Leadership Comments

As an active Germantown Academy alumnus and parent, I’m proud of my school’s role in the vision and operational oversight of CPS. I’ve always been active in my alma mater’s development and my wife, Kelly, and I have felt strongly about Sister Mary’s mission via Project H.O.M.E. from the moment we met her almost ten years ago.

With CPS, both of those worlds come together in a truly worthy cause about which Kelly and I are immensely passionate. However, no video presentation, written synopsis or verbal plea could have prepared us for what we experienced meeting the students for the first time in their classroom environment.

We have a daughter who is enrolled for her second year in GA’s lower school, so we are as current as one could be with what 5, 6, & 7 year olds are learning in a private school setting. Experiencing a class at CPS was stunningly similar to that of my daughter’s at GA. However, the CPS kids seem to be even more enthusiastic learners. CPS clearly puts their own spin on the GA curriculum (as they should), but their students are clearly as bright and creative as any Inter-Ac educated student. Even in the pre-K, the kids have an intangible that the suburban private school kids do not possess; they appreciate their environment and opportunity.

The classrooms are state-of-the-art (as they should be), and the teachers are warm, caring, thorough and motivating. Kelly and I walked out of our first CPS visit with identical notions: First, where do we sign up to help? We both agreed that if every kid, especially those in need (with less familial resources), could have a learning environment provided to them similar to that of CPS, then the inner-city, the city at large, our region, state, country and world would truly be a better place. These are bright kids and they deserve a chance. CPS, and the vision that comes along with it, provides that chance. Secondly, on a selfish note, we felt energized and almost giddy after the visit. Those kids are so special we felt privileged to spend an hour or two with them. We couldn’t wait to tell our kids about their counter-parts at their sister school. We also can’t wait to bring our kids down to visit a CPS class for the day. We know it will be a mutually beneficial experience.

                        --Mark Korman, Development Committee Member and CPS Donor