Malone Family Foundation Scholarship

Senior Ally Hansen (pictured above, center) gave the following speech to 330 guests at Rowland Hall's biennial auction March 16. After she shared her story, a paddle raise garnered $88,050 for school financial aid. Thank you to Ally for her heartfelt words, and to our generous donors for empowering wonderful students like her to attend Rowland Hall.

I’ve been attending Rowland Hall since seventh grade, but before that I’d attended the same public school since kindergarten. It was considered small, yet it was almost twice the size of Rowland Hall’s middle and upper schools combined. Despite the size, I never really fit into the community. It was uninviting, unaccepting, and relatively unfriendly. I didn’t like it there very much, and wanted an escape. I looked at other options for middle school, but they were limited. 

A friend told me about Rowland Hall and I looked into it. I quickly realized it wouldn’t be an option for me, as there was no way I could afford it. Then, another friend—a Rowland Hall junior with whom I played competitive basketball—told me about the Malone Scholarship. So I applied, and here I am six years later.

Rowland Hall gave me something no other place had ever given me: a sense of belonging. I felt happy with who I was, quirks and all.

At my previous school, I was always the tomboy. I didn’t want to walk around talking about clothes or boys during recess; I wanted to play football on the back field instead. But I was never really included anywhere—the boys wouldn’t let a girl play with them, and the girls thought I was weird. During my first few weeks at Rowland Hall, I met this boy and one of the very first things he asked me was if I wanted to throw a football with him during recess. He is now one of my very best friends. This is just one example of the warm, loving, and accepting community I was quickly welcomed into. Rowland Hall gave me something no other place had ever given me: a sense of belonging. I felt happy with who I was, weird quirks and all. 

Rowland Hall made me realize my true potential and gave me all the tools I needed to be successful. I played basketball my two years in Middle School and all four years in the Upper School, making varsity my freshman year. This last year, I was lucky enough to be elected team captain. I was a good leader because I always led by example. I knew that if I did what I was supposed to, then others would follow in my footsteps. Also, I always pushed for “better” and never wanted to settle for “good enough.” Rowland Hall taught me what a real leader looks like, so when it was my turn to step into those shoes I knew exactly what to do.

I’ve been able to write my own ticket because of the education Rowland Hall provides. When I enrolled in Rowland Hall, I couldn’t have even imagined how great my life would turn out.

Lastly, Rowland Hall opened my eyes to all of the opportunities out there—ways to become the most successful person I can be. The school community made me feel like I was good enough to pursue my dreams. I’d been dead set on attending the University of Utah as long as I can remember. But my truly amazing counselors, teachers, and friends exposed me to the idea of expanding my horizons and considering other schools. Now, I’ll be attending Arizona State University (ASU) in fall, majoring in sports journalism and pursuing a dream I’ve had since I was little: becoming a sportscaster. I would have never even looked at that college had it not been for that very same seventh-grade friend who asked me to throw the football (he’s the one who told me about ASU), and for Rowland Hall, which opened my eyes to new possibilities.

My whole life is different because of my scholarship. I now have four of the most amazing friends anyone could ask for and I’ve been able to write my own ticket because of the education Rowland Hall provides. When I enrolled in Rowland Hall, I couldn’t have even imagined how great my life would turn out. None of this would have been possible without the Malone Family Foundation’s generosity. I will be forever grateful. I only hope that other people will be able to have the same opportunities and experiences I did. But for many, Rowland Hall is not a financial option without the generosity of people like you. So tonight, I ask you to please get out your phones and give generously to support future students like me. Thank you.

scholarships

Rowland Hall mourns the February passing of trustee emeritus Ian Cumming.

Mr. Cumming served on Rowland Hall's board in the 1970s while his two sons, David and John, were students. Over the years, Ian generously shared his time, advice, and financial resources with the school, and his passing is a loss for our entire community.

In 1986, Mr. Cumming established the Ian Cumming Scholarship to improve access to Rowland Hall for students who show capacity and motivation for academic excellence. As our only fully merit-based aid, the Ian Cumming Scholarship has attracted many outstanding students to the school and given them the opportunity to pursue a Rowland Hall education. "I am a different person due to the Cumming Scholarship," said Valerie Floyd Rasmussen '93. "Inside Rowland Hall's classrooms, I built courage to voice opinions, be myself, engage as a community participant, and inquire about the world. Most importantly, my Rowland Hall experience produced lifelong relationships. Ian Cumming, you changed my life. I'm forever grateful."

Mr. Cumming was a true visionary for Rowland Hall. When the school began to outgrow its home on the Avenues Campus, it was Mr. Cumming who suggested to Head of School Alan Sparrow that he look into acquiring the property next to the armory on Guardsman Way. Ian prophetically told Alan it was "the future of Rowland Hall." The McCarthey Campus now sits on the old armory property, and plans are underway to build a new Middle School and Upper School on the adjacent land, which will unite the school on one campus for the first time since 1984.

During the first phase of the Capital Campaign—building the Steiner Campus athletic fields—Mr. Cumming's financial support was critical. Toward the end of the fundraising efforts, he and Annette Cumming, his wife, offered to match donations dollar for dollar. This generous act propelled giving in our community, helping the project to be completed on time and under budget.

Mr. Cumming's advice and leadership over the years have been instrumental to the school's success, prompting Rowland Hall's board to name him an emeritus trustee in 2005. At the February 2018 meeting, trustees unanimously agreed to recognize Mr. Cumming and thanked him for his service to the school. Our thoughts are with Annette Cumming, John '87 and Kristi Terzian Cumming '85, David and Allison Cumming, and the rest of the Cumming family during this difficult time.

Community

This is a love story. A young bride entered the Cathedral Church of St. Mark on her wedding day, Monday, December 7, 1942—one year after the United States entered World War II. The young woman awaited the arrival of her fiancé who secretly went AWOL from his post in Casper, Wyoming, where he was in training to be a cadet in the Army Air Corps. The night before the wedding, he boarded a train bound for Salt Lake City, risking a formal reprimand. The cadet-in-training, Raymond “Ray” Brim, was in love and wanted to marry his sweetheart, Patricia Condon, a University of Utah student and 1941 graduate of Rowland Hall School for girls. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, Ray left the University of Utah his sophomore year to enlist in the military. The couple reunited and exchanged vows that Monday, surrounded by young Rowland Hall students and one of Pat's beloved former teachers. The students and their teacher made the short, downhill walk from Rowland Hall to the church to serve as wedding witnesses. Today, Ray still says marrying Pat is the best decision he has made in his life.

Ray and Pat shared 65 wonderful years together. When Pat passed away in 2007, the hole left in Ray’s heart was enormous. Ray longed to find a way not only to honor her memory, but to ensure a little piece of Pat lived on. Pat was an accomplished classical pianist. She had a passion for literature, art, and music, and a long career as an English teacher. From the time she enrolled at Rowland Hall as a sophomore in 1938, Pat became a lifelong champion and steward of the school. She credited her love for the liberal arts to her Rowland Hall education, and said of all the places she studied and taught, Rowland Hall was her favorite. To honor her memory and help future students receive the kind of education Pat appreciated at Rowland Hall, Ray established the Patricia C. Brim Memorial Fund. The fund provides a scholarship awarded annually to three Upper School female students with a record of academic excellence and an interest in literature and writing. Since 2008, the Patricia C. Brim Scholarship has been awarded to eight students. These young women have been the beneficiaries of Pat’s love for Rowland Hall and Ray’s love for Pat.

Alumni