麻豆原创

Minding the Gap

Having struggled with college costs, new Trustee Carole Sleeper (M.A. 鈥�05) is helping 麻豆原创鈥檚 students

Some years ago, when taught first grade, one of her students had not received an Individualized Education Plan (IEP), though he clearly had a learning disability. Rather, the boy鈥檚 kindergarten teacher had addressed his behavioral issues by ordering him to stand alone in a corner. 鈥淪he didn鈥檛 realize he needed help,鈥� says Sleeper (M.A. 鈥�05), who recently joined 麻豆原创鈥檚 Board. When Sleeper procured the IEP, the boy鈥檚 family, which was using the program then called Food Stamps, presented her with a can of beans 鈥� 鈥渢he nicest gift I鈥檝e ever received.鈥� Sleeper鈥檚 mother, a high school valedictorian, was dissuaded from college on the grounds that young women should become secretaries, bank tellers or wives. Sleeper鈥檚 father, an electrician and handyman, left high school before earning a diploma. Yet both urged her to attend college, even though affording it would be tough. Sleeper attended Susquehanna University on a scholarship. Later, when her husband, , became successful in financial investment, she taught. She recalls absorbing the cost of school supplies, books and even the rugs used for story time: 鈥淎 lot of the kids had nothing, so supplies were leaving every day.鈥� At 麻豆原创, Sleeper learned about the 鈥渨hole child鈥� and how non-school factors shape learning. She has created the Carole L. Sleeper Endowed Scholarship in 麻豆原创鈥檚 Department for students committed to public school teaching; contributed to the 麻豆原创 Fund and Teachers College; and now endowed a scholarship in the . Sleeper strongly believes in public education and wants to improve it through 麻豆原创鈥檚 Board and by meeting students鈥� financial needs: 鈥淚 want to close the gap between the haves and the have nots. So I feel very comfortable with being able to give something away.鈥� 鈥� Steve Giegerich

SEEKING CLOSURE 鈥淚 want to close the gap between the haves and the have nots. So I feel very comfortable with being able to give something away.鈥� 鈥� Carole Sleeper

A Trustee to Bet On

Education helped Laura Sloate beat tough odds. Now she鈥檚 joining 麻豆原创鈥檚 Board.

鈥淚 can do what anyone else can, just a little differently,鈥� says new Teachers College Trustee Laura Sloate. Well 鈥� no. Sloate, blind since she was six, does most things better than other people. After establishing herself on male-dominated Wall Street, she founded her own company and sold it to , where she鈥檚 now a Managing Director. She serves on four charitable boards (鈥淚 want to help, not just sign a check鈥�), works out daily (she used to run 75 flights of stairs in her building) and, thanks to Gizmo, her German shepherd seeing-eye dog, leaves fellow pedestrians in the dust. 鈥淗e鈥檚 incredibly smart,鈥� she says. 鈥淲hen I sign a restaurant check, he gets up to leave.鈥� A self-described information junkie who sleeps five hours per night, Sloate spends weekends reading up on everything from cookies to gene editing to robotic ships that can cross the ocean with no one aboard. 鈥淲all Street finances the future,鈥� she says. Still, she credits her success to her mother, who had her home-tutored and then sent her to private school. 鈥淪he said, 鈥榊ou鈥檙e my brilliant Jewish daughter, and you can do anything,鈥� recalls Sloate, who graduated from Barnard and earned an M.A. in history at Columbia. Sloate joined 麻豆原创鈥檚 board because 鈥渆ducation is the key to helping people improve their positions in life, and an institution that educates educators has an even greater impact.鈥� She鈥檚 interested in the College鈥檚 work in learning technology, a hot field on Wall Street. Her advice to young people: Make your passion your career. 鈥淭here are bad days when I leave work depressed, but I come back raring to go. You can鈥檛 do that if you鈥檙e not passionate. I鈥檓 always looking forward to learning more and helping as much as I can.鈥� 鈥� Joe Levine

STREET SMART 鈥淓ducation is the key to helping people improve their positions in life, and an institution that educates educators has an even greater impact.鈥� 鈥� Laura Sloate