Saint Mary’s Hall proudly announces a transformational $3,000,000 gift from the Jeanie Rabke Wyatt Family Foundation to support the School’s Global & Experiential Learning Program. The gift will provide access to experiential learning opportunities through student financial aid, support curricular programming, and endow the Jeanie Rabke Wyatt Director of Global & Experiential Learning position.
“We are profoundly grateful to the Jeanie Rabke Wyatt Family Foundation for this transformative investment in our strategic vision,” said Head of School Len Miller. “The Global & Experiential Learning Program at SMH is designed to foster global dexterity and responsibility in our students. We know that students benefit greatly from learning opportunities both in and out of the classroom, which broaden their worldview, challenge their thinking, and equip them with the skills to thrive in an interconnected world.”
For generations, SMH has been committed to providing its students with a global perspective through programs like School Year Abroad, the marine biology program in Hawaii, and other trips around the globe. The 2023-2028 Strategic Plan for Saint Mary’s Hall calls for creating a K-12 experiential and global leadership program that prepares students to engage with diverse perspectives and act upon the world with compassion and responsibility. Over the past two years, the School has focused on designing an enhanced program to strengthen and sustain experiential learning in ways that align with the School’s mission.
The gift from the Jeanie Rabke Wyatt Family Foundation represents the largest single commitment in the School’s 146-year history and creates a more robust and intentional Global & Experiential Learning Program. The Program will enhance partnerships with local and global communities and provide accessible world-class learning opportunities for students. It sets the stage to impact countless lives and help the School’s students thrive with a global mindset. Under the new structure, the new Jeanie Rabke Wyatt Director position will oversee Saint Mary’s Hall’s robust travel program, including local and domestic experiences, Duke of Edinburgh, Summer at the Hall, and after-school enrichment. This year, the School will take five teams comprising 135 students across Form levels 6-12 to Spain, Morocco, Japan, Greece, Italy, and Hawaii, with 27 faculty and staff supporting students as chaperones and program leaders. Thanks to this remarkable support, the School will be able to award $60,000 in financial aid annually to students. Nearly a quarter of the 135 students traveling this year will receive assistance. Under the leadership of the Director, the School will provide a deeper focus on mission alignment for all experiential programming outside the classroom, including field experiences across the school, such as the Form 4 Camp Buckner Trip, Form 5 Camp Champions Trip, and the three South Texas Middle School trips.
Saint Mary’s Hall teacher Adrian Viccellio, a member of the School’s social sciences faculty for the past nine years, is the inaugural Jeanie Rabke Wyatt Director of Global & Experiential Learning. “We are humbled and honored by the generosity of the family and grateful for their partnership in establishing a fund that will support our ambitious dreams for our students,” said Adrian Viccellio. “We have spent the past two years studying global education programs across the country and finding innovative ways to bring best practices back to SMH. Today, thanks to the Jeanie Rabke Wyatt family, SMH will create exceptional global learning opportunities for our students.”
Known for her unwavering generosity and commitment to creating opportunities for others, Jeanie Rabke Wyatt, who passed away in 2019, saw access to education as a powerful tool to transform lives. Her curiosity for experiential travel and global engagement, in particular, shaped her belief that students grow when they know the world. Her family’s gift honors her vision by ensuring that every student at Saint Mary’s Hall can experience the world beyond the classroom.
“My mother believed that an excellent education should be accessible to every student, regardless of their background,” stated Trey Rabke, President of the Jeanie Rabke Wyatt Family Foundation. “She saw schools like Saint Mary’s Hall as places where all students should grow and flourish. Her passion for experiential travel stemmed from her belief that these opportunities could truly transform young lives. This fund will honor her legacy of opening doors and creating opportunities for students to experience the world in ways that shape their futures.”
Jeanie and her family have deep roots at SMH, and one of her greatest joys in life was traveling and learning with “the Trippers” –her children and eight grandchildren, four of whom are SMH alumni or students.
Saint Mary’s Hall is deeply grateful to the Jeanie Rabke Wyatt Family Foundation for its extraordinary investment, which will ensure that Saint Mary’s Hall students continue to grow into compassionate, responsible leaders who are prepared to make a positive impact on the world.