Likewise, Alison who is Managing Director, Head of Canadian Fixed Income at TD Securities and the mother of Lily and Gracie in Grades 5 and 3 respectively, “felt empowered to succeed no matter what” in traditionally male-dominated fields, thanks to her Branksome education. And that’s why they have purchased a Stepping Stone on the iCAST lobby’s donor wall, “because the school gave us the foundation to succeed in an area where, quite frankly, there were very few females in those roles 20 years ago."

Now, the family tradition continues. After attending a parent breakfast in Principal Grace McCallum’s home this fall, Alison and her husband Ryan were “blown away” by iCAST’s mandate to continue preparing girls to shatter ceilings, specifically in the STEM fields. “The idea of being immersed in STEM from the youngest age was compelling,” says Alison, “and as we don’t know what the jobs of the future will look like we’re excited our girls will have the most advanced technologies along with the confidence to excel. That really stood out for us. We’re delighted that we’re making our gift to support this unique state-of-the-art facility, that’s quite unprecedented for an independent school in North America.”