All it takes is one

Who was your favorite teacher?

According to Palm Harbor, Florida-based financial advisor Mary Hayes, it’s a question everyone has an answer for. “No matter what age – you could be 80 years old and you’d still be able to name that one person.”

But Mary doesn’t have a favorite teacher. She has two.

The first was Mrs. Luth, a math instructor at St. Michael the Archangel Catholic School in Shrewsbury, Missouri. She recognized the intelligence glinting behind a young Mary’s shy exterior and spent an entire summer working with her. “She changed the trajectory of my life.”

The second is Mary’s son, Tony. He teaches English, history and health and coaches football, wrestling and golf at Benjamin Franklin Senior High School in Los Angeles.

And through her support of Tony and his student athletes, Mary hopes to help new generations find their favorite teacher.

“I think everyone has a story that drives their giving,” said Mary. “These two are mine.”

The right track

Before Mary met Mrs. Luth, she was a quiet student. So quiet, in fact, it was perceived as a lack of ability, and she was placed in Group 3 of her school’s three learning tracks, the one meant for kids who might have a harder time academically.

“I was the only girl – the little girl in the first communion picture – in this small class of boys.”

First, there was Sister Bernita, who thought maybe Mary didn’t belong in Group 3 anymore and moved her to Group 2.

Then, in sixth grade, there was Mrs. Luth, who thought Group 2 wasn’t the right fit either, because Mary belonged in Group 1 – the advanced track.

“She said to my mom, ‘I think Mary can do it. It’s not that she isn’t smart enough. She just doesn’t know the material. Let me work with her.’ So, the summer between fifth and sixth grade, I would walk to her house every day and she worked with me. And I became the only student to go from Group 3, to Group 2, to Group 1.”

The experience gave Mary unique insight into just how far beyond the classroom the impact of a teacher can go.

“Teachers are on the front lines of kids’ lives, they know what’s going on in a family, what’s going on economically, the ways they can help. And that’s what Tony’s doing today. He’s helping every day, making sure kids know they’re not invisible.”

Changing course

Tony planned to become a lawyer. He was in school studying international law and doing well. Then a game of golf changed everything.

On the greens one day, Tony’s golf pro father met the head coach of Clearwater Central Catholic High School’s golf team. That team needed a junior varsity coach. Tony’s dad made a recommendation.

“I didn’t have a car at the time,” Tony shared. “So I took a bus an hour and a half to that first practice and then an hour and a half back. I loved it.”

And once he tried coaching, he wanted to try teaching. Tony applied to AmeriCorps’ City Year program and was placed in a Title I school in Los Angeles for a year. That was in 2014. He’s now spent a decade teaching and coaching in LA.

“When I got to my current school, Franklin, four years ago, they were planning to close the wrestling program and the golf team was basically nonexistent. So, it became my goal to revive both.”

A big part of restarting the momentum was finding support. “I’m really passionate about a couple of national organizations that focus on removing barriers to entry for kids in sports,” Tony said. “They’ve been a big boon for us.”

The first, Beat the Streets, focuses on empowering students through wrestling, providing equipment as well as training and competitive opportunities. The other is Youth on Course, an organization that works to make golf more accessible to more people.

But even with the support of these programs, Tony and his teams were still coming up against funding gaps. So Mary stepped in.

The right tool

From the beginning of her advisory career, philanthropy has been the thing that energizes Mary most. And donor advised funds (DAFs) have become her favorite giving vehicle.

“With every client, the first thing I ask is are you charitable? And do you have a donor advised fund? People think you need millions to be using these tools, but all you need is a desire to give. And when you fund a DAF, that money is set aside and can grow, creating the power to give even more. My friend who’s been cutting hair since she was 18 has a DAF.”

And Mary has one of her own, one she began using to make direct gifts to Franklin and Tony’s teams. It’s been a difference-maker in getting his athletes the exposure and experience Tony says is critical.

“The school covers uniforms and transportation during the week, but for weekend and off-season tournaments, it’s up to us. And I’m a competitor, so if other schools with more resources are going to a tournament, we’re going too. That’s where the DAF has been extremely helpful.”

Captains of giving

Both Tony and Mary are quick to give credit and slow to accept it themselves.

Tony is effusive about his mother’s generosity even beyond the larger DAF gifts, telling a story about the incoming captain of his wrestling team. “This girl, she reminds me of my mom. She’s five-foot-nothing, but she’s tough as nails. She’s a fighter.”

This student and Mary share a birthday, and Mary will be buying her leather letterman’s jacket as a gift. But the idea, said Mary, was Tony’s. “I still send him birthday money each year, and this year he said ‘Mom, don’t give me money. Buy this jacket, so this student can wear something that says ‘I’m the captain of the team,’” Mary shared, a little tearfully.

“Tony gives so much of himself. If I can help out, I’m happy to do that.”

And as Tony’s mother continues paying forward the support she received as a kid, he is beginning to see his students do the same. He recently asked a wrestling alum what she wants to do. “She said she wants to be a wrestling coach,” he said, laughing. “Maybe she can come back here. I’ll be her assistant.”

Beat the Streets

Established in 2005, Beat the Streets is dedicated to positively changing the trajectory of kids’ lives through wrestling. The organization expanded nationally in 2016 and has seen alums win state championships and attend Ivy League universities. “Every kid who signs up gets a pair of wrestling shoes instantly,” shared Tony. “They also give kids travel opportunities through their own tournament and all-star programs and help kids attend local camps.”

Learn more at beatthestreets.org.

Youth on Course

Since it was established in 2006, Youth on Course has made more than 3.2 million subsidized rounds of golf possible for kids across the country. The group is dedicated to breaking down financial barriers and bringing diversity to the sport. “Access to time on a course is a big deal,” said Tony. “Youth on Course makes it possible for kids to play rounds for $5 or less.”

Learn more at youthoncourse.org.