This year, AART suffered a deep loss with the passing of our Board Treasurer, Mariana Ippolito.
As our Board Treasurer of over six years, Mariana greatly influenced AART’s ability to act to the utmost benefit of our students and their families. She approached her work with genuine care for its greater impact on her community and more than anything – beyond the reports and budgeting – Mariana was known for her kindness and empathy.
Before joining the AART family, Mariana was an accomplished scholar and brilliant accountant. Consistently demonstrating her dedication to being a lifelong learner, she achieved both a Master’s in Economics before marrying her husband Juan Jose and moving to the United States to achieve her Master’s of Business Administration. Mariana worked as both an economist and an accountant before becoming CFO at Credit Builder’s Alliance and finally landing as Business Consulting Manager at Ernst and Young. She was always expanding her understanding of her field, improving her skills and finding where she could do the most good.
Her passion for education was amplified with the arrival of their two children, Nico and Isabella. Education was foundational for both of them, and now, as young adults, they too care deeply about both pursuing their education and serving their community.
Mariana’s involvement with AART began as a volunteer at the Lincolnia Community Center class in Alexandria, that now is named in her honor, and grew into a position as AART’s Board Treasurer. As Board Treasurer, she was a driving force behind the organization’s fiscal infrastructure growth. Mariana also worked tirelessly to identify opportunities to serve more children and ultimately helped build stability and trust with our community and the families we serve. When asked to recall her favorite memory of Mariana, our Executive Director, Michelle, remembered “our discussions that often began with a pertinent fiscal development and burgeoned into a full-scale discussion of the latest class activities and an interest in seeing any photos I might have from the classes. We could sit and talk for hours on a Friday night.”
Her support of the organization was demonstrated at every level, from regular donations and volunteering to assisting with our annual fundraisers. Mariana’s favorite event was our annual Halloween Hoedown. She loved watching others connect with AART’s mission and knew that every dollar earned from this event was going towards changing a student’s life for the better. She and her husband, Juan Jose, always sponsored the hoedown and brought new people to the event to showcase the organization’s work.
Mariana’s involvement with nearly every aspect of the organization and her deep personal understanding of the cause made her an invaluable team member and a shining example of the power of one person making a difference in their community.
In a final note on what Mariana’s relationship with AART meant to her, Michelle had this to say:
“As a passionate advocate for providing free preschool to underserved children, Mariana brought boundless energy, compassion, and expertise to her board position as Treasurer. Her commitment to ensuring every child had access to quality early education was truly inspiring … her legacy is woven into the fabric of All Ages Read Together, and her impact will be felt for generations to come. Mariana leaves behind a profound void, but her spirit of generosity and advocacy will continue to guide and inspire us as we strive to fulfill the mission she held so dear.”
