Sometimes the ripple effect of a meaningful connection is not felt until years down the line.
“We knew Hill was a special place back then but didn’t fully realize that until later,” explains Mike Giarla, current treasurer of Hill Learning Center’s Board of Trustees and chair of its finance committee, as he remembers his daughter Annie’s two years at Hill.
Annie Giarla-Carr attended Hill for only her third and fourth grade years, but she proudly credits that short period of time for the influence it had on her career.
“Without Hill, I wouldn’t have become a teacher,” Annie beams.
Annie, a Durham Academy graduate and Rhodes College alum, now teaches kindergarten at Charlotte Country Day School.
“They leave us being readers and writers after coming in not knowing what the alphabet is,” she says with a smile.
Annie, who has dyslexia, remembers appreciating the support and camaraderie that came along with the small class sizes at Hill. She also enjoyed being able to spend half her school day at Durham Academy, where she had formed a core group of friends.
“The thing I always talk about with Hill is how unique that half-day model is and how that brings so much more buy-in from families,” she explains.
Annie still remembers names of her Hill classmates, and she reserves a special place in her heart for her Hill teachers, namely Shauna Saunders and Sue Duncan.
Her father Mike elaborates: “Their good work influenced her to become a teacher and their legacy lives on in how great a teacher she is today.”
In even short conversations, Mike reveals himself as his daughter’s biggest fan and cheerleader. “I’m really impressed with Annie for so many reasons,” he says with a textbook proud dad grin.
Mike, who retired from Amundi Smith Breeden after more than thirty years, has served on the boards of public and private companies and non-profit organizations and has written many published finance and investment articles and book chapters.
In 2016, Beth Anderson, Hill’s current executive director, asked Mike to join the finance committee. Interestingly, Mike had introduced Beth to Hill years earlier when he attended a presentation given by Beth and the late Duke professor Gregory Dees. Beth and Greg had co-founded the Center for the Advancement of Social Entrepreneurship (CASE) at Duke’s Fuqua School of Business and were sharing their research on scaling social impact with the Fuqua Board of Visitors.
“I had personal interest in Hill because of our experience here,” Mike explains. “What I do in my ‘old age’ is to try to connect people when I see opportunities.”
Nowadays, Mike fosters connections and opportunity by helping to maximize Hill’s operational budget, prioritize financial aid for students, and encourage stakeholders to become involved with the organization in a variety of ways.
“The focus is on being the best resource we can be to our community,” he states, naming his goal for Hill for the coming years.
Speaking of the importance of the work done by Hill’s Board of Trustees, he explains, “Most people don’t know about this behind-the-scenes work, but it’s what makes it all come together.”
In recent years, under Mike’s leadership, Hill has been able to increase the total financial aid awarded each year, topping $525,000 for 2023-24.
“Financial aid is about furthering access,” Mike points out, explaining that financial aid often eases logistical barriers for families, allowing more students to access the various programs Hill offers.
Both Mike’s and Annie’s immediate families donate generously to the Hill Fund (general operating), but Mike explains that beyond financial donations, “there are lots of opportunities for people to help in big and small ways.”
“Folks who want to support Hill can help out with Hill Mile, or they can get involved with committees, especially if they have financial, governance, business, nonprofit, or legal experience,” he suggests, adding, “Plus there are opportunities for educators to become tutors if they want to work directly with students.”
“People are here because they love making a difference. It doesn’t have to be a huge commitment of time, but it can be if people find it interesting and want to contribute.”