We support organizations that help the underprivileged, especially children, and aim to raise awareness about organ donation. Gretchen Stephan was born and raised in Rochester, New York, the second youngest of five children of Dr. Bill and Joanne Stephan. Gretchen attended Saint Michael's College in Winooski, Vermont, where she met and established her friendships with Rob O'Malley, Herb Kopf and T
erry Splaine. That fall she began her teaching career in the West Irondequoit School District, just outside of Rochester. She taught 3rd,4th and 5th grades at a number of schools in the district. During this time, she also earned her Masters in Education from Nazareth College and her Certificate in Administration from SUNY Brockport. Gretchen served as Assistant Principal for two years before returning to her true passion, the classroom, as a 4th grade teacher. After twelve years of teaching, administration, and countless "additional assignments", including summer tutoring, Gretchen and her sidekick Jake, (a yellow labrador) took on their biggest professional challenge as she decided to relocate to Atlanta in the summer of 2001 and further pursue her desire to make a difference in the lives of young people. Gretchen continued teaching and mentoring countless children of all ages and backgrounds, most recently at Morningside Elementary School in Atlanta, Georgia. In the summer of 2006, Gretchen was diagnosed with Primary Pulmonary Hypertension (PPH), a lung disease for which there is no known cause or cure. In October of 2007, Gretchen passed away while waiting for a lung transplant at age 39.