Celebrating Growth, Cultivating Giving
Blumenthal siblings spearhead vital support for CA
Dex Blumenthal ’11 and his sister, Connie Blumenthal ’15, both came to Concord Academy with a passion for the arts and a desire to learn new things. They found a supportive community where creativity and self-expression were encouraged and celebrated.
Dex cherished the camaraderie he experienced at CA. During the tumultuous time of adolescence, “CA was a haven where I felt safe to be myself and explore who I might become,” he says. “And I saw that all around me. Everyone was learning who they were, in a place where it felt safe to do so.”
He says teachers, staff, and mentors were crucial to his development: “CA is brimming with adults who nurture and support students, who create an environment where mistakes are learning experiences and everyone is continually striving to be better. By leaning into their values and passions, they provided a road map for living an authentic life.”
Dex learned from his peers as well. “The school’s diverse student body and curriculum exposed me to a multitude of perspectives and ways of thinking,” he says. Chapel talks, in particular, left a lasting impression: “They encouraged self-expression and respect for others’ views.” The desire he developed to “find the story” from multiple angles influenced his work in advertising and his recent decision to pursue an MBA.
The year after Dex graduated, Connie arrived on campus. CA nurtured her passion for dance. “When I was quite young, I started dancing at the Boston Ballet,” she says. “CA made a huge impact on my progress and furthered my growth and love for dance.”
The school’s diverse curriculum and supportive faculty shaped Connie’s view of the world and prepared her to move meaningfully through it, she says: “There were so many great teachers—I can’t choose just one.” She continued to study the arts in college, and for the past decade, she has engaged in art-related work.
As she considers how she might focus more on the outdoors, Connie is grateful for the encouragement she received at CA to explore new interests. “Now, as I think about a change in the direction of my career, I realize that in some ways CA reinforced the idea that you should follow your passions,” she says. “I am confident to try new things.”
Both Connie and Dex feel profound gratitude for how CA has shaped their lives. They learned about giving by example, they say, as it has always been important to their family. Choosing CA for their philanthropic focus “really was a no-brainer,” Connie says. “CA made such an impact on us, and it is a way for us to repay the favor.”
“We’ve come to really appreciate how much transformative action in the world around us relies on support from engaged community members.” Dex adds. That’s why they decided to sponsor a giving challenge to encourage others to support CA. They pledged $50,000 for every 25 donors who supported both the Annual Fund, to meet current need, and the Centennial Campaign, to commit to CA’s future—up to a total of $250,000.
The Centennial Challenge provided significant financial support and galvanized the CA community to new levels of giving. The Blumenthals’ generosity, magnified by the participation of many others, will ensure that students can continue to experience the same opportunities and support that were transformative for them. Connie and Dex hope to inspire their peers and future generations to cultivate a culture of giving that honors the lasting value of a CA education and sustains CA’s extraordinary community.
The Centennial Challenge
Dex and Connie Blumenthal pledged
$50,000
for every
25
donors to both the Annual Fund and
the Centennial Campaign during the
2023–24 school year up to
$250,000.
Their gift spurred participation that
far exceeded
the challenge’s goal of
125
donors:
447
donors stepped up, raising
$1,158,235
to support CA today
and into the future.
