel-Aziz
Victoria M. Almeida Esq.
Hope Alswang and Henry Joyce
Amica Companies Foundation
Patricia Andreu and Sergio Gonzalez
Anonymous
Sr. M. Therese Antone, RSM
Kathryn Austin
Emanuel Barrows
Lisa Bisaccia and Robert Naparstek
Carrie Bridges and Ruben Feliz
Abigail Brooks and Nicholas Trott Long
Heidi and Bernard V. Buonanno
Vincent Buonanno
Alexandra Callam and Andrew Horwitz
Margaret and Nicholas Capezza
Liz Chace
The Malcolm Chace Family
Choquette Family Fund
Lisa Churchville
Congressman David Cicilline
Audrey and Edward Clifton
Ellen Collis
Rallis Conover Family Fund
Melanie and Stephen Coon
George Cooper
Xiomara Corral
Meredith B. Costa
Marjorie and Don DeAngelis
Kimberly and Bradford Dimeo
Kathleen and Raymond DiSanto
Sarah T. and John H. Dowling
Helen Drew and Kenneth Payne
Nancy and Charles Dunn
Alison and Larry Eichler
Malcolm Farmer
Maura Farrell and Lawrence Feick
Carol and Benjamin Feliciano
Janet and J. James Field Jr.
Theresa and Dennis Flanagan
Helena and Bill Foulkes
Joy Fox
Gil's Appliances
Ritu Goel and Prakash Sampath
Merle and Stanley Goldstein
Alma Gordon
Janet Hasson
Claire Hebert
The Hibbitt Family Fund
Mary Higgins
Pamela High and Louis Giancola
Carisa Johnson
Patricia and Edward Katz
Jennifer Kiddie
Geraldine Killilea
Emily Kloeblen
Hon. Nirva LaFortune
Janet and Joel Legon
Pamela Lenehan and Lawrence Geuss
Suzanne and Ira Magaziner
Siobhan Mahorter
Paula and Matthew Marcello
Andrea Marth
Sara Shea McConnell and Jack McConnell
Marifrances McGinn
Ann S. and Sam M. Mencoff
Elizabeth Morancy
Nealisse Morrillo '10
John and Gracilda Murphy Family Foundation
Cortney and David Nicolato
Mary and Stephen Nugent
The O'Connor - Couturier Family
Irving Ogando
Frances and Robert O'Malley
Suzanne Oppenheimer
Lil Breul O'Rourke
Barbara A. Papitto and the Papitto Foundation
Elizabeth Paroli
Cynthia B. Patterson
Christina H. Paxson and Ari Gabinet
Karen Pelczarski and Richard Field
Gita and Edward Pensa
Kim Perry
Barbara Pierce
Angela Reilly
Jane Tiernan Reilly and David Reilly
Judith and John Remondi
John C. Revens Jr.
Roberta Richman
Cathy and Tom Ryan
Donna Sams
The Sand Foundation
Marilyn and Jay Sarles
Jacqueline Savoie and Dennis McCool
Mary Anne Sedney
Meredith and Don Shea
Merrill Sherman
Dulce Silva
Jacqueline Sweeney
Test Fund
Natalie Urban
Mary "Polly" Wall
Emily Webber
Rebecca Webber
U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse and Dr. Sandra Whitehouse
Zimmerman/Fetzer Family Fund
Every effort has been made to include all donors to the 20th Anniversary Campaign. If you believe there is an error in this list, please contact Angie Duran, Director of Development at aduran@sophia-academy.org.