T.J.'s Take: Investing in Our Students

Recently, 30 of our students competed in the Pennsylvania Junior Academy of Science Regional Competition. Every student earned a first- or secondplace award, with four earning perfect scores. The National Merit Scholarship Program recognized 30 students as some of the top PSAT test scorers across the country. Multiple Scholastic Art and Writing Awards were earned by 22 students, and our female computer science students took home first and second place (for the fourth consecutive year) at the regional Girls Hackathon event. These are just a few examples of academic accolades from this past fall and winter.

Many of these same students also passionately performed in our annual Dora Khayatt Music Competition. They are powerhouses on our athletic teams, community service leaders, Chapel Vestry members, and more. They are actively involved in school life, help to tutor and mentor our younger students, and represent our school with great pride.

I find myself in astonishment every day by the drive our students exhibit and the achievements they attain. In every corner of campus, you can find a multi-talented and unique individual who proudly wears blue and white and helps to carry on the tradition of excellence at Episcopal. Perhaps more important than their talents, our students are kind, empathetic, good kids of character. We hear it time and time again from members outside of our school community who share how impressed they are when they encounter an Episcopal student.

Our extraordinary students give us great hope for the future. So, in this final year of our Shape Tomorrow campaign, we ask for your help in investing in their futures.

Our community has generously supported tuition assistance initiatives throughout the years, but we can make an even bigger impact by growing our financial aid program. Our dream is for every intelligent and talented child within driving distance to believe an Episcopal education is a possibility, regardless of their family’s financial situation. We must continue to expand our program in order to make this a reality.

By bolstering our tuition assistance, we will not only heighten our impact on individual lives, but we will be able to design a student body that is both composed of the best and brightest students and accurately reflects the world they will one day lead. By surrounding our students with classmates who possess diverse perspectives, backgrounds, and talents, we elevate their learning community.

Once students are here, we must give them every opportunity to grow their knowledge, develop critical thinking and leadership skills, and discover new interests. We ensure they have access to ample books and supplies, innovative technology, the latest science equipment, musical instruments, pristine athletic facilities, industry experts, and experiential learning opportunities. We help them nurture their passions by offering independent study programs, fellowships, and access to niche coursework that might fall outside of our standard curriculum.

Finally, we must elevate our students’ learning experiences by recruiting the best teachers and supporting their growth. As the learning needs of our students evolve, so must our teaching approaches. In addition to our Center for Teaching and Learning and other in-house professional development, our faculty participate in more than 100 regional and national conferences and workshops each year. Supporting our teachers in finding effective ways to engage and inspire today’s students will help to shape the leaders of tomorrow and equip them with the skills necessary for their success.

As we invite you to help us invest in our students, we wanted to give you a glimpse of some of their present-day experiences. In our “What Defines an EA Student?” cover story (page 6), we delve into the lives of six students to explore what parts of the Episcopal experience help to define them. Choosing which students to feature was a nearly impossible task since every Episcopal student has an interesting story to tell.

In “Then & Now” (page 24), we take a look at how much our science programming has evolved and expanded throughout the last few decades. Our “Snapshots” showcase memorable experiences that students will surely reminisce about for years to come, and our feature articles celebrate the legacy and contributions of many teachers, coaches, and staff members. I am often humbled by the support of our community. Because of you, we are able to recruit and enroll incredible students and teachers and surround them with extraordinary opportunities to learn and grow. With your help, we were able to keep our campus open during the pandemic through investments in facilities, technology, and additional staff. Your generosity allows us the flexibility to invest in whatever student-focused priorities arise, and we could not be more grateful.

We hope this Connections issue helps demonstrate the powerful impact that philanthropy has on the student experience at Episcopal. We thank you all for helping us to shape tomorrow by investing in our students and school today.

Dr. T.J. Locke, The Greville Haslam Head of School