The Ravins Commit to the Campaign for Continued Growth
With talented students, accomplished graduates, and dedicated faculty, Providence Day families have plenty of reasons to feel positive about the school. David and Mandy Ravin believe the CHARGING forward campaign will serve as yet another source of pride for the Charger community, particularly for alumni.
David and Mandy both attended an independent day school, so they understand that changes to a campus can influence how former students feel about their alma mater. They hope the drive for excellence reflected in the CHARGING forward campaign will strike a chord, particularly with those older alumni from when PD was the “newcomer on the street” compared to other local schools.
“I think it will put our money where our mouth is,” explained David. “They’ll say, ‘Wow. This is very forward-thinking from top to bottom, and they really are doing everything that they promote themselves as doing.’”
Part of that self-promotion is the idea of Providence Day as a place of innovation, where students and faculty partner together to create the best possible environment for scholarship, leadership, and global citizenship. The new Academic Center, one of the campaign’s three capital projects, will feature flexible learning spaces designed to serve as a dynamic labs for intellectual growth and discovery.
“The school is always looking to see how they can serve the students better,” remarked Mandy. “It’s a really neat experience to see how a school grows. I see it as a way of reinvigorating the student body, too.”
If their children’s reactions to the recent Thompson-Jones Library renovation are any indication, the CHARGING forward campaign will certainly be a source of pride and excitement for students of all ages.
“When they did that, our kids were talking about it. They loved it,” said David. “I think everyone’s excited [about the CHARGING forward campaign]. If we want the school to continue to improve, we’re going to have to embrace campaigns like this as the opportunity to do it.”
Mandy hopes that others who are considering investing in the campaign will look back at their entire experience at Providence Day – not just their child’s experience, but their entire family’s. “It’s easy to forget everything that the school does for us and our kids,” she explained.
They consider their leadership gift to the campaign not only a way to express gratitude and appreciation to the school, but also an avenue to enhance the Providence Day experience. David encourages everyone to see the positive momentum around the campaign as a reason to get involved.
“We are close, but not there yet,” said David. “If you really step forward, it can be a reality sooner rather than later.”
David and Mandy are the proud parents of Colin ’20, Claire ’22, and Brendan ’26.
