Robert Ouimette

Robert Ouimette with his son, Michael '10

My son Michael (Class of ’10) and I had an immediate affinity for Dalton. In fact, after his first visit with Babby, Michael climbed down the Little Dalton front stairs where I was waiting and announced, “I like this school.” Our appreciation for Dalton grew and deepened as Michael continued through the First Program and then middle and high school. When our family considered its giving priorities, Dalton was on top of the list. I could see that much of Michael’s academic and personal growth was due to the passionate, talented, and dedicated faculty at Dalton. They were accomplished in their fields of study and caring and committed to each student as an individual learner.

We know that Michael and his classmates had benefitted greatly from the generosity of Dalton donors who had come before us. When we thought about a legacy we could leave to Dalton, we immediately thought of the many wonderful teaching experiences Michael enjoyed at Dalton. So we decided to establish the Peggy Y. Ouimette Professional Development Fund, in memory of Michael’s mother, with a gift to the endowment. We hoped to help support faculty members explore areas of interest, academic and personal, that we knew would enrich the classroom experiences of Dalton students in the future. We have been so pleased to hear of travel study to Japan, Egypt, Africa, and the whaling venues of New England and to support faculty training in technology and work to improve curriculum and teaching methods in science and math.

I hope our family’s fund will continue to provide faculty with enriching experiences that will provide professional satisfaction and enhance the classroom experience of future Dalton students.