In 1978, Marc and Ronna Taub relocated to Boca Raton with two young children, David ’91 and Emily ’93. They began searching for an elementary school that was the right fit for their children.
“Education was always a priority for us,” Marc said. “Growing up my parents always put a major emphasis on education,” Ronna said, adding, “I also went to private school for high school, so I understood the value in it.” Marc and Ronna met as undergraduate students where their shared love of learning was first realized.
The Taub Family
“We heard that Pine Crest was a strong academic school with a nurturing environment,” said Marc.
Pine Crest allowed their children to try new things. “They had such great extracurricular activities and still do!” Ronna expressed. David and Emily both earned advanced graduate degrees—in medicine and art history, respectively. David also earned a masters of business administration during his medical residency. A Pine Crest education was foundational to their academic success.
“One of the things I thought was particularly wonderful,” Ronna said, “is how the student body supported their peers and appreciated the talents of all of the students, whatever they happened to be.” Even now, a supportive culture remains at Pine Crest, which Ronna and Marc continue to experience as proud grandparents of Ella ’22 and Ari ’25.
Ari ’25, Ronna, Ella ’22, and Marc Taub
After graduating from Pine Crest, David attended the University of Michigan. He remained in the Midwest for almost 20 years before he and his wife, Rasheena decided to return to South Florida, where all four grandparents were living.
Rasheena shared that Pine Crest wasn’t initially on her radar. “My own educational experience was in public school,” she said. “I am extraordinarily proud of that. I was reluctant to send our kids to private school but Dave credits Pine Crest for his work ethic and integrity, and those are his strongest qualities.”
Sounding remarkably similar to his parents, David said “Quality education is a priority for us. I thought, ‘we can give our kids a family atmosphere, strong academics and great extracurricular activities.’ It just made sense to come back to Pine Crest.”
Having volunteered in a variety of roles on campus over the last 17 years, Rasheena has her own perspective on the Pine Crest experience. “There is a real mission here to uphold the integrity of a child’s education,” she said. “For teachers, administrators and the security team, this is a calling.”
Watching the Pine Crest experience through his own children’s eyes has been a privilege for David. “I had a spectacular education and so many opportunities to succeed, but campus life now far surpasses anything I had access to,” he said. While technology and programming have advanced and new athletic and academic spaces have been developed like the Zimmerman Family iLab [makerspace], David emphasized that education and character development remain at the core of the Pine Crest he and his children will always remember.
Rasheena, Ella ’22, Ari ’25 and David ’91 Taub
“It’s been 35 years, so the teachers are different,” David said, “but my kids’ teachers have been unbelievably engaging and impactful on their lives.” Ari, who will be graduating this year, agrees. “The teachers go out of their way to connect with us as students,” he said. “They genuinely care about how we do and what our goals are.”
“I also have to mention the opportunities we have,” he continued. “The clubs, like the Technology Students’ Association (TSA) for example, create circumstances to make new friends and do things we wouldn’t otherwise have the opportunity to do. In Middle School, I played every sport offered. My friends and I grew closer through those experiences because our coaches were also like teachers which I thought was cool.”
Pine Crest also prepared Ella to confidently engage in student life at Tulane University. As a Panther, Ella honed her leadership skills in clubs such as the Admission Ambassadors, Steering Committee, TSA and Pre-kindergarten Helpers, which allows high school students to assist teachers in Lower School classrooms during the school day. She was also a graduate of the first cohort of the three-year social entrepreneurship program, in which Ari is in his final year.
“Pine Crest developed in me a ‘try everything’ mentality,” Ella said. “I was encouraged to do everything even if I was bad at it.” In college, she has maintained this mindset that doing new things, even if at first she’s not great at them, can still be exciting. “I joined 30 clubs, am involved in community service, and work in the admission office.”
Ella also spoke about the experience of beginning her undergraduate studies. “When I went to college, I was 100 times more prepared than my roommates. Pine Crest just equips you so well for everything. I think my dad felt the same when he went to college and my grandparents continue to talk about our education!”
In fact, when Ella was giving a tour to prospective students at Tulane, a parent recognized the last name Taub on her name tag. She was an alum of Pine Crest who had gone to school with Ella’s aunt Emily. “There are so many connections because of how tightly knit this community is. Some of my dad’s best friends are from Pine Crest, and their kids were in my grade.”
Ella and Ari appreciate a shared connection to Pine Crest with their dad. “I think Ari and I have so much in common with our dad because of our journeys at Pine Crest and the sense of community Pine Crest promotes,” said Ella. “There were many teachers that my dad, my brother and I had, like Mrs. Hunt ’12H! I think it’s special that we developed some of our first memories in the same place.”
A Generational Value of Giving Back
The Taub family has prioritized making annual gifts to Pine Crest—and for different reasons. Marc feels fortunate to contribute to the experience not only for his children and grandchildren but for succeeding generations.
“It’s more challenging to raise children today than it was 35 and 40 years ago,” said Marc. “I think of everything that has changed our lives—social media, technology, unlimited access to information—it’s very challenging to be a parent and even more so to be a kid these days. Pine Crest is an oasis. It offers a respite from these distractions and exposures.”
“For us to be able to see our children and now Ella and Ari go through Pine Crest, and to be able to continually make a contribution to the institution and its culture is something we are very fortunate to do,” Marc explained. Ronna also mentioned how even though Pine Crest is a traditional school, it consistently embraces change. “I hope it will be a school where people can continue to be well educated and supported for years to come,” she said.
For David, making an annual gift is about paying it forward. “I continue to be a lifelong learner,” he said. “Pine Crest fostered in me intellectual curiosity, discipline, strong work habits, and the ability to process information and think critically about what you read or see, and that foundation has allowed me to succeed. I want that for my children and our community at large.”
Rasheena also places great value on giving back as a parent. “For me, it always felt significant to give my time, as this is where my children spend most of their time each day.”
Professional learning is an area that she is most proud to support, as it not only directly impacts the students but says something about Pine Crest. “To encourage lifelong learning in every position is declarative about the priorities of this institution,” she said, stressing how humanizing it is for children to know that many of their teachers and administrators are still students themselves.
“I think our story is important in that sometimes when you’re in an environment where the giving is so grand you can question whether that's the best way to contribute, and if it's actually impactful. Recognizing that this is a place that should exist, and aligning yourself with supporting that however you can—that is also a statement of value,” Rasheena said.
“As a family, there are few spaces that you can source where there is a shared experience across generations,” Rasheena said. Supporting the community for generations to come inspires the Taub family’s philanthropy. Their impact contributes to ensuring that Pine Crest exists beyond their time here—a legacy of Panther Pride indeed.
