Roger Kafker '80

The Triumphant Scholars Program, piloted with one student in the 2017-18 school year, provides one to two full-tuition scholarships each school year to academically talented students.

Roger B. Kafker's Country Day education motivated the 1980 graduate to give a $2 million gift to create the Triumphant Scholars Program, a scholarship fund for students with significant financial need.

Kafker, a managing director at TA Associates, a global growth private equity firm, was also inspired by the author of "Hillbilly Elegy."

"The idea of creating the scholarship at Country Day came to me after hearing J.D. Vance speak on the transformation from living in a small Appalachian town in Kentucky and moving in with his grandparents in Middletown. This is where his story changed. He pushed through barriers and boundaries, growing beyond the working-class neighborhood," Kafker said.

Vance, a military veteran, is a graduate of Ohio State University and Yale Law School. "I was struck by the huge divide between the lucky few who receive special attention that private schools can offer and the masses of students who simply fall through the cracks at some inner-city location," Kafker said.

The Triumphant Scholars Program, piloted with one student in the 2017-18 school year, provides one to two full-tuition scholarships each school year to academically talented students.

Last year, Kafker challenged the Country Day community to raise an additional $1 million in one year to help more students. He pledged to match that amount, which would place the fund's total at $4 million. Country Day successfully met that challenge.

"I believe that the Triumphant Scholars Program, enabling students with significant financial need to attend Country Day, will change the trajectory of their lives," Kafker said. "I urge others in the Country Day community - past and present - to help make this dream a reality for those who could not follow in our footsteps were it not for financial support."

Those interested in joining Kafker in support of our Triumphant Scholars Program should contact Louise Vaughan, Director of Advancement, (513) 979-0284 or [email protected] for more information.