Providing the Opportunity

Frances Hopper Jeter ’74 and Rick Jeter have been a part of the fabric of The Kinkaid School for many years as students, parents, volunteers, and, for Frances, as a Life Trustee and former Chair of the Board. Her Kinkaid connection includes her three siblings—John ’72, Jack ’76, and Tany Hopper James ’80—and her and Rick's daughters Tany Jeter Klaes ’07 and Emily Catherine Jeter Riggs ’04, who were "lifers."

Frances and Rick are devoted to Kinkaid. She says, "We feel one of the most important ways that we can express our appreciation for those who helped make Kinkaid the outstanding educational institution it is today is through our continued support of the school through the Kinkaid Fund, various capital campaigns, and by including a bequest in our estate for Kinkaid. Others before us made this school a possibility for our children. We want to do the same for Kinkaid's future students and continue the legacy of balanced excellence that is Kinkaid."

Frances feels Kinkaid greatly impacted her life by "affirming the person who I am, encouraging me to push beyond my natural comfort zone to develop abilities I didn't know that I had, and helping me to appreciate that resilience after 'bumps in the road' is one of the most important lessons of life's journey. Opportunities for Kinkaid and its students are endless. The greatest challenge will be anticipating and embracing change and preparing our students for the immense possibilities offered by technology and global reach."

For her service to the School and the community, Frances was recognized as a Distinguished Alumna in 2004. Even though their love for Kinkaid runs deep, Frances and Rick's greatest joys are their daughters, sons-in-law, and their four young grandchildren. Frances and Rick also enjoy horses, gardening, reading, cooking, and the outdoors.

You, like Frances and Rick, can help continue Kinkaid's legacy for future students. To learn more about the many ways you can support our future, contact Lisa Wood at lisa.wood@kinkaid.org or (713) 243-5023.