Meet Our Donors
Monica Butler Mitchell, 1998
Beneath Monica Butler Mitchell's senior portrait in the 1998 Quid Nunc, is a thoughtful and revealing quote, I came here a child; I leave a woman. Monica believes that while children can sometimes be focused on themselves, it was at Roland Park Country School where she gained the maturity to see that the world is a much bigger place. She learned that there is value in making someone else's life better; a passion she holds dear. "It was because of my experiences and education at RPCS that I became the person I am today," Monica said. And, she attributes her approach to life, her commitment to community service and her empathetic nature to lessons learned at RPCS.
Monica is deeply grateful for the gift of her education. Her single mother worked hard to send her and her brother to independent schools and Monica received financial assistance to attend RPCS. "I was the recipient of kindness," said Monica recently, "and I am so fortunate to be able to give back." Monica remembers that it was her 4th Grade teacher Carole Redline, and a project to make 20 meat sandwiches for My Sister's Place, that changed her life forever. She realized then that there were people "just like me," who might need a helping hand at a particularly difficult time in their lives, and she desired to lend her hand.
Monica participated in Magic Me at RPCS, an afterschool program that brought students to area retirement communities to visit with the residents. "The conversations were fulfilling," said Monica, who also remembers reading to students and working in the classrooms at Furman L. Templeton Elementary School in Baltimore City. "It impacted me that the First Graders did not have their own text books. How can you learn if you do not even have your own books?" Recently, Monica returned to Templeton Elementary School with her company and helped with a building renovation. As life came full circle, she began to think about ways to give back to RPCS.
A member of the RPCS Alumnae Board, Monica wanted to give the School as much as she could afford at the beginning of her career. So, at the age of 28, she made a deferred gift in the form of a life insurance policy and created a $25,000 policy which RPCS owns and is the beneficiary. Charitable life insurance policies provide a tax deduction to the donor while supporting the School.
Monica does not take her good fortune for granted. She supports RPCS for its many wonderful opportunities, its faculty and the lifelong friendships formed with classmates. She fondly remembers Judy Pittenger's class. "I did not appreciate history at the time, and worked the hardest in that class, but, the amount of information that I retained is amazing! I love history now." She really enjoyed English with Anne Heuisler who had a "fun approach to the classics and encouraged us to think creatively. She brought modern day applications to Shakespeare and I will never forget the discussions."
Monica Butler Mitchell, a graduate of Goucher College, works in the finance industry. Her job as Vice President, Senior Relationship Manager at Wells Fargo Bank was created for her and is "the perfect role for me as I get to create community service events on a national level. I have built a Habitat for Humanity home with President Jimmy Carter and have attended events with poet Maya Angelou. I am involved in issues like providing healthy food to those in need, finding affordable housing and supporting education. It feeds my soul."
Named to the list of Maryland Daily Record Top 100 Women in 2011 and 2012, Monica lives and breathes her commitment to helping others both personally and professionally. One of 54 hand-selected leaders to attend the Leadership year of the Greater Baltimore Committee, Monica will meet and learn from some of the region's most influential leaders and come to understand Baltimore City from a completely new perspective. She is up to the task!
RPCS is eternally grateful for her planned gift to help guarantee life-changing opportunities for future students.