By Michelle Yousefzadeh

Twelfth graders voted to donate their Senior Gift to the Brendan Kutler Memorial Fund at their class meeting Feb. 23.

Every year, seniors vote to donate a gift from their class to fund a program, sponsor an endorsement or buy a memorable object to give to the community.

Brendan Kutler was a member of the senior class who died in his sleep in December.

His family is deciding what the fund will sponsor.

They are discussing possibilities with Chief Advancement Officer Ed Hu and Head of School Jeanne Huybrechts.

The senior class chose between Financial Aid, the Brownstein Fellowship and the Memorial Fund.

The options were selected by the Senior Gift Committee, which consists of the Senior and Head Prefects, senior members of the Student Alumni Association, Hu and Associate Director of Alumni Relations Susan Beeson.

“If this fund could be used for something that could be used to support independent research or interdisciplinary study, I think that would really honor Brendan’s memory,” Huybrechts said.

Members of the Senior Gift committee will be in the quad periodically until April 27 to collect donation forms but students and parents will be able to continue to donate through checks, cash or credit cards, Beeson said.

Last year, $7,400 was raised from students and an additional $25,000 came from matching funds.

Matching funds have not been finalized for this year, however the committee is looking for a 75 percent student participation rate from seniors to help secure more donors, Beeson said.

“I am confident that the outcome will result in some very exciting, long-term implications for the school that will appropriately reflect Brendan’s spirit and honor his memory on an on-going basis,” Hu said.

Donations are currently being accepted in the quad.