Manganaro Family’s Bequest to Ensure Support of Future Reserve Students

Without Western Reserve Academy’s return to coeducation in 1972, Anne Cacioppo Manganaro ’75 would likely be sharing her time, talent, and generosity with another fortunate institution. Lucky for Reserve, Anne enrolled in the school as a sophomore in 1972—the first year since 1922 that women were admitted as students.

“My mom made it happen,” she says. “I was not challenged at all in public schools, bored out of my mind, and needed more rigor. Critical thinking is one of the most foundational, essential skills that I learned at Reserve and practiced in virtually all my classes during the three years I was a student. The experience has served me extremely well throughout my whole life.” Anne is a powerful example of the positive catalyst that WRA’s shift back to coeducation has provided to more than 50 years of female students.

In gratitude for her life-changing education, Anne and her husband Paul have made a bequest in their will to ensure their support of the school continues far into the future. Their family intends their gift “to give very talented students—who otherwise might not be able to attend—opportunities to experience and learn the way I did,” she says.

Anne served on the Board of Visitors for several years and later joined the Board of Trustees. “I’m on the Board’s Admission Committee,” she says. “Making calls to admitted students is one of the highlights of my year.”

At Reserve, Anne developed a very special respect for knowledge, sharing information, and nurturing passion in people. “I want that experience for kids who are smart and motivated and may not know what they’re interested in, but they sure have the raw talent to become an extraordinary force in the world.”

Anne encourages others to consider leaving a legacy gift to support future Pioneers. “Come to the school. Spend some time on campus talking to students and faculty and asking questions,” she concludes. “Absorb what it’s like today, and then make the connection with your own experiences. It’s an easy sell!”