Dreams Can Come True

For Brian and Tina Horner P’28, a favorite Disney quote, “All our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them,” captures their son Ryan’s experience at Peddie.

“Peddie fosters our children’s future dreams with a supportive environment and unique opportunities for exploration and growth at this pivotal time in their lives,” they shared. One example came during Ryan’s freshman year, when some of those unique opportunities at Peddie were required. Acting class was one. At the time, Ryan was less than enthused. Yet about three weeks into the trimester, his new favorite class? You guessed it — acting! Since then, his required art classes are always the first ones he picks. Beyond helping him find a new interest, the skills Ryan learned in that acting class helped transform him into a confident public speaker.

Tina offers a succinct reflection: “In a word, Peddie is transformative. The gift of a Peddie education is one that keeps on giving throughout our children’s lives. The classroom education is top-notch for sure. But there is so much more: relationships with peers and mentors, independence, and self-discovery.”

According to Ryan, being able to wrestle as part of the Peddie community is a life-changing opportunity. “Even though I have been wrestling from a young age,” he said, “Peddie wrestling has helped me transition from being a kid to a young man. It’s hard to express in so few words how much love and gratitude I have for this team.”

The Horners believe in the power of philanthropy and engagement. “Being a part of the Peddie community is like getting a big bear hug. Supporting Peddie is our way of sharing the love we have for wrestling in a meaningful way with the community.” Their support of The Peddie Fund and the endowment was just the beginning. Tina recently joined the executive committee of the Peddie Parent Association (PPA), and both she and Ryan are frequent and familiar faces at countless games and performances.

Inspiration to engage and give back also came from a conversation with one of Peddie’s most dedicated supporters, Michael Armellino ’57 GP’19. During a dinner together, the Horners remember Armellino sharing his vision for current Armellino Scholars, and all alumni, to one day return and make meaningful contributions to the school. “Mike’s passion and generosity inspired us to give back through the sport of wrestling,” Tina said.

“Like Peddie itself, wrestling has helped cultivate what head of school Jim Hamilton calls ‘humbition’ — a combination of ambition and humility,” she continued. “Brian and I both come from working-class families that value education; we have experienced firsthand the fruits of education, hard work, and opportunity. We are living our dream, and we want to be a part of creating that opportunity for as many other people as possible.”

The Horners hope others will see giving as an expression of gratitude for the teachers, coaches, advisors, and mentors who have shaped their children’s lives. “A gift of any size is a way of saying thank you. We are all on the same team and part of the same legacy. If we all give a little, together we can do a lot.”