Alumni Magazine Winter/Spring 2024

THE UPDATE

Thank you to our Presenting sponsor

Proud Supporter of Congressional School

6

Around Campus

7 Class of 2023 Learning Patio Reveal

8 Ben Hinrichs ‘20

10 A Passion for Food: Derek Bowley & Soleil Ephraim ‘13

12 A Capitol Experience: Michael Bicksel ‘21, Addison Griest ‘21, & Sophia Ohle ‘21

18 Back On Campus

20 Arts Initiative: Artists-in-Residence

22 Pitch in for Congressional Gala

The refurbishment of the Big School entrance was continued this spring with the installation of a beautiful custom-made front door. We hope you like our fresh new look.

Thank you to our Premier sponsor

SCHOOL LEADERSHIP TEAM

Edwin P. Gordon, PhD Head of School

Brent Hinrichs

Associate Head of School Director of Lower and Middle School

Kim O’Neil

Assistant Head of School Director of Early Childhood and Primary School

Amanda Carbury Director of Enrollment Management and Financial Aid

Rachel Dunlap Director of Advancement and External Affairs

Rebecca Ginnetti School Counselor

Stephanie Hecker

Early Childhood Coordinator

Sara King

Executive Assistant to the Head of School

Brian Krauss Director of Athletics and Physical Education

Kay Lauren Miller

Senior Director of Innovation and Educational Programs Instructional Coach Early Childhood and Primary School

Alyce Penn Director of Strategic Marketing and Communications

Ali Sheibani Director of Technology

Lisa Singleton Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operations Officer

Leah Webster Executive Director of CTLI Instructional Coach Grades 4-8

Jonathan Winebrenner Director of Human Resources and Strategic Initiatives

Congressional School admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at this school It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, or national and ethnic origin in the administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs

AROUND CAMPUS

Our horses have been a feature of Congressional School since the school’s founding, We are always looking for ways to maximize this unique resource, especially to supplement learning The third-grade students recently visited the horses as part of their science unit on adaptations

To recognize Earth Day and celebrate our amazing campus, students took to Tripps Run Creek to collect trash. This is a beloved spot on campus, and it is wonderful to see our students working together to keep it clean

The much anticipated solar eclipse on April 8th was an incredible learning experience for our students, and the fact that we could witness it during the school day made it even better. The students spent time learning about the science behind the eclipse before heading out with their ISOcertified glasses to watch the celestial spectacle.

CLASS OF 2023 LEARNING PATIO REVEAL

Each year, our 8th grade class leaves behind a legacy gift for the school In January, we welcomed the Class of 2023 back on campus to reveal The Class of 2023 Learning Patio. It was a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the generosity of our most recent alumni and their parents. The Learning Patio is a great addition to our campus and is continuously used by students, faculty, and other members of our community Thank you, class of 2023!

BEN HINRICHS ’20

We caught up with Ben Hinrichs who has co share his passion for Robotics & STEM with Congre

Ben Hinrichs, ‘20, is a familiar face in the Congressional community. He graduated from Congressional 4 years ago and has remained involved, sharing his knowledge and passion for robotics with Congressional campers and students. He is on campus so often, in fact, that teachers and students alike greet him in the hallway with an enthusiastic and casual “Hey, Ben!”

Ben’s passion for robotics began when he was in middle school At that time, he became more aware of everyday objects and interested in how things work and the way they work He realized the mechanics of it all matched his interests. “The thing that excited me most about robotics was putting something together; getting it to function and seeing the finished product of something you ’ ve built is extremely gratifying.”

Ben participated in the Robotics Club at Congressional and this is a major reason why Ben contributes so much of his time, talent, and knowledge of robotics to his former school “I want the students to have the same experience [of robotics] here. I thought ‘I’ll be the person that brings back robotics to Congressional.’”

