Prin Sairungsri '27
Oct 18, 2024
On Mercersburg Academy’s inaugural Founder’s Day, the school welcomed esteemed alumna Deborah Simon ’74. The school’s most generous benefactor, Simon gave an address to the school to kickstart the special day. Though we hear the name Simon all over our campus, whether it be the Simon Theatre or the Simon Student Center, many don’t know her true significance to the school.
Head of School Quentin McDowell stated, “Founder’s Day was designed as an opportunity to honor our history and the truly transformational people responsible for making Mercersburg Academy what it is today. Given Ms. Simon's singular impact on Mercersburg Academy as the biggest donor in school history, and one of the biggest in the history of all independent schools, it seemed only fitting that she be invited to speak at our inaugural Founder's Day.”
School minister Will Whitmore added, “The goal was to bring back alumni who have remained involved and invested and done some pretty amazing things both here at the school and out in life. To show what that looks like to you all, to hear those stories and learn more about those people so I think it was a really good things that occurred in that way.”
Students were drawn to the speech, with many referencing Simon’s influence on the school. Grant Kurmakov ’25 stated, “I hear the Simon name everywhere around campus, but I never really knew where exactly it came from. That’s why I thought it was cool seeing Ms. Simon speak in person as it made me appreciate not only her, but others who have helped our school in such great ways”
Regarding the unique start to the speech, Ben Samuels ’25 stated, “I thought some of the things she talked about were a bit unexpected and as a result, some students got caught off guard. I think it got taken out of context, and considering the overall message of the speech, her point made sense.”
Faculty also shared similar sentiments. Whitmore stated “I really appreciated her wedding in the Jewish time of the year with Rosh Hashanah, and I really appreciate her desire to touch on all these different ways things were founded, and how this idea of a founding is not something that just happens once, it happens throughout our entire lives.”
McDowell said, “I always enjoy hearing Ms. Simon speak about her Mercersburg experience and her deep love for the school. She is an inspirational and impactful person who actively invests her time, talent, and treasure in the things that she cares about the most.”
Whitmore added, “Her commitment both in terms of financial giving but also the amount of time and energy she’s given shows a continued commitment to this school and what it means to care about a place and want it to be a place where others can flourish.”
Simon’s sentiments apply to the Mercersburg community as well as to life overall. Her address represented a very special moment not only as a speech from a very special person, but also as the start of a new school tradition.