The Kapani Family
The Kapani Family - Education Is The Constant: The newly-formed NCS Library Council got its first big boost this fall when NCS Trustee Roy Kapani and his wife Manisha, current NCS parents, announced a transformative gift to launch the initiative. Head of School Kathleen O’Neill Jamieson gratefully accepted their contribution, noting that “The Kapanis’ generosity is a wonderful and important step toward our goal of completing the Jane Henderson Boyden Craige Library by 2015. They understand not only what a new Library can mean for their daughters, but for generations of NCS students to come.”
The newly-formed NCS Library Council got its first big boost this fall when NCS Trustee Roy Kapani and his wife Manisha, current NCS parents, announced a transformative gift to launch the initiative. Head of School Kathleen O’Neill Jamieson gratefully accepted their contribution, noting that “The Kapanis’ generosity is a wonderful and important step toward our goal of completing the Jane Henderson Boyden Craige Library by 2015. They understand not only what a new Library can mean for their daughters, but for generations of NCS students to come.”
Mrs. Kapani said they were motivated to give to the new Library because of their personal experiences and their belief in the value of education. “Our family has seen material wealth come and go in a single generation,” she said. “Education is the constant. When the Indian government took my father’s textile mill away from him, a good education and $21 are what he brought to America to start over. We understand the value of a dollar, do not have generational wealth, and are choosing to stretch ourselves to support the NCS library so that all of the girls can reap the reward. No matter what your educational passion, the library is at the heart of preparing for that passion. When Roy’s father taught himself math and science, it opened the door to a Michigan State University scholarship. With that education, Roy’s father became a one-man operation in his basement, working on tasks himself, until he grew that operation to more than 700 people. Similarly, Roy combined his education and some very hard work to build a business that employs over 1,300 people. His education was essential in allowing him to understand his industry and qualified him to perform the work himself at the start.
Mrs. Kapani is a lawyer; Mr. Kapani, the CEO of a technology company. For each, information-handling skills are essential. “We live in the information age,” said Mrs. Kapani. “No matter what profession you choose, you’ve got to have information and the skills to find it. NCS already does a great job integrating the curriculum with library resources and training, and we’re excited by the opportunity to be leaders in taking this to the next level.”
Mr. Kapani agreed. “Libraries will always be adapting and evolving. They will never be obsolete. It is a sanctuary, a place to explore ideas, and a catalyst to finding what you love to do. The NCS library is at the heart of the experience I want for my daughters.”
“I could never have imagined myself in a position to make such a gift to our daughters’ school. But Roy and I believe that it’s the right thing to do,” said Mrs. Kapani. “First, because previous generations made the same kind of investment in our daughters’ education; I feel an obligation to promote that sense of philanthropy. Second, I am hopeful that if the parents of other Lower and Middle School daughters participate— at whatever level makes sense for each family—then our daughters will have access to a modern library and information technology in time to prepare them for college-level research.”
The Kapani family has long believed in the value of single-sex education. Mr. Kapani’s mother was a teacher at an all-girls school in India, and understood how differently girls behave when there are boys in the classroom. Mr. Kapani’s sister attended a girls school and “never felt the self-consciousness that I did in the classroom,” said Mrs. Kapani. “She developed the self-assuredness to discuss current issues, have political opinions and voice her thoughts early on, whereas it took me much longer to feel that comfortable.”
She continued, “What I love about NCS is that the girls seem to support each other. Each girl absolutely wants to excel, but it is not at a detriment to her peers. From my experience, it does seem that each girl has a desire to do well, but does not feel bothered if her friends also succeed. They seem truly happy for each other’s successes. Another aspect that attracted us to the school was its sense of permanence and history. There’s a community and a heritage. These are the values that are important to us. Family. Education. Community. It’s our pleasure to support an initiative that aligns so perfectly with our own priorities.”
Mrs. Kapani said they were motivated to give to the new Library because of their personal experiences and their belief in the value of education. “Our family has seen material wealth come and go in a single generation,” she said. “Education is the constant. When the Indian government took my father’s textile mill away from him, a good education and $21 are what he brought to America to start over. We understand the value of a dollar, do not have generational wealth, and are choosing to stretch ourselves to support the NCS library so that all of the girls can reap the reward. No matter what your educational passion, the library is at the heart of preparing for that passion. When Roy’s father taught himself math and science, it opened the door to a Michigan State University scholarship. With that education, Roy’s father became a one-man operation in his basement, working on tasks himself, until he grew that operation to more than 700 people. Similarly, Roy combined his education and some very hard work to build a business that employs over 1,300 people. His education was essential in allowing him to understand his industry and qualified him to perform the work himself at the start.
Mrs. Kapani is a lawyer; Mr. Kapani, the CEO of a technology company. For each, information-handling skills are essential. “We live in the information age,” said Mrs. Kapani. “No matter what profession you choose, you’ve got to have information and the skills to find it. NCS already does a great job integrating the curriculum with library resources and training, and we’re excited by the opportunity to be leaders in taking this to the next level.”
Mr. Kapani agreed. “Libraries will always be adapting and evolving. They will never be obsolete. It is a sanctuary, a place to explore ideas, and a catalyst to finding what you love to do. The NCS library is at the heart of the experience I want for my daughters.”
“I could never have imagined myself in a position to make such a gift to our daughters’ school. But Roy and I believe that it’s the right thing to do,” said Mrs. Kapani. “First, because previous generations made the same kind of investment in our daughters’ education; I feel an obligation to promote that sense of philanthropy. Second, I am hopeful that if the parents of other Lower and Middle School daughters participate— at whatever level makes sense for each family—then our daughters will have access to a modern library and information technology in time to prepare them for college-level research.”
The Kapani family has long believed in the value of single-sex education. Mr. Kapani’s mother was a teacher at an all-girls school in India, and understood how differently girls behave when there are boys in the classroom. Mr. Kapani’s sister attended a girls school and “never felt the self-consciousness that I did in the classroom,” said Mrs. Kapani. “She developed the self-assuredness to discuss current issues, have political opinions and voice her thoughts early on, whereas it took me much longer to feel that comfortable.”
She continued, “What I love about NCS is that the girls seem to support each other. Each girl absolutely wants to excel, but it is not at a detriment to her peers. From my experience, it does seem that each girl has a desire to do well, but does not feel bothered if her friends also succeed. They seem truly happy for each other’s successes. Another aspect that attracted us to the school was its sense of permanence and history. There’s a community and a heritage. These are the values that are important to us. Family. Education. Community. It’s our pleasure to support an initiative that aligns so perfectly with our own priorities.”