It would not be an understatement to say that our son and daughter are where they are today in large part due to the efforts and personal connection that Dave Crumbine made with each of them while they were in middle and high school. I had known Dave for several years through his work at KIPP and when our oldest, Erin Elizabeth, entered middle school we knew we needed to augment her study time with a tutor. She has dyslexia that makes reading comprehension challenging. But, she was a hard worker and persistent. Dave tapped into that and tutored her through high school. Our son, Graham, was like most boys… we kept waiting for the light bulb to go off and for his attention to turn towards school. We knew he could be a good student if only he applied himself. Sound familiar? The middle school years were tough. But it was Dave who finally got through to him, and the light flickered on as he hit high school.
Dave combined a rigorous approach to time management, study skills, and even life lessons to connect with each of our children. There were times when “tough love” was needed, and he held each to account. His persistence in a very personalized way, taking into account their strengths and weaknesses was key to the success he had with each. Like most siblings, our children were different in so many ways, and it was amazing to see how Dave tailored his approach uniquely to each. He was more nurturing, inspiring, and re-assuring with our daughter when she struggled, and yet tough enough to keep her on track. With our son, he was matter-of-fact, candid, and very disciplined in his approach to ensure that our son took ownership and that no shortcuts would be allowed. “Do the work” was a mantra with him.
We see the payoff for both now 10-15 years later. Erin Elizabeth did well in high school and is graduate of Marquette University and Texas Christian University with undergraduate and graduate degrees in child psychology and education, respectively. She is a third grade teacher in Fort Worth I.S.D. and is recognized as one of the best elementary education teachers in the State. She is also a mother of newborn twins. Graham also did well in high school and graduated initially from Texas Christian University with dual undergraduate and graduate degrees in accounting. After a couple of years at PwC, he went back to school and got an MBA in finance from SMU. He now works with FTI Consulting, one of the largest global bankruptcy consulting firms. If you asked either of them who was one of the most influential people on their journey to academic success and then starting out in life; they would not hesitate to tell you about Dave Crumbine.
-David Doll, Former Client Parent
