As a graduate of Cape Fear Academy who benefited from financial assistance while attending the school, the decision about where to focus her donation was easy for Emily Hall Poole, Class of 2008, and her husband, Greg Poole. The Pooles generously committed $350,000 to support need-based financial aid at Cape Fear Academy. With this gift, Poole hopes that giving back to Cape Fear Academy will enable others to enjoy the same experience she did.
"We strongly believe that CFA provides an extraordinary academic, extracurricular, and inclusive experience,” Poole said. “Our hope is that by creating an endowment for need-based financial aid, we can create opportunities for children who otherwise would not have had the opportunity to attend CFA. An endowment was our choice of gift because it not only helps the school in the short term, but it helps to provide financial continuity to the long-term success of CFA.”
I believe strongly in the importance of paying it forward and investing in the next generation.
Poole attended larger public schools throughout lower and middle school years, but when she came to Cape Fear Academy in 9th Grade she immediately felt the impacts of the CFA educational experience.
"The small class sizes made me feel more comfortable asking questions, and my teachers and classmates welcomed me with open arms and encouraged me to join clubs and sports that I would never have engaged in at another school. I ended up graduating from CFA with a high GPA, unbelievable lifelong friends and acceptance to the college of my choice, all of which I am forever grateful for.”
Having personally experienced the way Cape Fear Academy can transform a student’s relationship with learning and their life, Poole wanted to help provide that opportunity for future students.
"I believe strongly in the importance of paying it forward and investing in the next generation.” she said. “More than anything, I hope that it gives someone an opportunity and that the opportunity changes the trajectory of their life in a constructive manner, and that they make a positive impact on the world in some way.”
This story was originally published in the 2021–2022 Cape Fear Academy Annual Report.