Our students are at the core of everything we do and every action we take is to create a brighter future for them.
Invest, not just financially but in the overall well-being of our partners, tailors, students and communities. This is the path to real, sustainable, change.
All media and communication should inspire hope and never, ever objectify our students, tailors or their communities.
Leverage our partners’ strengths to seek simple, innovative solutions, together. Operate at the highest level of integrity.
Things will go wrong, mistakes will happen. We ask for honesty and trust from our partners and donors; we owe them the same and are committed to learning from the past to move forward.
Speak up, be daring. Learn from everyone and everything you encounter.
In 2011, Megan learned that for millions of children around the world the lack of a school uniform was a barrier to receiving an education. The idea that a simple uniform, similar to the one she wore for twelve years, could be the difference between a child continuing a life of poverty or a life full of possibility was simply heartbreaking. She was instantly moved to ensure that every child receives a uniform and has the chance to be educated, regardless of where they were born or their family’s income level. It was then that Megan and Jess founded Tailored for Education and made it their mission to end education inequality by providing locally made school uniforms.
Linked In
Email
In 2011, Jessica learned that over a quarter of a billion children globally were not in school and that the cost of a school uniform was one of the prohibiting factors. She wore a uniform in high school without knowing that for millions, it was mandatory and was both shocked and humbled by this discovery. At the time she also had a nine-month-old son who couldn’t walk or talk, but she knew about the half dozen schools within a two-mile radius of their house that he could and would ultimately attend, without question. It wasn’t fair that an infant across the world would be denied the same human right of education, simply because of where they were born or because of their parents’ economic status. Inspired by the low-dollar, high impact nature of uniform provision, Jess and Megan made it their mission to end education inequality by providing locally made school uniforms.
David has been serving as Tailored for Education’s CFO and Treasurer since the organization’s founding in 2011. With a passion for finance, he spends his time behind the scenes making sure our financial position is strong and tax filings are complete. David is also a Partner at KPMG LLP in their Economic and Valuation Services practice. He lives in Massachusetts with his wife Jessica and their four children.
Claire has been managing social media for Tailored for Education since 2013, and loves to share our stories with the online community. She also manages social media full-time for an aerospace and defense company. Claire lives in Massachusetts with her (soon-to-be) husband and dog.
Linked In
Mike Melley spent over 25 years in equity trading at Prudential Securities, Morgan Stanley, and CLSA in their New York and Boston offices. In 2018, Mike left Wall Street and now serves as the Director of Leadership Gifts and Alumni Programs at St. Sebastian’s School in Needham, MA. Mike earned a BA in Economics from the University of Virginia and is a member of the Boston selection committee for the Jefferson Scholars Program. Mike and his wife, Kelly, have raised their four children in Medfield, MA.
Shelagh is a Director of Development for Catholic Relief Services, an international development and emergency response organization that works in over 100 countries. She has been with CRS since the spring of 2010. Before joining CRS, she was campaign director at Suffolk University and a senior development officer for Suffolk University Law School. Her career in development began at Holy Cross, where she worked in alumni relations. Shelagh served in the Jesuit Volunteer Corps just after college. She has a B.A. from the College of the Holy Cross and earned her M.B.A. from Suffolk University. Shelagh is on the Board of Directors for Notre Dame Academy and serves as a class chair for Holy Cross. She lives in Milton, with her husband and three children.
We believe we are all stronger when we work together so we carefully choose our partners: local non-profits with a proven track record of eliminating additional barriers to education. Children cannot attend school without a uniform, but there are other challenges our children and families face. Our partners help us ensure that each child we support has a better chance of success in the future.
Without our partners our work would not be possible. They know each family, their goals and their struggles. Each organization is vetted throughout the lifetime of the partnership.