The Growing Role of Whitman Parents: New Programs Build Meaningful Relationships

At Family Weekend during their son Jayden’s first year, Amy and Jonathan Kass met his faculty mentor. “She knew everything about our son,” Amy recalls. “And it wasn’t just our son, it was every student in there. She knew where he sat, what learning style he had, and it was very impressive to see.

Since that first semester, the Kasses have been active in the Whitman School parent community, with financial support and frequent visits to campus.

During the 2024-25 academic year, Whitman launched two initiatives, both of which play a role in an ongoing effort to increase the parents involvement: Parents Advisory Council and Whitman Leadership Circle (WLC).

The Parents Advisory Council includes up to 20 Whitman families from across the country. Members serve for two-year terms focusing on the three core areas of career readiness and job placement, student experience, and philanthropy and community building.

The Whitman Leadership Circle is an exclusive philanthropic society that generates leadership support for Whitman and gives donors a personalized stewardship experience, ranging from exclusive communications from the dean to gifts and apparel, and opportunities to interact with students and faculty. WLC is open to parents as well as alumni and other friends of Whitman.

The Value of Parent Feedback

Amy and Jonathan Kass, who are WLC and Parents Advisory Council members, contribute to the Whitman Experiential Learning Fund because they believe students should have hands-on learning. The Experiential Learning Fund helps finance programs like internships and networking trips. “There’s some satisfaction just from a personal level, when you could help another individual out and put them on a path of a career,” says Jonathan Kass.

Susan and Robert “Bobby” Kravitz have three sons in the Whitman School, Philip ’27 and Samuel ’28 and Joseph ’28. Growing up, the boys were around close relatives who had attended Syracuse, but Bobby and Susan Kravitz wanted their sons to decide on colleges for themselves. Bobby says, “We tried to impart our experience, but it had to be their decision, because this is grown-up world now, when you’re going to college.” Bobby and Susan’s philosophies on parenting and philanthropy go hand-in-hand. They appreciate that Whitman students have guidance along with latitude to tailor their education. For example, one son was interested in science and business and was drawn to Syracuse because he could take courses at Whitman, and elsewhere within the University. The Kravitzes are WLC members and donate to the Whitman School Dean’s Fund, which Whitman leadership uses to fund high-priority projects. “The fact that they really seem to be supporting the student on their journey without … trying to put them in one [path], it’s very synergistic with our belief of that combination of guiding and leading in education,” says Bobby Kravitz.

Hats, Sweatshirts and a Relationship

Susan Kravitz values the level of communication at Whitman. She sees it both in her sons’ interactions with faculty and as a Whitman parent. “Everyone’s super communicative,” she says. “[They’ll say,] ‘What do you need? How can we help? Let’s have a discussion.’ People will always find the time to have that chat.”

The Kravitzes and Kasses encourage parents to get involved in whatever capacity they can. Bobby Kravitz illustrates the importance of parent support by recalling when his sons were high school wrestlers and parents would coordinate bringing snacks to meets.

“Not all of it was about money. There were lots of parents who helped organize and help do things that made it very easy for us to help, even when we couldn’t actually be there. And, you want to know something, sometimes doing the work is more valuable than just contributing dollars,” Bobby Kravitz says.

That might include role playing on business etiquette or speaking to students on a networking trip.

After seeing Whitman with his brother Jayden Kass ’26, younger brother Jonah applied and will be coming to campus in the fall. Jonathan and Amy Kass are pleased to continue the involvement that has meant so much to them. Jonathan quips, “We were happy with our hats and sweatshirts. We wouldn’t have to get another school’s hat and sweatshirt.”

But Whitman parents can expect much more than Orange swag. “What I do love is, we do feel it’s a relationship,” says Bobby Kravitz. “And when things are a relationship for us, it makes us want to lean in.”