Margery “Muffin” (Krieger) Slonaker ’66
“I’m very much a pay-it-forward kind of girl.”
That’s the philosophy Muffin Slonaker says she lives by, and the proof is in her career, her commitment to helping others, and her contributions to Kent Place. In fact, she recently decided to name KPS in her estate plans.
Muffin came to Kent Place in the seventh grade. She loved to learn, enjoyed her classes, and formed lasting friendships. “The teachers were terrific,” she says. “There was a nurturing aspect to it, too, so you didn’t feel embarrassed to raise your hand. You didn’t feel silly if you mentioned an idea. It gave the girls, and certainly me, the confidence that we could do anything — even back then, when girls weren’t allowed to play full-court basketball!”
Even though they couldn’t play full court, Muffin played basketball, as well as field hockey and tennis, at which she particularly excelled, and athletics became central in her life. In her late 20s, she took up platform tennis, and became a national champion in mixed and women’s doubles.
Her experiences as an athlete and her desire to “pay it forward” were the impetus behind Muffin’s business, Best Foot Forward, which provided college admissions guidance for female athletes. She believed they were an underserved population and wanted to help support them during a pivotal time in their academic career, including seeking opportunities for scholarships. Muffin also provided pro bono services for students of single mothers.
Muffin has returned to Kent Place in many ways throughout the years. She coached tennis, was a regular at reunions and Alumnae Visiting Days, and in 2022 was inducted into the Kent Place Athletic Hall of Fame.
Muffin remains close with her far-flung Kent Place classmates, who get together regularly on Zoom. They keep up-to-date with one another but also reminisce about their Kent Place years. She mentions that Mrs. Hady, Ms. Samson, and Ms. Fox not only taught her but also helped her find her voice as a leader. She remembers eating breakfast with her classmates on the hoods of their cars at the Short Hills Mall their senior year. And she fondly recalls the Isley Brothers playing live at their 1966 graduation party, thanks to fundraising by her class, with the help of Muffin’s dad.
Muffin thanks her parents for investing in her Kent Place education. “My father was thrilled that I was there,” she says. “He was a man before his time . . . He was always very forward thinking about women’s education. And my mom had gone to Vassar. They valued education.” Her parents also taught her the importance of service to her community, volunteering, and philanthropy.
When Muffin decided to include Kent Place in her estate plans, she earmarked financial aid.
“It’s important to give back to my school, especially after the experience I had here. It’s only fair to share whatever you can and help other young women get a scholarship to be able to come to Kent Place,” she says. “I also think leaving a gift to Kent Place says that Kent Place matters.”
Says the “pay-it-forward kind of girl”: “You give for someone to have the opportunity you had, to go on that academic journey, and to be in such a supportive environment. You can’t do it for everybody, but you can help to do it for some.”