MISH Inspires a Purposeful Start to the School Year
When Ollie Mui ’27 invited Reverend Sam Enders to speak at Morning Meeting, he never imagined the African Dream Academy (ADA) founder would receive such an overwhelming response.
After discussing the urgent need for educational opportunities in his native Liberia, one of the poorest countries in the world, Enders was met with a standing ovation.
“I was not expecting that reaction at all,” Mui, a MISH (Masters Interested in Sharing and Helping) member, said. “I was just smiling the whole time.”
During the summer, Mui approached Marie-Louise Miller, associate dean for purposeful engagement and MISH advisor, with his idea to help support the 1,500 students at the ADA by hosting a Red Bag Drive, a school supply initiative.
“Ollie went to Liberia, West Africa, last April and because he spent time at the ADA and got to know the kids, especially the high school kids, he came back with a deeper understanding of not only what they need, but who they are and what their dreams are,” Miller explained.
MISH will collaborate with the Pickle for a Purpose club to co-host a pickleball tournament on Saturday, October 4, to help raise awareness and collect school supplies to ship to Liberia in mid-October.
Enders, joined on campus by his son and Lydia Spinelli, president of the ADA Foundation and former director of The Brick Church School in Manhattan, grew up in extreme poverty in Liberia and now dedicates his life to helping young people escape poverty through education. He talked about his vision for creating a school where children ages 4-17 would learn and build a future for themselves and their community.
Enders appreciated “having a Masters student visit Liberia and experience the importance of giving back. It was good to come here to see where Ollie got his passion from. I am honored by the warm reception.”
Spinelli, Mui’s preschool principal and mentor, had inspired Mui to travel to West Africa: “When I was there, I made connections with teachers, staff and students, and whether it was a class or the homes I visited, I learned to care about this community and I wanted to help them out in any way possible.”
Miller said, “I am really proud of Ollie and to see MISH students come together behind something so important in an authentic way.”
MISH co-chairs Gideon Silkowski ’26 and Julia Panos ’27 and secretary Emily Kasoff ’27 are working on upcoming initiatives with local organizations (Dobbs Ferry Senior Center, Children’s Village, Grassroots Grocery) and plan to collaborate with middle school MISH students on some of these projects as well.
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