Volunteer Spotlight:
Bret Parker ’86, P ’16, ’18
Bret Parker ‘86 came to Horace Mann in 1980 as a seventh grader from P.S. 6. He remembers marveling at the campus’s beautiful facilities with acres of outdoor space, the wide selection of extracurricular activities, and the superb academics. What he didn’t realize at first was that the school had something even more valuable to offer: an extremely strong and compassionate community that nurtures lifelong friendships and a commitment to caring about the world around us.
Nearly 33 years later, Bret and his wife, Katharine, are thrilled to be sending their two sons, Ben (7th grade) and Matt (9th grade), to Horace Mann School. As Bret reflects, “Our family feels fortunate to be connected to such a supportive and warm community.”
During the many years since their sons enrolled at HM, Bret and Katharine have volunteered for a range of positions including alumni class agent, class parent, reunion committee, and “Popcorn Alert” parent coordinator. Along with classmates Kristina Berger, Page Lichtenfeld Bondor, Elisabeth Lerner, Daniel Sirota, and John Sorkin, Bret recently served on his class’s reunion committee that was instrumental in raising the class’s participation in the Annual Fund by 5% and increasing the amount raised by 22%. In honor of their fundraising efforts, members of the class dedicated a mathematics classroom in Tillinghast Hall to commemorate the Class of 1986’s 25th year reunion.
Bret explains, “I think each of us has an obligation to give back to the community that nurtured us. We are stronger, individually and collectively, because we give back. I think that, at the end of the day, one of the most important questions one can ask oneself is, ‘Am I leaving the world in a better place than I found it?”
(Article appeared in the spring 2013 Donor Newsletter)