The Simpson Family Permanent Endowment Fund at The Episcopal School of Dallas Puts Emphasis on Student’s Mental Wellness
April 15, 2025
In recent years, the U.S. Surgeon General proclaimed a mental health crisis and warned that young people are facing unprecedented mental health challenges that are having a devastating impact on our children. While the heightened awareness of mental wellness has created more dialogue in communities and schools in the last several years, having dedicated resources to support students long-term will help prioritize students’ mental health.
The Episcopal School of Dallas is pleased to announce Kiki and William Simpson are supporting this vital need through their family’s established endowment, The Simpson Family Permanent Endowment Fund. This fund will endow and name the position of Director of Emotional Wellness and Learning Support held by Cara Holmes, Ph.D. The endowment’s purpose unquestionably aligns with ESD2030, the school’s strategic plan, involving attracting and retaining world-class educators, distinguishing our academic identity via ESDistinction, and investing in our community.
“We chose to show our support for ESD with this endowment because of our deep belief in the leadership and the direction of the school,” said Kiki Simpson. “We’ve been very impressed with the way ESD handled the challenges of teaching during the pandemic as well as guiding students through sensitive topics such as depression and suicide.”
Mental health has been very important to Kiki since her college days and today, the opportunity to support emotional health programming and professional development at ESD struck a chord for Kiki and William.
“The social pressures facing today's youth are enormous,” says Kiki. “The emotional wellness services provided to the ESD community are so vital. While you cannot eliminate stressful life events, you can provide the tools and support to help students navigate them.”
Underscoring the paramount value of emotional wellness in ESD’s education of the whole child, Hobson Head of School David Baad added her position to ESD’s Executive Leadership Team.
“I have been grateful for Dr. Holmes' expertise and care for children since I arrived at ESD,” said Baad. “As we keep the emotional health of our community at the forefront of our conversations around strategic plan implementation, it is crucial to have her voice included in our most important conversations.”
“From its inception, ESD was established with the mindset that children would feel accepted and supported during their tenure at the school,” continued Holmes. “We have an incredible team in place and appreciate Kiki and William Simpson’s commitment to ESD’s wellness program ensuring we will have the needed resources to guide students and families for years to come.”
The exceptional generosity of the Simpson family is leading the way to answer this need. The inclusion of parent education and resources for mental health is paramount during times of anxiety or transition - such as entering a new school, moving from middle to upper school, or in times of tragedy. The recent presentation by Jean Twenge, nationally recognized psychologist and author, is a prime example of these efforts in action.
“Talking with Cara sparked a greater understanding of the importance of mental health support for students and their families in today's world,” Kiki said. “We appreciate the on-going, behind the scenes work that is happening everyday through the structure ESD has in place. We want to thank Cara, the counseling team, teachers, and the staff for all they do to support each of the students at ESD.”
The Our Time to Soar campaign is inspired by the strategic plan ESD 2030, which aims to add significantly to the school’s endowment, all as further investment in ESD’s people and programs. To date, we have raised $37,000,000 toward our goal of $50,000,000. For more information about Our Time to Soar - a Campaign for The Episcopal School of Dallas, including a complete listing of campaign leadership and the video announcing the campaign, visit - www.esdallas.org/our-time-to-soar
