The Toy Chest
Hilary’ s Gifts
~ Story and photos by Chrissy Alspaugh
Being capable of nearly everything made it that much harder for Hilary Key to settle on anything.
That predicament led the budding neuroscientist to walk away from an expensespaid Ph. D. program with a 4.0 grade-point average in exchange for a life filled with toys and philanthropy.
Key, now barely on the heels of her 25 th birthday, took ownership of The Toy Chest this summer with aspirations of transforming the specialty toy store into a vehicle to deliver educational and developmentally appropriate toys to children who have none.
More than anything, she hopes the buy-one, give-one social entrepreneurship model she is creating with her husband, Danny, not only grows beyond Nashville but also inspires young customers to give as much as they receive.
Laughing, Key laments that until about two years ago, she really had no clue what she wanted to do in life.
“ I love to write, and I’ ve always wanted to publish children’ s books,” she said.“ I really wanted to be an actress, and I was sure I would be a weatherperson at some point in time. I don’ t think I ever wanted to be a fireman, but I wanted to be just about everything else.”
Truth be told, she probably could’ ve achieved any dream.
The daughter of a physician, Key said she always considered becoming a doctor— mostly because she loved school, and she was good at it. She entered Butler University with an undecided major and graduated with undergraduate degrees in biology, chemistry, and French. In 2011, Key entered Purdue University’ s neuroscience doctoral program, without a real career plan. During the second year of the program, fellowship applications began twisting her arm to define aspirations.
Key became determined to find her life’ s passion. She journaled. She made lists. She wrapped her mind around the things in life that made her feel happy and fulfilled, and then she brainstormed ways to incorporate as many as possible into a viable career.
At the forefront was a 9-year-old girl in Togo whom Key lived with during an undergraduate summer program.
“ My first night there, she asked if I wanted to play with her, and I asked what she wanted to play with,” Key said.“ I couldn’ t believe it, but she didn’ t own a single toy.”
Key’ s course changed drastically once she realized her life’ s work: providing access to educational toys to children without.
16 Our Brown County • Nov./ Dec. 2014