Gratitude. It's What Keeps David Irving Going Every Day. Well, that and Math. - 2022 CFAAC Annual Report - Other - Page 23
Gratitude. It's What Keeps David Irving Going Every Day. Well, that and Math.
GRATITUDE. IT’S WHAT KEEPS DAVID IRVING GOING EVERY
DAY. WELL, THAT AND MATH.
“I try to base everything on gratitude. I am truly grateful because I
am so blessed and have been given so much; and I am grateful to give
some of that back, whether it’s time or money. I try to do it with a
smile. I have specific areas of focus and it’s all tied back to education.”
More than 20 years ago, David immersed himself in the education
field, learning through his jobs at The Association for Supervision
and Curriculum Development and Delta Education. Then, David
founded HigherSchool Publishing Company and published The
Parent’s Guide to Better Grades, 7 Steps to Improve Your Child’s
Academic Performance. After that, David started HigherSchool
Tutoring and then, created HigherSchool Instructional Services.
He launched CollegeReadyMath in 2016 and subsequently retained
ownership of it after selling HigherSchool in 2020. CollegeReadyMath
focuses on algebra and getting students ready for college, which
David believes to be his life’s mission. “I really love what I do and feel
that what we do will eventually make a huge difference in the lives of
a lot of students.”
DAVID’S VENTURE IN MATH STARTED IN A SURPRISING WAY…
Successful in financial sales and working for a Chicago investment
firm, David was invited to volunteer at an inner city Chicago school to
be “Principal for the Day.” It changed him, and he ended up going back
to that same school every year for six years.
“It was a real eye opener to see a school that’s over 100 years old …
with missing windows in the dead of winter and kids who came to
school with the same clothes they had on the day before. Most of them
weren’t even getting a quality education because of the high teacher
turnover in the school, which ultimately contributed to inconsistent
instructional quality.”
After that experience and more than 25 years in financial sales and
trading, he made the decision to commit the remainder of his career
to improving the academic opportunities available to economically
disadvantaged students.
“I THINK IT’S IMPORTANT TO BE A PART OF THE COMMUNITY YOU
ARE IN AND GIVE BACK TO THOSE WHO ARE LESS FORTUNATE IN
THAT COMMUNITY … THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION ALLOWS ME
TO DO THAT.”
David joined CFAAC’s board in 2022 and opened a Donor Advised
Fund soon after. While he admits there’s still a lot for him to learn,
he knows that he can count on CFAAC to help him identify where his
funds can best be applied. “There are so many areas of need that you
have to prioritize; you have to set your focus as to what those needs
are and then stick to that. The Community Foundation can help me
do that. They provide support and they help keep donors’ assets safe.”
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