Scott Frauenheim, the youngest of seven children, found himself in his small hometown in New Jersey in 2008 on a quest to find himself. After visiting a friend in Chicago and falling in love with the city, he took a leap of faith and made the decision to leave his large, close knit family. He quickly built up his confidence and friendships and faced one of the most difficult times of his life coming out to his friends and family as a gay man. Since that moment, everyone in his life has been incredibly supportive and he has fallen in love with our great city so much, he can’t see himself ever leaving.
Throughout his journey of finding himself, one thing always rang true for Scott: he has a passion to teach young minds. He credits his strong draw to education and sense of community to his parents. They modeled what community, faith, relationships and success look like. While his mom is a female entrepreneur, his dad spent over 52 years as Vice Principal, Athletic Director, and Football coach at their hometown school. Following in his dad’s footsteps, Scott is now the proud CEO of a non-profit Charter School Management Organization, Distinctive Schools. He manages and oversees nine schools, five of which are in Chicago. The organization was designed to bring educational innovation and choice through a strong equity lens and strong staff/student and community culture. They serve historically marginalized communities specifically for grades Pre-K through 9th.
A true people person with a deep sense of loyalty, nothing makes Scott happier than giving back to his community, whether that community includes his 30+ nieces and nephews, or the thousands of kids Distinctive Schools support. When he’s not busy managing all nine locations, he’s finding opportunities to volunteer, join advisory and fundraising boards, lead community service opportunities, and donate financially to students and families during difficult times.
Topics: Non-Profit
