Tell us a bit about yourself:
Hi! My name is Lindsay Tarnoff. I moved to Rochester in August 2016 after spending a summer in South East Asia. I spent much of my life in Rhode Island, though I did fall in love with Upstate NY during college. When I moved to Rochester, I decided to take a leap of faith, follow my dream to “save the world with chocolate” and start Laughing Gull Chocolates – right around the time that our first daughter was born. Today, I do my best to balance my time between making chocolate, facilitating chocolate tastings, spending time with my family and helping to raise money for RCSD.
What brought you to the Action for Education Equity Team?
In the years prior to my move to Rochester, I worked with high school students creating grassroots change in the education system in RI. My two daughters are young, but my husband and I believe in public education. We love living in the city, and believe that our children, and all children, should have access to the same educational resources, regardless of our zip code. When I learned what Action for Education Equity aspired to do, I knew I had to advocate for our children and their future.
What do you bring to the project?
A passion. I believe wholeheartedly that everyone deserves the same access to education and promise of success no matter their zip code. I believed this during my tenure at Youth In Action, the non-profit organization where I worked for almost five years, and I have brought that experience and passion with me to Rochester.
Your goal of 86 million is a lot of money, why such an ambitious target?
It does sound like a lot when you say it that way. However, when we break down that number, it is a small amount per person, but makes a world of difference to our education system. It could change the life and future of the students in Rochester.
What’s your biggest hope for the project?
The short answer is that my biggest hope is we don’t exist. I dream of the day that there is no need for anyone to raise funds for RCSD or any school district because every single young person across the country has equitable access to superior education for their personal and professional success.