COURAGE: THE CAMPAIGN FOR EPISCOPAL

“The Courage Campaign is an opportunity that comes only once or twice in a generation. I commend those who have donated and have brought us so close to the finish line. I encourage everyone to step up and join us. It will take only a little more to get us there!” -ROBERT MASON ’77 P’15, CAMPAIGN CABINET

PERSPECTIVES ON COURAGE

BRUNSON WICKHAM ’25 HEAD MONITOR

At every Vespers, Reverend Carmody ends the service with a prayer: for God to give us the grace “to risk something big for something very good.” This is what courage at EHS means to me, and students here have many opportunities to be courageous every day.

Courage is getting up in front of the whole school to give a Chapel Talk. It is taking a class that you know will require extra work or singing in the musical for the first time. It is standing up for someone on dorm, or reaching out to someone on campus who might be having a tough time. Courage is often getting yourself out there, failing, and getting back up and trying again. Courage at EHS is contagious. When you see people acting with courage, it makes you want to do the same. In this way, Episcopal becomes a collective community of people who are willing to risk things that are big, with the opportunity to find something very good.

On behalf of our student body, I want to say thank you to everyone who has given to EHS, and particularly those who have given to the COURAGE CAMPAIGN . The impact of the Campaign has already proven to be remarkable. Specifically, it has impacted me through its strengthening of our community: from our diverse student body to amazing faculty.

While attending EHS, I have created lifelong friendships with people from many places, and have heard so many interesting experiences and points of view. Additionally, being in a classroom with a wide range of perspectives has created a unique learning environment. For example, in my Advanced U.S. History class, the year-end project required conducting interviews of family members. The videos ranged from family members talking about living through the Cultural Revolution in China, to an immigration story about moving to the U.S. from Iran, to fleeing Egypt during World War II. It was an extraordinary experience.

Teachers here have consistently gone the extra mile for me, and have always made the effort to work with me inside or outside of school hours. The fact that 90% of the teachers live on campus allows the students and faculty to spend more time together. This time between classes, during sports, and on dorm allows students to form real relationships with adults. It contributes significantly to the classroom, making students feel more comfortable asking questions or seeking advice, and helps overall communication in class.

Being at Episcopal has changed my life — as it has for many students since 1839. Without your generosity, Episcopal couldn’t be the place that it is today. I love Episcopal, and in the future I hope that I can give back in the way that so many of you have. My 461 fellow students and I have been the beneficiaries of your generosity, and we all are extremely grateful. I’m excited to see how we take our EHS courage out into the world.

POSITIONED TO DELIVER AN EDUCATIONAL JOURNEY THAT NO OTHER SCHOOL CAN, EPISCOPAL WILL CLOSE THE COURAGE CAMPAIGN ON JUNE 30.

The goal is $150 million — the most ambitious in the School’s history. EVERY GIFT COUNTS. EVERY DONOR MATTERS.

Let’s ensure Episcopal remains a leader in education, character, and service for years to come. Final numbers to be announced after June 30!

TIME TO FINISH STRONG

THE COURAGE CAMPAIGN IS FUELING OUR ABILITY TO BRING THE PORTRAIT OF A GRADUATE QUALITIES TO LIFE FOR EVERY STUDENT.

At the core of the five priorities of COURAGE is cultivating COURAGEOUS ACTION so that our graduates are prepared to be exceptional leaders and a positive force in the world.

• COURAGEOUS ACTION

• HARNESSING D.C.

• INCREASING FINANCIAL AID

• FOSTERING VIBRANT COMMUNITY

• BALANCING RIGOR & WELLNESS

• ATTRACTING & RETAINING WORLDCLASS FACULTY

See the profound impact of our community’s generosity and why this final stretch is so important.

Would you like more information on how to give? Contact Director of Leadership and Campaign Giving Winnie Robinson at 703-933-4192 or wrobinson@episcopalhighschool.org.

EVERYONE CAN PLAY A ROLE BY JUNE 30

There are three simple ways...

1 ROLL CALL

First and foremost, commit to supporting Episcopal’s annual fund.

2 CAMPAIGN PRIORITIES

Make a pledge to support the strategic priorities.

3 LEGACY

Include Episcopal in your estate plans.

MEET OUR DONORS

AMANDA WEISIGER CORNELSON ’08 AND SHAW CORNELSON ’04

Trustee Amanda Weisiger Cornelson ’08 and Shaw Cornelson ’04 know first-hand how Episcopal can become woven into the fabric of a family. Shaw’s father Martin ’79, uncles, and cousins attended The High School, paving the way for Shaw and his brother Miller ’06 to make their own marks on the institution. Amanda arrived at Episcopal in 2004 and was soon followed by her younger sisters Marshall ’12 and Grace ’13.

The couple’s fathers, Ed Weisiger and Martin Cornelson ’79, were classmates at North Carolina State University and have both supported Episcopal through volunteer service and philanthropy over the years, passing that legacy onto their children.

Married since 2016, Amanda and Shaw remain invested in myriad ways, including a recent commitment to the Courage Campaign, Amanda’s service as a trustee since 2021, Shaw’s service as a panelist at a recent CONNECT event, and their joint role as hosts of regional events in Charlotte, N.C. Why do they dedicate so much of themselves to this place? Because it made them who they are, they said.

“It’s hard to compute the profound impact the EHS faculty had on my life,” Shaw said. Amanda agreed: “I can’t point to an experience that was more formative for me…and I owe that to all of the great people at Episcopal and the investments they made in me.” Now they consider it their turn to invest in Episcopal.

Amanda, now a fourth-generation leader at Weisiger Group, formerly Carolina Tractor & Equipment Company, brings her business acumen to the Board of Trustees as Chair of the Risk Management Committee.

“An institution as long and storied as Episcopal only continues to thrive if each generation takes responsibility for the continued stewardship of it,” Amanda explained, “and it’s time for our generation to do just that.”

As they navigate new parenthood with three-year-old Cab and one-year-old Louise, Amanda and Shaw often reflect on the impact that Episcopal had on their teenage selves, and what they hope to pass on to their children.

“Episcopal taught me about being confident in who I am, what I stand for, and how I want to make an impact on the world,” Amanda said. Shaw referenced Benjamin Franklin when considering his biggest takeaway from his EHS experience: “An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.”