Ben led the Robotics Club as part of our auxiliary program ’ s winter after-school activities every Tuesday with 2nd-4th grade students. Ben introduced students to the world of robotics and engineering, utilizing Spheros™ and Legos™, learning code, and developing a passion for robotics. In the summer, Ben leads Rollercoasters and Robotics camp, where campers work with Dashes™ and Spheros™, and also build computers and rollercoasters

Ben is finishing his senior year at Flint Hill School, where he has been heavily immersed in the school’s innovation program He is captain of the Animus Ferus Green Team, as part of Flint Hill’s Advanced Robotics Class, and led his classmates in building small drones to compete in a challenge with other high school teams across the country In early May, Ben and his teammates competed in the Aerospace Robotics Competition achieving an impressive 2nd place win!

Ben, like many high school seniors, is also gearing up for the next chapter of his lifecollege. He was accepted to all three of his top

college picks and has ultimately decided on Virginia Tech where he plans to study Mechanical Engineering with a Robotics Concentration

We are grateful to Ben for being an advocate for STEM education and providing our students with his fun and energetic approach to Robotics

“Robotics and STEM are the future of not just education, but our society as a whole.”

In early May, the team attended the high school Aerospace Robotics Competition (ARC) at the University of Pennsylvania Billy and Ben are pictured outside the Pennovation building, an incubator for start-up businesses owned by the University of Pennsylvania The team came in an impressive 2nd place out of five drones. Above right, Billy and Ben are pictured with their drone, made from scratch by their four-member Aerial Robotics Team

Ben Hinrichs

Alumni Ben Hinrichs ‘20 and Billy Ho ‘21 are both members of Flint Hill School’s Aerial Robotics Team

A PASSION FOR FOOD

Earlier this year, we met up with Derek Bowley, Congressional’s former Speech & Drama Teacher who is now working for a non-profit in Washington, D C alongside alumna, Soleil Ephraim, ‘13. Derek and Soleil work for FoodPrints, a division of FreshFarm, a midAtlantic organization that works to build a ‘ more equitable, sustainable, and resilient food system’ in the region FoodPrints is FreshFarm’s educational program that integrates gardening, cooking, and nutrition into school curriculum Derek and Soleil are part of FoodPrints’ team of expert educators providing students with hands-on opportunities to grow, prepare, and enjoy fresh, local whole foods.

Anyone who knows Derek is aware of his passion for food and cooking, and may have even sampled his culinary talents - they were often shared with the Congressional community through events he catered, after-

school cooking classes he taught, and treats he brought to school to share with co-workers Derek also put his cooking talents to the test when he competed against Chef Antonia Lofaso in the premier episode of the Food Network’s program, Outchef’d The show aired on September 28, 2022, and he cherishes the once-in-a-lifetime experience

Soleil came to FoodPrints with a long-standing passion for social/emotional learning and food justice, and she loves that the program encourages young people to develop a stronger connection to themselves, their communities, and the earth through cooking and gardening Soleil shares, “I am passionate about understanding people’s relationships to the food system and health care industry I am constantly inspired to help create spaces where people from BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, people of color) communities can engage in conversations about consumption and sustainability.”

After graduating from Congressional in 2013, Soleil attended The Madeira School, then attended college at William and Mary where she studied Sociology, Social Justice, and Hispanic Studies “After college, I wanted to do outreach work,” Soliel said. “I was interested in the cultural aspect of food but had never thought about teaching. It turns out that I love it.” Soleil joined FoodPrints as an intern, then worked as an assistant teacher, before becoming a lead teacher. In addition to teaching, she tends to the gardens at the schools, with the help of a support team.

The FoodPrints program is currently in 21 D C public schools reaching nearly 7,000 students Derek and Soleil teach at different schools for most of the week and come together to teach on Fridays at AmidonBowen School in SW D C Through their teaching, students gain an appreciation for

wholesome food with hands-on lessons in nutrition and food preparation, often cooking with food they have grown in their school gardens. The lessons incorporate math and science, among other academic disciplines Students gain life skills such as how to use kitchen tools, how to grow and harvest the ingredients, and to sample foods they may have never tried before.

