S T E W A R D NEWS
Virginia Tech Professor Expands Role as Mentor to All Leadership Program Students
Steward’s Upper School Leadership Program has expanded its partnership with Dr. Austin Council, collegiate assistant professor at Virginia Tech, to offer students an unparalleled, multi-year mentorship experience. Dr. Council, who has visited Steward for the past several years, will now work with Steward students in all three years (or cohorts) of the Leadership Program. He will return to campus in April to conduct workshops with program participants about topics such as identifying core values, dialogue, and the relationship between leaders and followers. Further enriching the experience, juniors will again travel to Virginia Tech in March for an overnight field trip to engage with multiple departments across the university’s campus, as they have done for the past two years. The Virginia Tech trip is underwritten by the Wheless Family Stewardship Fund.
Understanding Entrepreneurship: Students Partner with CarMax on Real-World Business Challenge Local automotive resale giant CarMax recently asked Upper School students a big question: What new business venture should CarMax explore? The students’ partnership with CarMax is part of the Entrepreneurship Studies program, in which students are briefed on a real business challenge by employees of a local business. The students then spend 6-8 weeks working with the company to research, ideate, and then present business pitches. Six student groups presented their ideas for consideration to CarMax representatives in November. This project exemplifies how Steward’s Entrepreneurship Studies program offers opportunities for hands-on learning and skill building, as well as the possibility of earning a diploma endorsement that will benefit students as they apply for college and pursue careers.
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Nearly 40 Upper School students are participating in the program. In October, the juniors and seniors among the group toured CarMax’s Midtown Design & Innovation Center. They were led by alumni parent Rusty Jordan (Jessica ’18 and Jack ’23) and alumnus Parker Wright ’18, who are both part of CarMax’s Financial Services and Products division. Mr. Jordan and Mr. Wright guided the students throughout their project this fall, in coordination with the program’s coordinators, Upper School teachers Angela Coppola and Jen Maitland. “Participating in Entrepreneurship Studies will help prepare me for my future because I will gain experience in work-like environments, learn how to problem solve in real-world situations, and overall broaden my knowledge of entrepreneurship and business,” shared Stella Cole ’27.
Dr. Council conducted a formal research study on Steward’s Leadership Program last year (his findings won an award at the Association of Leadership Educators Annual Conference), and he is now writing a journal article on the results of the study. Upper School teachers and program leads Eliza McGehee and Scottie O’Neill presented with Dr. Council last fall at the 2025 Virginia Association of Independent Schools Annual Conference. The session was called “Excellence in Student Leadership: Self, Group & Community.” “For students, it is rare to be mentored by the same thought leader across multiple years of their development,” said Ms. McGehee. Ms. O’Neill added: “Dr. Council’s workshops and the immersive Virginia Tech visit provide time for self-reflection, meaningful dialogue, and inspiration that will shape how students lead at Steward and beyond. This sustained mentoring prepares our students to be effective, thoughtful leaders today and in their future careers.”