Latin School of Chicago

alumni voice JEFFREY SIEGEL JEFFREY SIEGEL '76, trustee and president of the Alumni Association, lives the triad of service, leadership and loyalty. Having been part of the Latin community since 1971, Jeffrey says the school's influence has been immeasurable. "Latin has helped create the father, husband and person that I am. For this, I am truly grateful." Siegel's involvement is nothing short of remarkable. He has been a substitute teacher in French classes for 25 years. He was head coach of Latin's cross country team for nine years. He has taught Live & Learn adult education classes, has chaperoned trips abroad, has served twice on the Board of Trustees, and has given extraordinary time to countless committees and projects, including the Alumni Association. What instills such loyalty to an institution? For Siegel, it is all about the connections and enduring friendships made. An example is his long-time relationship with mentor and former French teacher Giuseppe Dragonetti. Siegel describes Dragonetti as "the consummate teacher, who would take us beyond the textbooks to create a world around the subject matter that we wanted to live in." Long FOR SIEGEL, IT IS ALL ABOUT THE CONNECTIONS AND ENDURING FRIENDSHIPS MADE. before multicultural education was the trend, Dragonetti interwove his knowledge of French, Italian, English, Turkish, Greek and Spanish, and taught his students from a native perspective immersed in culture. Siegel says, "Unequivocally, Giuseppe ignited and nurtured my decision to major in French Literature in college. He is a lifelong friend and mentor to me. He was and remains central to my Latin School experience." It is these kinds of memories that have driven Siegel's commitment to Latin as both a parent and an alumnus, and SERVICE, LEADERSHIP, LOYALTY inspire his conviction that alumni can and should make a difference in the school. "One of my first goals as president of the Alumni Association was to secure more alumni involvement in school events like the auction, scholarship dinner, sporting events and alumni week activities." Through Siegel's efforts and those of the Alumni Board and Alumni Office, alums are currently represented in record numbers in these events. While fundraising among alums also is increasing, Siegel believes that cultivating true stewardship of time, talents and expertise is as important as raising money. "Jeffrey's passion for Latin comes through everything he does," notes Charlie Gofen, president of Latin's Board of Trustees. "When you combine high energy and eternal optimism with a profound love of the school, you get an extraordinary volunteer leader." Moving forward, Siegel is excited about being part of an increasingly strong and committed alumni community, especially as Latin gets ready to celebrate its 125th year. "With more than 30 board members and great volunteers spanning five decades, the organization is rich with ambassadors for outreach to over 4,000 alums." In the meantime, Siegel's and wife Michelle's children Samantha (grade 9) and Gavin (grade 4) are certainly learning invaluable lessons about being a committed Roman from their dad. "My dad loves Latin because he grew up here," says Samantha. "He is a great person who only wants the best for our family and for our school." Adds Gavin: "School is his thing. He loves volunteering; he's just that kind of guy." As Jeffrey Siegel completes his term as president of the Alumni Association, we salute him for being just that kind of guy. • – Linda Hennelly Latin School of Chicago 27

• Cover