Oftentimes when we do something for others, we end up unknowingly doing something for ourselves. When Dana Hesse enrolled her daughter Ani in a School of Rock summer camp, it was about keeping her engaged and learning, while still totally rocking out. And while that did happen as Ani discovered a budding talent, Dana also found herself being inspired by the School of Rock’s mission. As Danna puts it, “I found myself singing along and wiping a tear of joy … I was hooked.”
A few months and another School of Rock program later, a location near Dana went up for sale. Without so much as a second thought, Dana — who was retired at the time — jumped in with both feet and bought the School of Rock in Burbank. One of 140 schools and counting since the program started at a single school in Philadelphia, Dana’s School of Rock location is part of a greater mission to inspire kids to rock on stage and in life.