“When I was 25 years old, my grandmother got really sick really quick, but I told her at some point I’m going to do well in life, and put her name on a building,” said Blake Johnson (‘95), lead donor of the newly constructed Bonnie Johnson Hall.
Webb alum, Mr. Johnson, brought this vow to his long-time friend Taylor Stockdale, former Head of Schools. It took 15 years to accumulate enough wealth to support this seven-figure gift, but it kickstarted the lab’s production.
The ideation process of this lab started years ago and was modeled after the McCain and Thornton labs.
“We went to other schools, universities, high schools and we did a lot of research to look at what we wanted a lab to be. Webb wanted to have a classroom and lab space all-in-one,” said Dr. Theresa Smith, Head of Schools.
Throughout this project’s conception phase, Michael Hoe, Assistant Head of Schools, and Lisa Nacionales, Chair of the Science Department, were in conceptual discussions, as they had a deeper understanding of how science would be applied.
“STEM education is a big piece of Webb’s curricular strategy, and we wanted to have these facilities to support the program,” said Bob Fass, Chief Advancement Officer.
After the idea was conceptualized, the advancement team developed a budget and Mr. Fass sought funds from the Webb community.
“We’re in touch with a whole alumni community; there’s about 5,000 of them all around the world, and our goal is to keep them engaged in the school,” shared Mr. Fass.
As for the construction aspect of this lab, Janet Peddy, the Director of Finance Planning and Operations, organized the entire project, working with the construction and design team.
“We have a project manager who helps connect us with necessary people. The architecture firm also has specialists in things like making sure the space is ADA accessible, knowing the latest codes, and the necessary building regulations to ensure a safe lab design,” said Dr. Smith.
Trust played a pivotal role in this process, with the Webb community’s collective efforts establishing this lab as a representation of Webb’s unity. It’s heartwarming that a lab designed to further Webb students’ education was gifted by a former Webb student out of honor and gratitude.
“Webb taught me a lot of things like the honor code, to honor your commitments, and I made this commitment,” said Mr. Johnson.
