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Scholarship Dinner 2018 29 Joel S. Friedland Endowed Memorial Scholarship Fund Joel Friedland was an inspiration to many. As a child, he suffered third-degree burns over 60 percent of his body when he was accidentally doused with cooking oil. It was unclear whether he would survive the accident, and he underwent painful skin grafts and other surgeries over the next year. One would assume that someone who went through that type of ordeal would be changed forever, but Joel's spirit never showed the scars his body bore. He enjoyed life to the fullest. The decision to establish a scholarship at Latin School in Joel Friedland's memory was particularly appropriate because of the significant impact education had on his life. His family could not afford private school tuition but felt that the public school he attended was inadequate. His mother got a secretarial job at the University of Chicago so Joel could attend its Laboratory High School at reduced tuition. The trajectory of his life changed from that point on. He had always done well, but had never before been challenged. He learned to think independently and process information, and did well enough to become an attractive candidate for Brandeis University. After graduating from Brandeis, Joel received an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. He joined Chicago-based Chilmark Partners as an associate in 1985, and became a partner two years later. When the time came to choose a school for his own children, Danielle '02, and twins, Andrew and Jamie '05, he and I selected Latin because of its intellectual rigor and nurturing environment. In furtherance of his commitment to his children's education, Joel became a member of the Latin Board of Trustees in 1994 and served until his untimely death of cancer at the age of 44 in 1999. The entire Latin School community's support of our family throughout his illness and upon his death was invaluable in reconstructing our lives. We are all very grateful to have been part of the Latin School family and hope that this scholarship will enable other deserving children to realize their full potential. Joanne Benazzi Friedland