Why We Give
Trustee Spotlight: Carolina Valle '02
Carolina Valle joined the Sequoyah community as a kindergartener in “Andi’s Class” (now the Treehouse) in 1993. Since graduating in 2002, she has become the Director of Power Building at Disability Rights California and a member of Sequoyah’s Board of Trustees. She is also the co-founder of the All People’s Health Collective.
An immigrant from Nicaragua, Carolina came to the U.S. as a refugee when her home country was in the midst of a revolution. Class and economic justice are at the heart of her work, and she serves on the board to push Sequoyah to connect its values of human dignity with real-world necessities like housing, money, and universal healthcare.
“I benefited from the Indexed Tuition model before it was even called that,” she shares. “Sequoyah was founded on the radical idea of integrating people from different social classes into an educational environment with progressive education as a core principle. That, no matter where you are economically, you have a right to a quality education, and that all families deserved a path to stability and safety and real opportunity, not just those who can afford it.”
For Carolina, securing the future of a socio-economically diverse student body is essential to maintaining the spirit of the school:. “That’s why I’m on the board. It’s my biggest priority.”
She is overjoyed by Sequoyah’s recent creation of the Endowed Fund for Access (see below) to provide equitable access to education for students, and she is ready to give of her time and talents to keep it growing.
“Class and economic justice must be central to our work, especially as our city continues to gentrify,” she says. “Sequoyah has the opportunity to lead by example, but it requires intention. We have a choice: live up to our mission or fall short. If we truly believe in our values, we must commit our energy and resources to the Endowed Fund for Access.”
“Sequoyah culture really matters. And I think we’re striving to make sure Indexed Tuition and socio-economic diversity is preserved. Not just preserved, but grown.”
The Power of Endowments
Established with a $100,000 gift in December 2024, the Endowed Fund for Access created an endowment that will, in perpetuity, fund access for students whose families could not otherwise be able to afford a Sequoyah education. The fund welcomes donations of any size, with additional contributions providing a stable source of growing financial support for Indexed Tuition—upholding a community where 30-40% of families pay less than maximum tuition.
Current value: $128,000
The Endowed Fund for Faculty supports competitive compensation for faculty, addressing a strategic priority. This is a long-term financial commitment to the art and value of teaching, which is at the heart of Sequoyah’s mission. Additional contributions enable the fund to grow in size and impact—making a difference in the recruitment of outstanding faculty.
Current value: $2 million