Officials at Church Farm School were humbled recently by the generosity of Leo Taveras, a young alumnus of the independent boarding and day school in Exton for boys in grades 9-12.

Taveras, a member of the Class of 1999, had reached out to his alma mater for more information on making plans for the school in his will. Born in the Dominican Republic, he immigrated to East Harlem – where he still resides with his wife and young children, Mateo and Camila – when he was in fifth grade. Taveras matriculated to CFS through the Independent School Placement Program at the Boys Club of New York.

The transition to a rural community was difficult for a “city boy,” but he said that knowing two other boys before he came helped him considerably. Reflecting back now, Taveras is still awed by the diversity he encountered at Church Farm School.

“CFS gave me a window into the world … I had friends from Bolivia, Nicaragua, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Mexico, Ethiopia, Korea, and the Philippines,” Taveras said. “Who would have thought that, growing up and still today living in New York City, that a small school in rural Pennsylvania would be the most diverse place I have ever been?”

Today, Taveras is a key account executive at the fourth-largest beer distributor in the country. With the arrival of children, he and his wife knew it was time to make a will.

“We asked one another which organizations truly have the ability to help someone at a personal level and that also share our core values,” Taveras said.

The couple eventually chose two: one of which was Church Farm School.

“CFS provides young men, including me and many of my classmates, with the financial assistance to pursue a world-class education,” Taveras said, “where we made lifelong friends and became part of a diverse cultural community.”

Click here to learn more about Church Farm School.

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