Claire Abisalih ‘07 Talks About Knowledge and Goodness Day at Assembly

By ELLEN JIN, ELLINA KIM, LYDIA KUHNERT, and JADE YOO

Knowledge and Goodnes On Dec. 6, Claire Abisalih ‘07 gave a speech about the significance of Knowledge and Goodness Day and philanthropy at the Academy, sharing her formative years at Exeter and personal reasons for donating. 

The Knowledge and Goodness Day, affectionately dubbed “Tuition Runs Out Day,” is the day tuition stops covering Academy costs. Student tuition only pays for a single term of maintenance at Exeter, and donor support from alumni funds Exeter for the rest of the year. Knowledge and Goodness Day shines a light on all of our donors who exemplify the phrase non sibi and the impact they have on life at Exeter. 

The STARs council (Student-Alumni Relations) members arranged the assembly, working closely with the Office of Institutional Advancement. The council brainstorms initiatives to educate the student body on philanthropy at Exeter, connect alumni with Exeter and its students, hear from guest speakers, and coordinate volunteer activities. After the assembly, the council set up donation stands across campus for students to write notes to donors, reflecting on the significance of their Exeter experience.

Kimberly Casey, the Assistant Director of the Exeter Fund, reflected on how the board chose Abisalih for assembly: “While working with Abisalih on a STARs Instagram (@pea.stars) campaign highlighting ‘Since Grad Donors’ (alumni donors that donate every year since graduating), Abisalih mentioned her thoughts around collective giving that I found inspirational. I wanted to share her message with the Exeter community.” 

“I think that a lot of people were very touched and could relate to her as she was talking,” said Avery Im, a STARS council representative.

“I think educating the student body about the importance of Knowledge and Goodness Day to the function of our school is essential in establishing the foundation for our future support,” stated Anna Byun, another member of the STARs Council. “By informing students of how the resources and opportunities that make Exeter what we call home rely on contributions made by alumni, it motivates us to give back to this cycle and support future Exonians.”

Overall, students reflected that the assembly helped them learn more about the importance of giving at Exeter. Lower Drona Gaddam described gaining new insights on the limits of tuition. “I thought the assembly was interesting because it was the experience of an Exonian and someone connected with the school,” he commented. “I didn’t know about the Knowledge and Goodness Day before, but I had heard of the Exeter fund. I didn’t know that only a third of our experience is covered by tuition and the rest comes from donors.”

Prep Anna Osadchaya echoed similar sentiments, mentioning how Knowledge and Goodness Day contributed to Exeter’s mission. “It solidified my belief in non sibi and the beliefs that Exeter tries to uphold,” she said.

“My biggest takeaway was the importance of giving,” added Gaddam. “It may seem ironic for Exeter with its large campus, vast resources, and big endowment to ask for donations, but instead of looking at it as a direct payment to the school, any donation to Exeter can be seen as the promotion of the school and its values.”

Lower Angelina Wang also commented on Abisalih’s message about giving back to Exeter through non-monetary means. “The change in advice struck me since I was expecting the speech to suggest donations, but the speaker also added we shouldn’t feel bad if we don’t give because we contribute in other ways, too. While I took away a theme of what it means to be non sibi, the assembly also made me think about how we can all individually contribute to the community.”

Overall, Abisalih’s speech highlighted the importance of non-sibi and alumni support to Exeter, reminding all Exonians that consistent donations truly impact and benefit the school and future Exonians. Donations do not always come in monumental sums of money but rather accumulate in small actions of non sibi.