“My children love the place and the space, so I told myself, ‘Whatever we have, we need to plant it here.”
“Where lies your heart, so lies your treasure.” Sewanee Parents’ Council member Stephanie Ferreira says that this mantra, drawn from Matthew 6:21, guides her personal investments—and Ferreira’s heart lies with her children, Dottie, C’25, and Stephen, C’26. “My kids are at Sewanee and they’re happy. That makes me happy,” she shares. “I think when a parent is satisfied with a child’s experiences in an environment, [the parent] is more willing to give to that place—whether that means volunteering time or treasure.”
Along with supporting a range of Sewanee causes, Ferreira has been a member of the Parents’ Council since the fall of 2021. In a welcome note before the Advent semester, Terri Williams, C’81, Sewanee’s Associate Vice President for Advancement, invited all parents of current and incoming students to attend an open meeting. Ferreira says, “I went to the meeting, and I immediately felt the Council was something I wanted to be a part of.”
She notes that she especially appreciates the opportunity to receive in-depth information about a wide range of Sewanee topics. She also enjoys interacting directly with the University’s faculty and administrators. “Getting an email [about Sewanee life] is one thing,” Ferreira explains, “but actually being able to sit in a Parents’ Council meeting and hear what department leaders are saying—that’s extremely helpful.”
All Council members commit to making an annual gift of $5,000 or more to the Sewanee Parents’ Fund or to another designation of their choice. Ferreira, who is a single parent and works as a florist in Memphis, TN, says she resolved to cover her donation by taking on a few extra floral arrangement jobs. “I felt it was important enough to be part of what my children are doing [at Sewanee],” she says. “My children love the place and the space, so I told myself, ‘Whatever we have, we need to plant it here.’”
Bess Turner, Director of Parent Philanthropy, says Ferreira’s wholehearted involvement in the Council is benefiting the entire Sewanee family. “The Council exists to create meaningful, fulfilling Sewanee experiences for our whole community, including alumni and current and incoming students,” she notes. “In committing herself to supporting Dottie and Stephen, Stephanie is really lifting up other people’s kids too.” Turner currently oversees the Council and coordinates its biannual meetings.
As Ferreira describes, Dottie and Stephen have fully immersed themselves in Mountain life. Both students are on University swim teams. Dottie, who’s pursuing a major in biology with a minor in Spanish, studied abroad in Spain during her sophomore year. She’s a member of the Theta Pi sorority, a Sewanee Angel, and works with the University’s admissions department to train campus tour guides.
instrument rating from his instructor, Chris Frassie.
Stephen, who aspires to be a professional pilot, is part of the Sewanee Flying Tigers, an aviation program based at the Franklin County Airport. Ferreira credits her late husband, who passed away unexpectedly in 2013, with inspiring Stephen’s love of flying. “My husband was in the aviation industry, on the customer service side, for 33 years,” she says. “He was a guy who could hear the roar of an engine flying over the house and tell you what type of plane it was.”
In addition to supporting the Sewanee Parents’ Fund, which helps cover the University’s most pressing needs, Ferreira currently gives to scholarships and financial aid. She also donates to the men’s and women’s swim teams, particularly to defray costs associated with out-of-town meets. She says she hopes funding for swimming will continue to grow.
As an involved Sewanee parent, Ferreira says she’d also like to see greater diversity on the Parents’ Council. “I want the Council to look the way the campus looks,” she explains. She hopes this goal will be achieved as awareness of the Council grows. “I’m not sure that everyone knows the Parents’ Council is happening—that it’s an opportunity,” she says.
She acknowledges that the financial commitment required for Council membership may deter some parents, but, she says, she sees her contribution as money well spent. “I’ve learned so much from my time on the Parents’ Council,” she notes. “It gives parents the opportunity to listen and talk with departmental chairs, the Vice Chancellor, and others, about matters that not only relate to the University but also to our most important resource—our children.”
