Our Wildwood, Winter 2019, Volume 44

DONOR PROFILE Thanks to our generous supporters

IF YOU ASK A GROUP OF WILDWOOD PARENTS to describe the school in one word, that word is most often community. For Jessica Aronoff, “community” means family. She remembers choosing Wildwood for her son Max as a kindergartner (now in 7th grade) because “they would help him become the human we wanted him to become.” What she didn’t realize was that choosing Wildwood would also affect her parenting. “I think I’ve become a more attuned, communicative, open, collaborative parent because of the things I’ve learned from being part of the Wildwood community,” she says. Community is the main reason she gives to Wildwood. Along with her generous yearly contribution to Annual Giving, Jessica feels strongly about giving to the Hope Fund for Flexible Tuition because she believes in the value of a socioeconomically diverse community. Additionally, her Hope Fund donation represents her views of true philanthropy: investing in the promotion of fairness and equity. “I wish every kid could have access to this kind of education and every parent could have the support I get from Wildwood,” she says. Jessica knows a thing or two about philanthropy: She is an attorney who began her career working in the nonprofit sector in children’s advocacy and domestic violence prevention. She went on to run a family foundation before moving into corporate philanthropy, culture, and social impact. Currently, she’s in the middle of a yearlong fellowship with the Los Angeles County Probation Department helping to find ways to improve outcomes and reduce recidivism. As part of that work, Jessica is advocating for an employee survey to ascertain if people believe they have the opportunity every day to do their best work, if they are acknowledged and recognized for their contribution, and if MEET Wildwood Parent Jessica Aronoff

“” I WISH EVERY

KID COULD HAVE ACCESS TO THIS

KIND OF EDUCATION AND EVERY PARENT COULD HAVE THE SUPPORT I GET FROM WILDWOOD.

they believe they have a degree of autonomy and authority over how they do their work. She knows that these are key success factors for businesses and their employees. She notes that Wildwood approaches student learning in a similarly nurturing and empowering way. The sense of being known, encouraged, and valued, she says, is a tenet of progressive education—and is one of the many ways that Wildwood is preparing our children for the future. “I’m sure many schools’ 7th grade humanities curriculum covers the Russian Revolution and communism,” she notes. “However, my child is learning the Russian Revolution and communism as it pertains to the world today and to the future. He is learning to think broadly and critically. He’s not just checking boxes.” Asked how she sees Wildwood in 10 years, she says, “We are all guessing to some extent what the workforce will look like. But I feel confident that the decisions being made at Wildwood are with the changing world in mind, taking into account the best thinking, the best research, the best pedagogy there is.” Jessica has devoted her life and career to social justice and is modeling a sense of compassion and duty to her son. Her generosity to Wildwood, through her support of Annual Giving and the Hope Fund, certainly reflects this. She says this core value comes from her mom, who is active in various volunteer and political action groups. “It’s funny,” she muses, “she makes me look like a slacker.” Hardly.

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OWW WINTER 2019