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Kathy and Jim Sherby have been members with the Saint Louis Science Center from the ground up—literally starting with bringing their children to the Science Center when it was located in Oak Knoll Park, Clayton.
One of their favorite memories is a morning family bike ride to Forest Park in the early 90s that ended on a hillside next to highway 40. Sitting with their three young sons, they watched large cranes lift and install the highway-spanning SkyBridge to connect the McDonnell Planetarium with the Science Center’s newly constructed Oakland Building.
By having the Science Center nearby, Kathy and Jim were able to encourage their sons’ love of science and technology. “Computers, engineering, anything scientifically oriented was their thing,” Kathy says. “The Science Center offered many opportunities to explore those interests.”
This powerful impression on children initially piqued the Sherbys’ interest in supporting the Science Center. After becoming members in 1990, they elevated their impact by joining the Einstein Society. They’ve also contributed to fundraising campaigns like Transform Tomorrow and the 60 for 60 Challenge, and they serve on the committee leading the Science Center’s signature fundraiser, WONDER.
“We support the Science Center because it opens minds to so many possibilities,” Kathy says. “Children can play and learn at the same time.”
She adds, the Science Center also educates adults who may not recognize how impactful STEM is in our world, and no admission fees means this knowledge is accessible to everyone. “This,” Kathy says, “can help more people be intrigued by science, understand science, and realize science is in their lives on a daily basis.”
The Sherbys further value the Science Center’s role as a resource for honoring high school science educators. Kathy recalls when Clayton School District chemistry teacher Nathan Peck, who was instrumental in nurturing her sons’ love of science, won the Carol B. and Jerome T. Loeb Prize for Excellence in Teaching Science and Mathematics (an annual partnership with the Science Center). “Celebrating teachers, who are critical to the whole learning equation, is important,” Kathy says.
When it comes to making a difference for the people and communities served by the Science Center, Kathy also gives her time and expertise on the organization’s Board of Trustees and the Institutional Advancement committee. She is passionate about helping individuals understand the ways they can both help the Science Center and invest in their future through planned giving. (Learn more about these options here.)
Both Jim and Kathy believe the Science Center is part of what makes St. Louis special. “All of the things you can do here are family friendly, educational, and can be shared—it’s incredible,” Jim says. “And the Science Center’s Boeing Hall is a tremendous asset because the space brings large special exhibits to St. Louis, creating new experiences for everyone to enjoy and learn.”
“I like the local commercial and industrial sciences exhibited at the Science Center,” Jim adds. “The GROW gallery is a great example. It’s fascinating to learn more about the crops grown in our region of the country, and it’s great that young people can learn and participate, too.”
“We learned that Missouri grows rice!” Kathy adds. “There are so many things that grow in this area that we take for granted.”
Today, Kathy and Jim’s sons are all involved in STEM or STEM-adjacent careers. After earning degrees in biomedical engineering and law, their oldest son, Mike, worked in patent and intellectual property law and is currently in his fourth year of medical school. Their middle son, Bill, earned an economics degree, finding success in analytics and statistically driven marketing. Dave, their youngest, earned dual degrees in economics and psychology and works for an investment bank on Wall Street.
Now the Sherbys are turning to the Science Center to foster a future love of science and technology in the newest members of their family.
“When we brought our twin granddaughters here last year,” Kathy says, “they loved the Lego wall. We spent a half hour there and the other half of the time in the Discovery Room.”
Of course, building with the iconic arch blocks was another highlight, just as Kathy and Jim experienced with their sons years ago. “They were mesmerized,” Kathy says. “To see that joy in their faces is amazing.”
