Dr. Lois Lee, new Eagle Heritage Society member

To Dr. Lois Lee and her son Beau Benesch '96, retired middle school principal Michael Valentine was the kind of teacher and coach every parent hopes their child will have. Mr. Valentine led with integrity, treated every student with genuine respect, and created a classroom where all children felt valued. He took responsibility not only for teaching but for inspiring young people—modeling compassion, fairness and kindness in everything he did.

"He taught my son how to believe in himself, coaching Beau in all sports. Especially as a wrestling coach, he built confidence, character and teamwork into every practice. He pushed the boys while keeping the sport fun, positive and safe," said Dr. Lee. Under Mr. Valentine, she explained, each child was helped to discover their strengths and grow in self-confidence. "He didn't just teach; he shaped character and confidence both in the classroom and in sports."

This confirmed for Dr. Lee that she had made the right choice of a middle school for Beau. She had sought a school grounded in strong values and solid academics, and found that at Chaminade. The fact that the school had received the prestigious Blue-Ribbon Award in 1998 for excellence reinforced her choice.

As founder and CEO of the non-profit, Children of the Night (www.childrenofthenight.org), Dr. Lee has devoted her life to rescuing child sex trafficking victims. During her doctoral research into police reports involving prostitution, she discovered children as young as 11 who were selling themselves for food and a safe place to sleep. She founded her nonprofit in 1979 to fill the gaps in services that had long excluded these children.

Since its founding, the non-profit has raised more than $60 million and rescued more than 17,000 American children from prostitution in the U.S.—which is more child sex-trafficking victims than all other trafficking programs combined. The non-profit addresses their needs, offering case management, emergency services and a comprehensive education program with scholarships. Many of the classes offered, from typing classes to science fair projects to GED trainings, were inspired by Chaminade, she said.

To prepare for his first fall semester at Chaminade, Beau attended summer school on campus. Mr. Valentine was the first faculty member Dr. Lee and Beau met. Dr. Lee was so impressed she volunteered as team mom and was able to witness firsthand Valentine's dedication to his students.

After his first day, Dr. Lee picked up Beau outside Mr. Valentine's classroom. Children were lined up to shoot basketballs. Beau got in line took a shot, and came back smiling. "Oh, I see—everyone gets to play basketball here!"

Under Valentine's coaching, Beau turned into a champion wrestler, eventually beating a long-standing Harvard-Westlake champion. Beau later broke his arm, ending his wrestling career, but carrying forward a lifelong belief in himself.

And so, when she began to do her estate planning, Dr. Lee reflected, "Chaminade Middle School remained deeply in my heart and fresh in my mind as a place where I wanted to leave a legacy gift from both Beau and me. At the forefront of my thoughts was a gift honoring Mike Valentine, the remarkable role model, teacher and coach who reinforced the same values I wanted instilled in Beau's education."

"I know kids and I collaborate with many professionals who work with kids. It's rare that you find someone who leaves a lasting imprint through their true commitment to and leadership in raising children. Mike Valentine is one of those rare individuals," she said.

Dr. Lee's planned gift is an unrestricted gift to benefit the middle school in honor of Mike Valentine.