Derby Receives Donation from Wahlburgers

The bells rang on the Derby campus on the afternoon of October 24, signaling to everyone in the Middle and Upper Schools to gather in Larson Hall for a special meeting. Within minutes, the students and faculty took their seats, anxious to discover the identity of their mystery guest. After a few minutes of student-led activities while they waited, the students were thrilled to welcome Actor Mark Wahlberg to the stage. Wahlberg, brother to Paul Wahlberg, executive chef of and , visited Derby with Ed St. Croix, a business partner and father of Tiffany St. Croix, a seventh grader a

Wahlberg was on campus to present a special check to the Derby community. The funds donated will pay for the full tuition of one student to attend Derby Academy as part of Wahlburger’s Boston Inner City Scholarship Fund.

Since their arrival in Hingham on Oct. 25, Wahlburger’s has actively reached out to the community, even before their grand opening. Thanks to the family’s dedication to supporting underprivileged youth and education, a natural partnership was formed with Derby Academy.  

“When two institutions with similar missions can work together towards providing educational experiences to students, they can affect one individual, and in turn, impact the greater community,” said Andrea Archer, Head of School at Derby Academy. “In particular, it is wonderful to see a new business in this area that can not only provide jobs and a service but also reach out to the public at large and make a difference.” Archer explained that the collaboration between the two organizations would be on-going, providing continuous support to students who may otherwise never have educational opportunities such as these.

When Wahlberg spoke to the Derby students, he shared a bit about his own experiences growing up in the South Boston area, and the opportunities that were available to him. He told the Middle and Upper Schoolers that if a boy like him could grow up to be successful, there is no reason why any of the students present today couldn’t surpass his success.

Since rising to fame, Wahlberg founded the Mark Wahlberg Youth Foundation, whose mission is “to improve the quality of life for inner city youth through a working partnership with other youth organizations. Our goal is to remove and eliminate barriers that prevent youth from succeeding.”

These goals align with those of Derby Academy, to “nurture the development of the child by providing opportunities for the maximum intellectual, emotional and physical growth of each student.” Derby has remained committed to making educational opportunities accessible to students who would otherwise never encounter learning environments like its own.

Founded in 1784, Derby Academy is one of the oldest coeducational day schools in continuous operation in the United States. Located in Hingham, MA, Derby Academy is dedicated to serving students in Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 8 and is committed to providing an exceptional educational experience that includes rigorous academics and comprehensive arts and athletics programs for everyone in a welcoming and nurturing environment. For more information about Derby Academy call 781.749.0746 or visit us online at www.derbyacademy.org.

The above release was written by Derby Academy.