Donor Profiles
Kelley Robins Hicks
When Kelley Robins Hicks became an 8th grade student at Awty back in 1993, it was only supposed to be for one year. Her parents thought she needed a change, something she was resistant to. After two years, she decided to stay at Awty, drawn by the unique educational and cultural experience at the school.
As a native Houstonian, Kelley got to meet and become friends with students from different cultures, and have them embrace her culture as well. This definitely played a role in her life and career.
"I felt like I was the luckiest person to get to experience Awty and learn about so many different parts of the world," stated Kelley. "Awty set me on the path of who I am today."
As a TV and film producer, she's particularly interested in telling authentic stories about communities that don't already have a voice.
During her student years, Kelley witnessed firsthand the structural transformation of the school.
"When I started at Awty, the education and campus life were amazing, but the facilities did not reflect the great learning journey and what the school spirit really was," mentioned Kelley.
She remembers her ecstatic feeling at the time when the original science building and library were built, and she is even more excited now for the current students.
"The Campus Center will allow the facilities to match the great education and wonderful Awty spirit," said Kelley.
The new purposeful green spaces are what she is the most enthusiastic about, as she recalls how she enjoyed relaxing outdoors and connecting with other students back in her high school years.
Kelley is particularly attached to the idea of helping future generations, which led her to financially support the capital campaign for the new Campus Center.
"It's our way to pay forward what someone else did for us," she said. " It's important that we establish a legacy, thinking about future generations taking care of others."
The Bruzauskas Haymon Family
While searching for a new school for their children, the exposure to different people, cultures, and languages led Sonja Bruzauskas and Houston Haymon straight to Awty.
Having grown up in Germany and having lived in major cities around the world, Sonja experienced a bit of culture shock in Houston. When her family moved to Houston, they found there weren’t a lot of natural opportunities to mingle and connect with people different from themselves. European cities are typically built around a town square and have more public transportation, leading to more chances to interact with other people.
Houston and Sonja wanted that type of interaction for their children—to give them the opportunity to meet children from around the world, to learn new languages, and to be exposed to other cultures. With over 50 different nationalities among the student body, Awty has provided this to them.
"It's the most diverse and inclusive private school I've ever seen anywhere—culturally, socioeconomically, and cognitively," stated Sonja.
The Bruszauskas Haymon family is excited to be a part of Awty’s growth and to see the new Campus Center take shape on Awty’s main campus. They are especially enthusiastic about supporting the makerspace and its accessibility to others in the community, so much so that they’ve graciously made a three-year pledge to the Full Steam AHEAD Campaign to help fund the Campus Center project
"I think the makerspace concept is so exciting. It supports that cognitive diversity I mentioned—we don't just sit with our special interests,” said Sonja. “In order to solve a problem, we need to bring together a wide variety of perspectives and talents to have a full-picture solution. It is the way of the future.”
"We strongly believe in Awty's community and its mission and the very worthy goals the organization pursues,” added Sonja. “I think the execution of Awty's vision and goals will change the future of humanity. We're more than happy to do our part to help ensure a bright future for a lot of children and build a stronger and more peaceful community in Houston and all over the world."
The Mohamed Family
When Rishma and Akbar Mohamed’s middle son, Rayan, was accepted to attend The Awty International School in 2016, “It felt like we had won the lottery,” said Rishma.
Soon after, daughter Aliya and eldest son Ayden joined their brother as Awty students. Up to that point, the Mohamed children had attended other independent schools, where the family felt they were among the minority.
“Of course, the academics at Awty speak for themselves,” continued Rishma. “But the school community was what really sold us. We wanted our children to grow up in an international environment — to be exposed to different cultures and languages.”
In many ways, the Mohameds’ vision for their family has already come to life. Their children are building fluency in multiple languages, often serving as interpreters for their parents on family vacations.
“We have watched our children thrive at Awty,” stated the Mohameds. “That is an invaluable gift.”
Philanthropy is a high priority for both Akbar and Rishma — and a family value that they strive to pass onto their children. Early in the family’s time at Awty, they supported the development of what is now the Early Learning Campus, witnessing firsthand the impact of that gift.
“When the new ELC opened, we saw that the incredible education our kids were already getting was just taken to the next level. New facilities give teachers the space and technology to be even more creative and engaging with the curriculum.”
When the opportunity arose to help Awty expand its school grounds with the new Campus Center capital campaign, it was important to the Mohameds to be early adopters. In 2020, they made a $1 million pledge to the Campus Center campaign, which the school will recognize by naming the new building’s assembly hall in their honor. They chose the space for its potential to further foster a sense of community among Awty students, teachers, staff, and families.
“The entire project is critical,” said Rishma, “but the assembly hall is close to our hearts because it will be the venue for special moments — recitals, International Festival, pep rallies — all the memories students will carry with them when they leave.”
The Mohameds hope that sharing their story of support for the project will encourage other families to join them.
“A gift to this campaign is an investment in not only our kids, but the next generation,” added Rishma, “and gifts of every size will make it happen.”
“In the end, it will take all of us to move the school — and our children — into the future.”
The Funk Family
When Etai and Laura Funk began the process of selecting a school for their children, they had a few important criteria in mind: a culturally diverse environment, a strong sense of community, and a record of academic excellence.
An international environment was important to the Funks; Etai’s family immigrated to the United States when he was a young child, and Laura’s career in oil and gas reinforced her belief in the importance of exposure to other cultures and languages.
The Funk family was further drawn in by Awty’s close-knit faculty and parent community, many of whom sent them messages, invited them to events, and openly shared their experiences to make them feel welcomed and supported.
“We knew pretty quickly upon visiting Awty that it was the right fit for our family,” said Laura. “It was that kind of moment people often mention when buying a house. Sometimes you walk through the door and you just know, ‘This is it.’”
Well into their fourth year at Awty, the Funks have been impressed with the school’s commitment to its students and the way in which the campus has grown organically to meet students’ needs. That’s what led them to pledge their financial support for the new Campus Center.
“We really appreciate the project’s focus on enhancing the experience of our current student population and maintaining the campus identity, versus significant enrollment growth,” stated Laura. “That focus on quality over quantity is important to our kids’ experience.”
With their eldest child in 3rd grade, the Funks plan to see all three children graduate from Awty, and their sights are focused on the school’s long-term success.
“We are committed to giving back to Awty, which has already given so much to our children as well as our family as a whole,” said the Funks. “Like many parents, we have high expectations — and it will take a community to ensure that the faculty, staff, and students have the resources to meet those expectations.”
