A Grateful Pioneer

Meet Tina Test ’76, One of the Original 89 Girls Whose Bequest Will Pay it Forward to Future Students

Read the Fall 2024/Winter 2025 Hotchkiss Magazine

By Catherine Calamé

Tina Test ’76 ventured to Hotchkiss in the fall of 1974 as an upper mid and never looked back. She arrived as one of the first girls, and now she is the director of leadership giving at Hotchkiss. She shares why she became a member of The Town Hill Society.

Why did you choose to attend Hotchkiss?

We lived in Northern New Jersey in a town that did not have a high school, so we would have been bused to the next town. My mother attended a boarding school, so my parents naturally thought my brother, Fred ’73, might benefit from a boarding option. Fred attended Hotchkiss while discussions were taking place about the School going coed. Applying to Hotchkiss felt right and familiar.

What was it like to be one of the Pioneer girls on campus?

I actually didn’t think we were pioneers back then. We were just new students who were nervous about a new experience and being away from home. Many of us had a connection to the School (a brother, uncle, grandfather) who attended, making it feel early on like it was our school. We did feel a little pressure to make coeducation work. We were all in this together, living in the same dorm, which helped us bond with each other quickly.

What did you do after graduation?

I attended Princeton University. Coincidentally, I went to another school that had only recently gone coeducational. My graduating year from Princeton was the 10th anniversary of having female students there.

How has Hotchkiss helped to shape your life?

The friendships I formed at Hotchkiss have lasted 50 years and have expanded to include additional lifelong friends. Attending Hotchkiss connected me with students from around the country and the world, providing a much richer experience than was available at most day schools. I gained independence, learned time management, and how to get things done on my own.

Why have you chosen to support Hotchkiss financially through the Town Hill Society?

I want to give back. While I will never be in a position to name a building, I am very appreciative of the opportunity given to me by those who funded scholarships before me. I support the Annual Fund at the academic institutions I have attended, but I wanted to leave something more after I am gone. My bequest will be allocated toward financial aid so I can pay it forward to other students.

You’ve been working at Hotchkiss for many years. What have you learned while raising support for your alma mater?

I’ve learned that even the smallest gestures can have a huge impact. The reasons why people give are so emotional and inspirational, and I’ve really enjoyed learning the story behind each gift.

What would you like other alumni to know about giving back to the School?

When you give to Hotchkiss, you are not only making an immediate difference in the lives of students, but you are also ensuring that the impact of their experience here travels throughout that person’s lifetime. Everything you see today at Hotchkiss was given by someone else. Consider the Dining Hall, Mars Athletic Center, and scholarships—everything is because of the generosity of someone else. The idea of being part of that and helping to sustain our mission is incredibly rewarding and important.

 

Join the Town Hill Society

Members of The Town Hill Society have named Hotchkiss as the beneficiary of bequests, gifts from retirement accounts, gifts of life insurance, and life-income gifts such as charitable gift annuities and charitable remainder unitrusts. These gifts, no matter the size, provide Hotchkiss with critical and lasting support. We would be honored to discuss with you how your own Town Hill gift can allow you to bridge your current financial situation with the gift you dream of making to Hotchkiss. Contact Director of Gift Planning Brent Alderman Sterste at giftplanning@hotchkiss.org or (860) 435-3263, or visit hotchkiss.giftplans.org to learn more.