Laura and James Naughton – Be A Student's Friend Sponsors

Just in time to begin the new school year, the Be A Student's Friend (BASF) program received heartwarming news. In response to an urgent appeal for new sponsorships, dedicated supporters Laura and James Naughton offered to sponsor all 148 students on the BASF waiting list. Laura and James became BASF sponsors in 2000 after seeing one of our advertisements in The New York Times. Laura was drawn to the full-page ad featuring the smiling face of a child waiting for a scholarship. During their first few years of involvement, Laura and James supported three students. Last year, they decided to sponsor an additional 50. With their recent additions, the Naughtons now support 201 students!

The Naughtons live in London with their three young children but both have roots in the United States. Laura grew up in western Georgia and James is from Queens, New York. James went to Catholic grammar and high school and knows the importance of a values-based, safe learning environment for urban kids. While the average wait time for a BASF scholarship is one year, Laura and James made it possible for all former 148 wait list students to receive a scholarship in less than six months. Their generosity has allowed us to distribute new applications to our schools and we now have a fresh list of students in need of scholarships.

Laura and her eldest daughter, Alice, recently visited three of the Naughtons' sponsored students at Mount Carmel-Holy Rosary School in East Harlem. They enjoyed meeting each other and spent a few minutes chatting and exchanging questions. Laura's students presented her with a book of thank you letters as well as Christmas presents for the Naughton family. It was a wonderful way for Laura to witness the effects of her generosity first hand. Thank you, Laura and James, for your commitment to our students!

For more information about Be A Student's Friend, contact Karina Strobl at strobl@icsf-nyc.org or call: 646.794.3328.