By: Nina Hamuy ’21
For his 40th class reunion, Committee Member and alumnus from the Class of 1979 Darren Kowalske challenged his former classmates to make a gift to Pine Crest School.
“We have an amazing class that has known each other for most of the last 50 years,” said Darren. “Coming together for a collective class gift was a great way to honor Pine Crest and celebrate our reunion.”
After graduating from Pine Crest, Darren attended Princeton University where he received a bachelor's degree in economics. He then began his career with General Electric (GE), working in different areas of the company before settling into their real estate finance business. At the time, there were only 75 employees in the department.
“Twenty years later, we had 4,500 employees and were one of the largest real estate finance companies in the world,” said Darren. “Along the way, I had the opportunity to go from Florida to Tokyo to London to California, eventually running some of GE’s largest real estate operations.”
Reflecting on his time at Pine Crest, Darren said, “I was never the 4.0 student, but the combination of academics, leadership, and athletics I developed at Pine Crest afforded me the opportunity to go to Princeton and beyond.”
A tradition of giving to Pine Crest School supports numerous initiatives that help the school community thrive. This includes supporting faculty professional development and financial assistance for families who may not otherwise be able to afford the Pine Crest experience. While tuition covers the essentials of a Pine Crest education, philanthropic gifts from alumni make the extraordinary happen.
“My small contribution is intended to support and help provide students a chance to benefit from the opportunities I received,” said Darren. “Additionally, I wanted to honor the teachers, coaches, guidance counselors, and fellow students who taught, encouraged, and supported my class throughout our Pine Crest years.”
On starting the “40 for 40” challenge to his peers, Darren said, “we never stressed a dollar amount but rather the participation. I love the fact that there are 100 extraordinary people connected by a common thread and many shared experiences. Any differences we may have had in high school seem to fade away throughout the years. We continue to connect and support each other and truly enjoy coming back together.”
“Getting 40% of the class committed 40 years later was a fun challenge that exceeded my expectations,” said Darren. “More rewarding than the accomplishment was the engagement and connections we made during the process. It only added further to an already special event.”
When I asked Darren what he thinks students like me, who will become Pine Crest alumni, should know about supporting their alma mater, he explained, “there will only be one Pine Crest Class of 2021. The class will never be closer than on graduation day.”
“You will soon go off to start college, careers, and families, possibly far away from Pine Crest,” said Darren. “You will have good days and bad days. Some may fare better than others, but like family, there will only be one Pine Crest Class of 2021. Honor it, embrace it and support each other along the way; 40 years from now you may appreciate what a special class you have.”
Each of us, no matter our class size, current age, or path in life, are connected by the common thread of shared experiences at Pine Crest. Whether our class remembers cheering on the Panthers at the Homecoming football game or taking pictures while standing in front of the Huizenga Family Science Center on our last day of school, we will be bound to the alumni who precede and succeed us through our shared experiences at Pine Crest. The combination of academics, leadership, arts, and athletics we all develop at Pine Crest affords each of us, in every generation, the opportunity to discover and embrace our passions and talents, and there is joy in passing down those traditions and opportunities to those who come after us.
The Class of 1979 challenges the Class of 1980 and all reunion classes to strengthen this tradition this year and in the years to come!
Go Panthers!
