It’s Full STEAM Ahead!

ANNOUNCING
A MULTI-GENERATIONAL GIFT OF
$22 MILLION
FROM SISTERS
Victoria Beth Mars 1974 and Pamela Mars Wright 1978
AND THEIR DAUGHTERS
Bernadette Schuetz Russell 2003 and Charlotte Audrey Rossetter 2012

An Extraordinary Gift

This transformative gift to the STEAM phase of the Building for Our Future Campaign represents the largest collective gift as well as largest individual gifts given by living donors to the School in its 108-year history. It brings to life the vision of a STEAM wing that provides a stateof- the-art facility for girls to develop the skills to excel in STEAM subjects.
  

— Bernadette Schuetz Russell 2003

“The four of us feel very strongly about the School and our experiences there and believe in the need to give back and help the School advance. We made this gift because we believe in women supporting women, in investing in a place that is important to us, and in inspiring others to join in supporting this vital effort to help our School reach its campaign goal.”

— Pamela Mars Wright 1978

“I believe in the value of single sex high school education, especially for girls. I think that it would be a shame if the School wasn’t able to compete at the level it can, and should, because we didn’t do the things that we can do to help make that happen.”

— Victoria Beth Mars 1974

“Women have a choice, and they should feel empowered to give to what they have a passion for and to a place they believe in. I feel that girls deserve the same opportunity for an education as boys do and as alumnae of a girl’s school, we need to model that. We should be investing in future generations of women.”

— Charlotte Audrey Rossetter 2012

“Where else does your money make an impact that reverberates through someone’s entire life and the generations that follow?”

Remarks

List of 1 items.

  • From Head of School Cathy McGehee

    “The Mars gift will transform our buildings by creating new learning spaces that reflect and embody best practices for teaching girls the way girls learn best, which is at the heart of Foxcroft’s mission.”
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Remarks

List of 1 items.

  • From Board of Trustees Chair Kate Hastings 1978

    “These two generations of women epitomize Foxcroft's legacy of educating girls who will become tomorrow's leaders, solve real-world problems, and who will make a positive impact on the world.”
    Read More

Remarks

List of 1 items.

  • From the STEM Department Chair Katie Hergenreder & Entire STEM Department

    “When the STEM Department received the news about the incredible donation, we were asked the question 'What will the new STEAM Wing mean for STEM education at Foxcroft.' We looked at each other in awe because in truth, what doesn’t this mean for STEM Education?”
    Read More

Why STEAM?

Research shows that attending an all-girls school affects students’ interest and success in STEM fields.* Here’s a look at graduates of independent girls’ schools as compared to girls who graduated from coed independent schools:

List of 4 items.

  • 6x

    more likely to
    major in math,
    science & technology
  • 3x

    more likely
    to consider
    engineering careers
  • 10%

    more confident
    in their
    computer ability
  • 11%

    more confident
    in their
    mathematical ability
At Foxcroft, more than 30 percent of recent graduates chose STEM fields as their majors in college.

Introducing the STEAM Wing!

The STEAM wing, a new building, will propel Foxcroft further into the future of science, technology, engineering, arts, and math with adaptable state-of-the-art laboratory and classroom spaces.

News

List of 1 news stories.

  • (left to right): Charlotte Audrey Rossetter 2012, Pamela Mars Wright 1978, Victoria Beth Mars 1974, and Bernadette Schuetz Russell 2003.

    Foxcroft School Receives $22 Million Gift from Mars Alumnae

    Gift is the Largest Bestowed on the School by Living Donors

    Foxcroft School is excited to announce a transformational, multi-generational $22 million gift from alumnae Victoria Beth Mars 1974, Pamela Mars Wright 1978, Bernadette Schuetz Russell 2003, and Charlotte Audrey Rossetter 2012. Designated for the construction of a STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts, and Math) wing as part of Foxcroft’s $65 million Building for Our Future Campaign, the gift is the largest ever given to Foxcroft by living donors in its 108-year history. Further, it is one of the most generous gifts given to an all-girls school in the nation. 

    “The four of us — my mother Victoria, my aunt Pamela, my cousin Charlotte, and myself — feel very strongly about the School and our experiences there and believe in the need to give back and help the School advance,” said Bernadette, who currently serves on Foxcroft School’s Board of Trustees. “We made this gift because we believe in women supporting women, in investing in the place that is important to us, and in inspiring others to join in support of this vital effort to help our School reach its campaign goal.” 
    Read More
Archive

Press Inquiries

Email Press Inquiries to:
communications@foxcroft.org

Bethany Stotler 
Director of Marketing and Communications
540.687.4513
   or 
Marion L. Couzens
Executive Director of Institutional Advancement
540.687.4518
  

It’s Full STEAM Ahead!

Through the BUILDING FOR OUR FUTURE CAMPAIGN we seek to raise philanthropic support to advance Foxcroft’s commitment to its mission and to invest in buildings and programs to educate, inspire, and empower women leaders for many years to come.

This $22 million gift will bring our total raised to $28 million of the $65 million Building for Our Future Campaign. While this gift will jumpstart Phase II, the STEAM wing, and site work, this campaign will only succeed if each member of the Foxcroft community stretches to make a gift reflective of the impact Foxcroft has had on their lives.
*Research cited from the International Coalition of Girls' Schools
http://girlsschools.org/research/quick-facts/

Math Science & Technology
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Engineering
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STEM
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An all-girls boarding and day school in Northern Virginia, Foxcroft prepares young women in grades 9-12 for success in college and in life. Our outstanding academic program offers challenging courses, including Advanced Placement classes and an innovative STEM program. Our premiere equestrian program is nationally recognized, and our athletic teams have won conference and state championships. Experience the best in girls' boarding schools: visit Foxcroft.