Fiscal year 2023 was a year of wonderful progress for Brooks. We saw a very talented group of sixth-formers lead the school in new and wonderful ways; we welcomed back many alumni to campus for memorials and reunion celebrations, and to talk with school leaders about what our goals are for the next three years leading up to our centennial year in 2026–2027. We were thrilled to have the center of campus clear of construction and have new community spaces to use. We also had our strongest fundraising year to date in gifts and pledges made to the school in the fiscal year. This allows our students and faculty to make the most of their time together on this magnificent campus.
Brooks continued to think about how we can make sure members of our community feel known and what they are doing at Brooks matters. We welcomed a cohort of faculty who encouraged us to think in new ways about how we deliver on our mission more often. The support from so many allowed the leadership to continue thinking about how we could deliver an immersive learning experience for each student.
This Report on Giving highlights the immediate influence your contributions to Brooks made during the past fiscal year. The financial achievements delineated below allow the school to stretch to build stronger for the future with confidence. Today, Brooks Fund gifts account for 11 percent of the school’s operating budget and fund vital aspects of our program: classroom technology and innovation, faculty professional development and financial aid. The percentage of the budget that represents has increased from 10 percent of the budget just a few years ago.
We are proud of our school and the evolution we have experienced during recent years. This is all possible due to the generous support of our alumni, families and friends. We thank all our donors, large and small, for their engagement and care for the school. It is only with the support of so many that aspects of what makes Brooks great are possible.
GAGE DOBBINS P'22, P'23
Director of Institutional Advancement
UNPRECEDENTED GENEROSITY
Whether it's first-time gifts to the Brooks Fund or bequests and endowed gifts, every donation touches our community of students, faculty and staff. Below are highlights from the past year’s top areas of support: the Brooks Fund, financial aid and the Demoulas Family Boathouse.
SOPHIE BROUSSARD ’25
“I have loved pretty much every second I’ve been at Brooks; the people and lifelong connections I’ve been able to make are some that I will cherish forever. Being able to go to Brooks has been a fantastic experience and I’m so grateful to be here every day!”
THE BROOKS FUND
Supporting every aspect of the student experience, the Brooks Fund provides vital, immediate and unrestricted support where needed the most. Bolstered by the efforts of 225 volunteers who reached out to fellow alumni, parents and friends, the success of the past year’s Brooks Fund allows the school to meet a wide range of needs including classroom innovation, financial aid, extracurricular activities and faculty development.
ZENGYI “TIGER” LI ’05
“The years I spent at Brooks were an important part of my life and my personal growth. With such a tight-knit and connected community on such a beautiful campus, I easily adjusted to new experiences that were vastly different from life at home. I feel very much connected to Brooks with Mr. Packard, my former dorm parent, at the helm. As the first Brooks student from mainland China, I feel a sense of pride in promoting the school, especially to fellow Chinese and international students.”
FINANCIAL AID
From the support of the Davis Scholars program to gifts to the Brooks Fund for Financial Aid and endowed scholarship funds, Brooksians found meaning in providing opportunities for current and future generations of students to attend Brooks. Your gifts open the door for students from a wide range of backgrounds to pursue their education at Brooks.
AMY DEL CID '22
“Brooks has made a profound impact on my life, transforming it in countless ways by nurturing my academic, social and personal development. Over the course of my four years, I came to appreciate the value of belonging to a team (special shout-out to girls 3rds soccer!), being part of a meaningful community and having confidence in myself and my abilities within an intimate learning environment where everyone was known by name. Boarding helped me develop a sense of independence early on, and I engaged in rigorous coursework with both integrity and creativity, while simultaneously learning how to live each day with passion and empathy for others. These Brooksian core values are ingrained in me and will forever guide my actions. The generous scholarship, funded by donors, bestowed me with a chance of a lifetime, for which I am perpetually grateful.”
GEORGE & EVANTHEA DEMOULAS FAMILY BOATHOUSE
Through the generous support of alumni, parents and friends, a new boathouse for the Brooks rowing program was completed in 2023. The George and Evanthea Demoulas Family Boathouse on Lake Cochichewick marks a new chapter for boys and girls crew and provides a state-of-the-art facility for future generations of Brooks students.
GRAHAM AND DENISE MARKS P’19, P’24
“We are so grateful that our girls, Charlotte ’19 and Sylvia ’24, both experienced rowing as part of their time at Brooks. They each found their way to Brooks crew in different ways and under very different circumstances, but both ultimately led the girls’ team as captains in their respective sixth-form years. This experience with rowing has taught them so much about their strengths, weaknesses and perseverance; wading in to launch the boat at Clemson, racing on a windy Lake Cochichewick, and competing at the highest levels such as Head of the Charles, NEIRAs or Youth Nationals. Through Brooks crew, they have developed lifelong memories and friendships and learned the true value of teamwork that rowing demands; a life skill that will serve them well in the future!”
SYLVIA MARKS ’24
“Something I’m really excited for this year is our first season rowing out of the new boathouse! I look forward to continuing decades-old traditions while starting some of our own!”
One of the hallmarks of Brooks School is our deep commitment to our community — both on campus and off. Brooks alumni, faculty, friends, guardians and parents volunteered in ways above and beyond the norm during the past fiscal year. Thank you!
BOARD OF TRUSTEES | ALUMNI BOARD | VOLUNTEERS
We are also deeply grateful to those who collectively committed $12,452,762 to Brooks during fiscal year 2023. We could not operate our school without it. Thank you. To see all of our financial supporters, please click on the lists below and view various categories of Brooks supporters.