REPORT
ON
ST.MARY'S SCHOOL
2025-2026
Philanthropy
A Place to Grow
Polina and Tim Mudrick on Family, Values, and St. Mary’s
Ask Polina and Tim Mudrick what they hope for their children, Bennett and Ameline, and their answer is one many parents would recognize.
They want them to be kind. Curious. Resilient. Grateful. They want them to work hard, treat people well and understand that success is about more than what you accomplish.
“Our family is built on the idea that hard work, kindness, curiosity, and gratitude create a meaningful life,” they shared. “Opportunities should never be taken for granted, character matters more than accomplishments, and success carries a responsibility to help others.”
Those values have shaped the Mudricks’ family life, their careers and, more recently, the way they have become part of the St. Mary’s community.
Different Journeys, Shared Values
Polina and Tim came to their life together from different backgrounds and built successful careers along very different paths.
Originally from Germany, Tim’s journey brought him to the United States through education and competitive tennis. Athletics have remained an important part of his life, along with a professional career spanning business and healthcare technology.
Polina has built her career as an investor and business leader, helping emerging companies grow, including brands focused on health, wellness and better-for-you foods. Today, both are part of Cambridge Companies SPG, where their work continues to center on identifying potential, investing for the future and helping ideas grow.
But when they talk about what those experiences have taught them, they return less to professional accomplishments and more to the lessons behind them: perseverance, consistency, integrity, lifelong learning and surrounding yourself with good people.
Those are also the lessons they hope Bennett and Ameline carry with them.
“We want our children to understand that success isn’t simply measured by achievements, but by how you treat others, how you respond to adversity, and whether you’re making a positive impact on the people around you.”
Finding Their Place at St. Mary’s
Like so many families, the Mudricks initially came to St. Mary’s looking for the right educational environment for their children.
They were drawn to the school’s academics and International Baccalaureate philosophy, particularly its emphasis on curiosity, critical thinking, compassion and developing responsible global citizens.
What made them feel at home, though, was something simpler: the people.
Teachers who knew their children. Families who welcomed them. A partnership between school and home that felt genuine.
As Bennett and Ameline have begun their St. Mary’s journeys, Polina and Tim say one of the greatest rewards has been watching their confidence grow and hearing them come home excited to share what they learned, a new friendship or even an act of kindness they experienced during the day.
It was that feeling of belonging that made the Mudricks want to become more involved themselves.
Finding Their Own Way to Give Back
Since joining St. Mary’s, Polina and Tim have supported the school in many ways, giving their time, volunteering, participating in school life and generously supporting priorities across the St. Mary’s Fund, Gala, Design the Future campaign and Falcon Field and Outdoor Play Spaces.
Their first commitment was to the Heritage Tree, a place that immediately resonated with them because of what it represents.
“Trees remind us that the strongest things take time to grow,” they shared. “They are rooted in history while continually reaching toward the future, much like a school community.”
Today, students gather and learn beneath the Mudrick Family Heritage Tree. For Polina and Tim, that is what makes supporting St. Mary’s meaningful: seeing something become part of the everyday experiences of children.
That same thinking inspired their support of the Falcon Field and the school’s new outdoor spaces.
With Tim’s connection to athletics and Polina’s passion for health and wellness, the project felt personal. But what mattered most was what those spaces could offer every student.
“Some of childhood’s most meaningful lessons happen outside the classroom,” they shared. “On the field and playground, children learn teamwork, resilience, leadership, friendship, creativity, and perseverance.”
Something Every Family Can Give
For the Mudricks, being part of St. Mary’s has also reinforced a belief that community is built by people choosing to participate.
That participation looks different for every family.
“Getting involved doesn’t always begin with a donation. It begins with becoming part of the community,” they shared. “Whether through volunteering, attending events, sharing ideas, or making philanthropic contributions, every family has something valuable to offer.”
It is a message they hope their own children absorb as they grow.
Years from now, when Bennett and Ameline walk beneath the Heritage Tree or across Falcon Field, Polina and Tim hope they see more than their family’s name.
“We hope they understand that giving back is simply something you do when you’re fortunate enough to be able to help,” they shared. “More than seeing our family’s name, we hope they recognize the importance of investing in a community that has invested in them.”
Ultimately, their hope for Bennett and Ameline is much like the hope shared by families throughout St. Mary’s: that they leave this place well educated, kind, confident, compassionate and ready to contribute to the communities they will one day call their own.
For the Mudricks, that is the kind of legacy that matters most.