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Community Gathers for Dedication and Blessing of Student Center

On Wednesday morning, under a beautiful bright sky, students, faculty, staff, administrators, parents and trustees gathered on the brand-new Izzo Quad to celebrate the dedication of St. Andrew’s new 43,000 square-foot Student Center. 
With a blessing from Bishop Mariann Budde, the new facility was formally opened to the St. Andrew’s community.
 
The building features two gymnasiums — the new Lions Court and the renovated Holden Court — a fitness center, a dance studio, student commons, a café, meeting and gathering space, display space for student artwork, and a new home for the nationally renowned Center for Transformative Teaching and Learning.

Before he cut the ribbon — using the same scissors former headmaster Jim Cantwell used when the Postoak campus was dedicated in 1998 — Head of School Robert Kosasky said the school was inspired to “create a facility more ambitious than St. Andrew’s has ever done before.”

“In my 15 years, nothing has required more effort or brought me more joy than the Student Center project,” Kosasky said.

Thanks to fundraising, the Student Center was completed two years ahead of schedule. Sandy Horowitz, chair of the board of trustees, commended the board for its hard work and dedication to accelerate the timeline and the donors for making the project possible.

“I think what made me proudest was to see the excitement of the students and watching them walk inside and have so much pride in the school,” Horowitz said. “That pride is just infectious.”

Budde, the bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington, said the Student Center is awe-inspiring and she was “thankful to God for this moment.”

“St. Andrew’s is such a jewel in the overall ministry of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington,” Budde said. “The leadership and commitment and dedication to holistic education, the vision to create this campus and to engage parents on the mission to serve…this is an extraordinary expression of all the right ingredients to create an excellent institution.”

Dannie Moore, 5th grade teacher and 2009 graduate, said the Student Center makes the school a “next level campus.”

“It makes me really proud to be a Lion, not just as an alum, but also as a faculty member,” Moore said.

Junior Joy Reeves called the Student Center an “act of extreme generosity.”

“We’re a growing student body and we need the space. I’m excited to use this building,” Reeves said. “I feel like the school is complete now.”
Senior Anthony Duruji, a member of the basketball team, said he is committed to playing his best when he’s on the court because so many people put forth their best to make the Student Center possible.

“Everyday I’m on that court I try to give it my all because I know there are so many who believed in it,” Duruji said. “It’s a blessing. I thank God I’m able to have the opportunity to be here.”

We invite all parents who couldn’t attend the dedication to find time to walk around the Student Center and see the gorgeous new facility that has nearly doubled the school’s program space. If you would like to find out more about making a contribution to the Students at the Center campaign, please contact Blair Kaine at bkaine@saes.org or visit our Make a Gift page.

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St. Andrew’s Episcopal School is a private, coeducational college preparatory day school for students in preschool (Age 2) through grade 12, located in Potomac, Maryland.