Annual Fund Volunteer Spotlight:
Alumni Class Agent Peter Chavkin ’00
Peter ’00, wife Jessica, and son Noah Chavkin.
Peter Chavkin proudly describes himself as a Horace Mann “super survivor.” He entered the school in the Nursery Division and graduated from the Upper Division with the Class of 2000. During his years as an HM student, Peter served as a middle school mentor, a student ambassador, and a member of the swimming and water polo teams.
Peter values his time at HM for several reasons. Today, many of his closest friends are fellow classmates he met in the Nursery and Lower Divisions. In his words, “these lifelong friendships are akin to brotherhood.” Academically, the rigorous coursework at Horace Mann helped prepare Peter for the demanding Huntsman Program in International Studies and Business at the University of Pennsylvania, where he earned Bachelor’s Degrees in Economics and International Studies, with an emphasis on French language and culture. Perhaps most importantly, Peter believes his Horace Mann education instilled in him an intellectual curiosity that has benefited him throughout his life, particularly in college and later in his career as a real estate developer.
Peter has been a steadfast Annual Fund supporter since graduating, and he joined the Class Agent team in 2014. “My time at HM was very important to me,” Peter explains. “I want to make sure it can have the same impact for future students. Tuition only covers a portion of the costs, so we need the support of alumni to continue to deliver the high quality educational experience we received.”
This past fall, Peter and his classmates celebrated their 15th class reunion. While he enjoyed catching up with old friends, he was equally excited about attending Homecoming earlier in the day. He describes his surprise at how much the event has grown since he was a student: “Homecoming used to be just a few people watching football or the alumni soccer game with much less fanfare. There’s so much more school spirit now! It was great to see so many people celebrating the Horace Mann community.”
(Abbreviated version of this article appeared in the spring 2016 Donor Newsletter)