Murfreesboro, Tennessee residents Dr. Roy and Margrey Thompson are skilled at finding laughter amidst difficulties. Each of their three children faced unique learning differences, and the couple often had to fight to get them the support they needed in school. Now, years after launching their kids into the world as successful adults, the Thompsons have stories to tell—and a desire to help other families.
One way they are fulfilling that desire is through a new $1 million endowment benefiting Vanderbilt Peabody College’s Susan Gray School, an inclusive pre-school and kindergarten that meets the needs of children across the ability spectrum.
“You work hard, just try to make a living like everybody else in the world. And when you have an opportunity to do something like this, it’s very gratifying,” said Roy Thompson.
The endowment sprang from a difficult loss: in October of 2024, the couple’s youngest daughter, Molly Ann, passed away unexpectedly from an acute brain aneurysm at just 30 years old. Their gift honors her spirit, determination and ultimate triumph in life.
The Thompsons had set aside money to support Molly Ann through adulthood. Now, those funds will provide master’s degree scholarships to students enrolled in Peabody’s Integrated Early Childhood Education program; the degree trains educators to meet the developmental needs of children with and without disabilities across a variety of settings through data-driven approaches.
“We’re excited that we can help other families and other kids experience that same joy, the same success that Molly Ann did.”
As Susan Gray Fellows, scholarship recipients will spend one year embedded in a Susan Gray School classroom for 20 hours per week, becoming an important part of the multidisciplinary team of teachers and therapists.
“We’re excited that we can help other families and other kids experience that same joy, the same success that Molly Ann did,” said Margrey Thompson.
Katherine Newman, director of the Susan Gray School, shares that excitement: “Graduate students possess innovative scholarship and a passion for the work of helping children. We are ecstatic that the Thompsons’ generous endowment will allow more educators to participate in, and learn from, the work being done at the Susan Gray School.”
MOLLY ANN THOMPSON’S STORY
At the time of Molly Ann’s passing, she was experiencing life at the fullest. The Thompsons had just moved their daughter into a townhouse in Florida where she lived independently with support from the Foundation for Independent Living—an organization in Florida that provides assistance and community for adults with cognitive disabilities. Roy Thompson serves on its board of directors.
Molly Ann had been working in a school aftercare program. “She really made an impact on the kids,” said Margrey Thompson, a physical therapist who ran a 250+ employee practice and ultimately sold her business to focus on supporting her children’s learning needs.
“Molly Ann had a boyfriend for the last three years,” mused Roy Thompson, a dentist and dental practice owner for 45 years before retiring. “She was really functioning at her peak, and that was very rewarding. We saw such growth with Molly.”
Yet the couple vividly remembered Molly Ann’s daunting early years of school. Margrey Thompson knew that her daughter was smart despite language and receptive delays. Like many parents of kids with learning challenges, she studied disability education laws and became a fierce advocate for her daughter.
Molly Ann kept her parents on their toes: When she was 15, a neighbor spotted her on a solo drive through the neighborhood—in her mom’s new car. In adulthood, Roy Thompson recalled, she would often call up to five times a day with funny stories to share.
“Parenting’s an adventure,” added Roy Thompson. Sometimes, he laughed, a couple must decide “we’re going to climb up this mountaintop, stand back-to-back, and fight them off the mountain. We were lucky to have a marriage where we could stick together.” The duo even wrote a book, Progress, not Perfection, sharing the wisdom they acquired and the ways they nurtured their own relationship while parenting children with neurodiversities.
Once Molly Ann began to receive appropriate educational interventions, she thrived in school. So early interventions were front of mind for the couple’s philanthropy. “And that’s exactly the mission of the Susan Gray School,” said Margrey Thompson.
“Every teacher should be educated on what the rights are for a student, and how to support parents.”
“Every teacher should be educated on what the rights are for a student, and how to support parents. That’s what I’d like to see come out of our donation, is that parents get support through the education of the teachers that are going into the system.”
THE VANDERBILT PEABODY CONNECTION
Roy Thompson said Vanderbilt was a natural fit. The couple considered creating their own foundation for school children with learning differences, but identifying those students entailed a huge amount of administrative work—work that was already happening at Susan Gray. When they toured the program, they pledged their gift on the spot, impressed with the joy they witnessed in teachers and students there.
At Susan Gray, preschoolers through kindergarteners with disabilities learn alongside typically developing children. The program integrates therapy into the school day, pulling from the wealth of special education research and expertise at Peabody College of education and human development. Each Susan Gray Fellow will gain invaluable experience in supporting young learners and their parents.
The family was familiar with Vanderbilt because one of their children had attended summer camps there for ADHD. They also valued the reputation of Vanderbilt Health and the university’s pioneering work with neurodiversity research.
In addition, when Molly Ann was struggling as a young student, her school consulted Craig H. Kennedy, a professor and eventually senior associate dean at Peabody (2010 to 2012). Following his guidance, Molly Ann’s school provided a full-time aide and trained its staff in special education. That step marked a turning point for Molly Ann, who sometimes bolted from class or faced intense anxiety around entering her classroom.
Two Peabody doctoral students began to visit her school each week. “They taught the teacher to have all Molly Ann’s work in a folder, give her the folder every morning, and let her do it in what order she wants to,” said Margrey Thompson. “It was little things like that, that made a big difference. She and her teacher got sign language training, and they could sign everything she needed.”
As Molly Ann’s teachers began to respond to her needs, her distress during the school day dissipated. School became a place where she felt safe to stay and learn alongside peers.
CENTERING CHILDREN
Transformations like Molly Ann’s are what Peabody faculty and students strive for, said Marcia Barnes, interim chair of the Department of Special Education. Barnes is the Dunn Family Professor of Psychoeducational Assessment and professor of special education. “Peabody’s special education scholars care deeply about outcomes for children and families. The Thompsons’ endowment will have a ripple effect in communities as these master’s students gain—and ultimately pass along—deep expertise in evidence-based approaches to fostering early childhood cognitive and social development.”
Since losing Molly Ann, the Thompsons learned that many people are grieving, for various reasons. “We encourage people to get help, to talk to other parents,” said Roy Thompson. The couple did so throughout their journey, and they continue to share their story. As a result, the path they’ve navigated has led to a legacy that will better educational experiences for future generations.
“The kids in this program at Peabody have an opportunity to be successful,” said Margrey Thompson. “If the Susan Gray School can grow these children and mature them, that’s a little less the parents have to worry about.”
The Thompsons remain committed to seeing children thrive and to parents receiving the support they need. Following their endowment, they also helped the Susan Gray School reach its funding goals for expanding to add a kindergarten class. And of course, they always remember to keep laughing.
