Michelle D. Freeman, who led the effort to build the new Joshua M. Freeman Center for Athletic Achievement at Landon, spoke to students and faculty on Wednesday, October 29, about philanthropy and the importance of stepping up to make change happen. Mrs. Freeman was the fall presenter for the Boiardi Forum for Ethical Reflection which brings in national and community leaders to talk about leadership and character.
Mrs. Freeman is president and chairman of the Carl M. Freeman Foundation which supports causes in the Washington, DC and Delmarva communities, as well as areas of West Virginia. She is also a member of the board of the Carl M. Freeman Companies.
The mother of a Landon senior (Nick Freeman '09) and the widow of a Landon alumnus, Josh Freeman '83, Mrs. Freeman is committed to pursuing her late husband's vision to conceptualize, construct and operate sustainable facilities that support the arts, the environment and athletics.
Mrs. Freeman told the boys about her personal belief -- which she learned from her late husband -- that individuals have a responsibility to see a need and do something about it. She reminded them that by being at Landon, they already have an enormous advantage, and that they can start effecting change with little things now. She gave statistics, for example, of the number of children in Montgomery County -- one of the wealthiest counties in the country -- who go to bed hungry. Her own company, she noted, packs napsacks on Thursdays to go home the next day with children who may have nothing to eat all weekend. They return the empty napsacks to be refilled the following week.
Challenging the Senior Class, Mrs. Freeman offered $15,000 for a grant proposal they would develop that would help Landon address environmental issues. To receive the funds, the entire class must get involved, she said. If the experiment works, she would consider the same opportunity for the following year.
In response to audience questions, she encouraged Lower School students to "find something you're passionate about, and then 'just do it.' Start it!"
She concluded by asking boys to remember Landon long after they graduate, noting that they are "future leaders who will have the opportunity to change someone's life," and she hoped that they would do that, as Josh Freeman had done for Landon and elsewhere.
The Boiardi Forum for Ethical Reflection honors the life of alumnus George Boiardi '00. In November, Landon will host a conference on ethics and leadership for members of the International Boys School Coalition. For more information, contact Rick Kirschner, Banfield Ethics Chair, at 301-320-8479.
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