The Weigandt Family
“When an organization says it has high standards, and then actually delivers what it promises, that organization is worthy of support,” says Don Weigandt, of his family’s ongoing loyalty to Chandler School.
Don and Betsy, parents of Russell ’95 and Thomas ’99, and parents-in-law to Samantha (Witter) Weigandt ’96, enrolled their sons at Chandler upon the recommendation of neighbors, who touted the school’s strong academic program.
The boys did enjoy top-notch academics, and much more. “Mr. Korn’s class and his Substance X project were pretty impressive. We didn’t see that material again until our junior year of high school,” recalls Thomas.
“Mrs. Anderson in fifth grade pushed us kids, but we felt rewarded in the end when she took us for ice cream,” remembers Samantha. “Also, sports were competitive but inclusive, and field trips to the Huntington Gardens and Norton Simon exposed us to all that Pasadena has to offer.”
Don notes that his sons graduated from Chandler with more than an education. “They were well-rounded as a result of having experienced sports, arts and other things in addition to academics.”
Tom agrees, “Chandler fosters a well-rounded student through sports, arts, music and certainly the academics. Everyone got along well together and the teachers set a good example.”
Notes Samantha, “Thanks to Chandler’s language program, I took the most advanced language classes at Westridge and Harvard-Westlake, and ended up studying in Paris for university.”
As a golfing family, Chandler’s Golf Classic has proved to be the ideal annual gathering for the Weigandts to stay connected to Chandler. “It’s fun to see people, and we make a nice day of it,” explains Don. “Plus, Samantha keeps on winning.” Samantha is the four-time champion of the ladies’ Longest Drive competition.
Tom sums up, “We want to continue to support organizations that make a personal difference in our lives, and deliver something valuable. We’re local, and we had such a great experience at Chandler. We love Chandler and want to keep it going!”
