For Jennifer and Andrew Montgomery, the decision to name a Stepping Stone in iCAST began with a quiet moment at home—listening to a voice recording their daughter Ellie had made earlier that day in Junior Kindergarten. In her small, steady voice, Ellie reflected on her reading and shared one simple goal with gentle conviction:

“I want to read 100 books.”

Hearing her articulate her thinking in her own words was powerful. To her parents—Andrew, whose work sits at the leading edge of innovation and technology, and Jennifer, an educator devoted to sparking curiosity—it revealed not just a child learning to set goals, but the beginning of a learning journey built on reflection, imagination and growing confidence.

“What stands out to us about iCAST is how intentional it feels,” Andrew explains. “Innovation isn’t about having every new tool—it’s about giving girls space to explore ideas, ask question and discover what they can do. It meets them exactly where they are.”

Ellie already lives in that space where curiosity and creativity meet. While preparing for the Winter Community Market, she became determined to perfect her cookie-mix-in-a-jar prototype—revisiting, refining and “test baking” with a blend of joy, problem-solving and grit. Just as naturally, she expresses herself through music, movement and storytelling, turning everyday moments into scenes or performances of her own making.

"Ellie lights up when she can create something,” Jennifer shares. “Those are the moments when you can see her growing braver, more confident, more herself.”

When the Montgomerys picture iCAST, they imagine not only Ellie but all girls developing that same sense of possibility—designing in the STEAM Studio, experimenting in the Robotics Lab, building in the Woodshop and stepping into performance spaces where movement, light and voice bring ideas to life. They imagine an environment where “girls with grit” grow into young people ready to shape their world.

These small moments add up—and they are exactly why Jennifer and Andrew chose to give.

Their support is rooted in the values they are actively nurturing at home. Naming a Stepping Stone in iCAST for Ellie, they say, is a way of carrying that message forward— so it can endure and inspire for generations.

“Giving to iCAST allows us to model the importance of community,” Jennifer says. “We want Ellie to grow up believing her ideas matter and her voice matters—and that when you give to your community, the community grows, together.”

Learn more about how you can leave your legacy with a Stepping Stone.