Celebrating Veterans, Inspiring Heroes of the Future

EVERY YEAR, students in all divisions take part in educational and service activities to learn about and honor all the veterans who have sacrificed to serve and protect us. Often this includes assemblies and class visits by alumni, faculty, staff, parents, and grandparents who have served. For instance, Eric Strumpf ’89, who served in the Air Force for 20 years, has spoken to students about the power of kindness and the duty of each of them to stand up to unkindness, bullying, and intolerance with conviction and courage.

In recent years, Middle and Upper School students were inspired by the story of 1st Lieutenant Lindsey Jefferies, the first African-American female pilot for the North Carolina Army National Guard. “It’s the true meaning of service when you put your country and its wellbeing ahead of yourself. Sharing this example with our students is important,” said Matt Less, Head of Upper School.

While the pandemic health measures have limited assemblies in the past two years, Lower School still celebrates Veterans Day in multiple ways, such as wearing red, white, and blue; hosting Zoom calls with family members who have served in the military; and writing letters of appreciation to service members. “Making time to honor veterans shows students concretely what it means to serve others and make sacrifices for the larger community,” said Bill Mulcahy, Head of Lower School.

Earlier this year, Facilities and Plant Operations Manager Greg Walters presented a flag he received while serving in the Air Force to third-grade students in Amy Ilfeld and Catherine Upchurch’s class.

Bissell Campus has many murals, one of which is the Veterans Wall of Honor, which recognizes alumni, faculty, and others in the community who have served in the military. The wall was initiated by Head of Middle School Warren Sepkowitz and teachers Art Hoffman and Mike Hennessey. Past parent Mary Tabor Engel was also enormously involved in the research to bring the wall to life.

“In celebrating our veterans, we’re helping students make the connection between those who came before us and sacrificed immensely so that we have the opportunity to live in a democratic society,” said Warren.

Lower School science teacher Lori Townsend, who often leads the planning of the Veterans Day activities, said, “We look forward to honoring the many heroes among us, both past and present, in hopes that we will inspire the heroes of the future.”

Students regularly write letters of appreciation to service members.