Ana Centola P’18, ’21 Makes Estate-Plan Gift to Support Future Students

Why include Deerfield in her will? Ana Centola, mother of Sophia ’18 and Alex ’21, explains that “Deerfield was my co-parent in those important years in my children’s lives.”

Coming from a family of educators, Ana knows that student success is a collaboration. “I always believe it’s a joint effort; it’s the parents and the school.” After attending a middle school for girls in New York, Sophia “fell in love with Deerfield. It was the perfect high school for her, and her three wonderful years there changed her life in many ways—working on The Scroll, serving on the student culinary committee, trying different sports, and joining a variety of clubs.” Sophia graduated from Georgetown University and now works for an international law firm.

Ana understood—and encouraged—her daughter’s interest in exploring new territory. Having grown up in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Ana moved to New York to attend Columbia Business School and for a decade worked as an investment banker before shifting to real estate. She is currently a highly experienced sales associate at Sotheby’s International Realty.

When it was time for Ana’s son Alex to consider high school, there was no contest. “Deerfield was, by far, his first choice,” Ana says. Supported by faculty coaches, Alex excelled at the varsity level in basketball and rowing. Alex is currently enrolled at the Georgetown University McDonough School of Business.

What Ana’s children gained most from their time at Deerfield was “independence, a love for learning, an unbelievably special group of friends, and a great relationship with their teachers.”

“Being in that environment was quite special,” Ana says, “and we realize that it’s a privilege to be part of Deerfield.” For Ana, being part of Deerfield meant participating in the Deerfield Parents Network, hosting events in New York for incoming parents, and attending Academy events, which she still enjoys.

“It’s important to stay involved in the school in any way, shape, or form and to encourage our children to do the same.” Ana is proud that Sophia and Alex are “avid spokespeople for Deerfield” and hopes that “once their careers are more established, they can be even more involved.”

By including Deerfield in her estate plan, Ana deepens and honors her family’s bonds to the school and “hopes to give the same opportunity my children had to other children who deserve to be at Deerfield.”