By Ron Arena from Arena Partners
How one family’s generosity is strengthening Catholic education across generations.
During more than 30 years as a computer scientist at NASA Langley Research Center, Joseph tackled some of the agency’s most complex computational challenges.
Now he is investing in something equally enduring: the future of Catholic education.
A lifelong Catholic, Joseph and his wife, Kathryn, chose Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic School in Newport News for their two daughters. The school’s commitment to academic excellence and faith formation gave them a strong foundation for lives of purpose and service.
Looking back, Joseph sees Catholic education as one of the greatest gifts he and Kathryn ever gave their children.
A Legacy of Learning
That conviction has guided more than a decade of generous support for the McMahon Parater Scholarship Foundation, which teams with the Catholic Community Foundation to expand access to Catholic education across the Diocese of Richmond through the Virginia Education Improvement Scholarships Tax Credits (EISTC) program.
Most recently, Joseph and Kathryn expanded that commitment by establishing an endowed scholarship at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic School.
Rather than supporting tuition one year at a time, the endowment will provide scholarships for generations of students. Joseph designed the fund to recognize academic excellence while also helping students whose financial circumstances might otherwise keep them from attending.
“We were blessed to give our daughters a Catholic education,” he says. “I want other families to have that same opportunity.”
Giving with Purpose
For Joseph, giving has always been personal.
He wants to know his gifts make a difference, that they are used wisely. Partnering with the CCF and McMahon Parater has given him confidence that his family’s generosity will strengthen Catholic education long into the future.
He hopes others will consider what lasting impact they can have.
“An education lasts a lifetime,” he says. “When you help a child attend a Catholic school, you’re investing in that student’s future, their family, and the Church.”
Through faithful partners like Joseph and Kathryn, more students will have the opportunity to grow in wisdom, faith, and service — living proof that every gift truly helps build the future.
Joseph and Kathryn have chosen to keep their gift anonymous and exclude their last name in this story.