Derek has stayed connected to theater through the Jr. Theatre Festivals, the group that develops the Broadway, Jr productions, but he admits that he has become consumed with his current passion for food. “I like to cook for others, teach others to cook, and help them make a connection to food,” he says At Amidon-Bowen, he teaches all 325+ students, so his reach is extensive. He views his role as FoodPrints Lead Teacher and Culinary Coach as following a passion rather than work, and when asked where he sees his career taking him in the future, he replied “This is the job I’ll retire from ”

A CAPITOL EXPERIENCE

Four Congressional Alumni recently participated in internship programs on Capitol Hill Here’s what they said about their extraordinary work experience opportunity

MICHAEL BICKSEL, ‘21

Michael is a rising senior at Gonzaga College High School

TheSenatePageProgramwasaboutfive months,fromSeptember5ththrough January26th,withshortbreaksfor ThanksgivingandChristmas.

IhavealwayswantedtobecomeaSenate Page.WhenIwasatCongressional,Iapplied tobeaVirginiaSenatePage,butIdidn’tget in.Itturnedouttobeablessingindisguise; thePageclassthatIwould’vebeenapartof wasdisruptedbyCOVID.IputtheU.S. SenatePageProgramonthebackburner andfocusedonotherthings,butasjunior yearapproached,Ibecameinterestedinit againandultimatelydecidedtoapply throughoneofmytwostatesenators (TimKaine)

Wakeup:4:45am&breakfastat5:30am

Michael pictured at top with Senator Mitt Romney, and above, receiving his official certificate of completion in January , 2024

I had two roommates and my classes ranged from five people (like math) to eight or nine (like English or science). Rooms and classes did not reflect whether you were a Republican or Democratic Page, and being a Republican or Democratic Page wasn’t necessarily reflective of your own political leanings I was appointed by the Secretary for the Minority, a Republican, so I was a Republican Page

We all lived in dorms at Webster Hall, which is about two blocks away from the Hart Senate Office Building I had two roommates The boys lived on the second floor, the girls lived on the first, and the school, kitchen, and laundry room were all in the basement We had no access to our own devices (like our phones or personal laptops), so the boys’ and girls’ floors each had a communal dayroom with a TV.

The classes were rigorous since teachers had to fit honors or AP-level content into 35or 50-minute classes, so we had a lot of homework that we’d take to work with us We’d also often stay up late working on homework, which usually just made things worse since you would get less sleep On top of all that, there were four proctors, two on each floor, who gave demerits that could result in room restriction (most demerits came from lights-out violations at night or room inspections in the mornings).

Asweirdasitsounds,theschedulewasmy favoritepartofbeingaSenatePage,because Iwasneverbored.Iremembertakinga toughmathquizandthenseeingVolodymyr Zelenskyy-allbeforelunch!Thatjustdoesn’t happenanywhereelse,andit’ssomething I’mgoingtomiss.

“...seeing and saying hi to Volodymyr Zelenskyy, holding the door for Vice President Harris, and meeting Mitt Romney were my top-three favorite moments from the program, in no particular order.”

Thesheerlengthofthedaysandthe intensityoftheschedulemadeittough.I learnedhowtoleanonothersandworkwell withotherpeople,buttheprogramwas certainlydesignedtopushyoutoyourlimits Iaminterestedingoingtolawschooland especiallyinterestedinadministrativelaw, whichfocusesongovernmentand administrativeagencies.ThePageProgram certainlymadememoreinterestedina careerinlaw,butitmadememore interestedinacareerinpublicservicethan anythingelse.

“When you’re that close to that many people making so many important decisions you come to respect them and the work they do.”

How long was your co-curricular experience on the Hill?

As part of the junior year co-curriculum at Madeira, we have a 5-week internship on Capitol Hill.

Whose office did you work for?

I interned for Congressman Steve Scalise (LA-01), who is the House Majority leader and U.S. representative for Louisiana’s 1st congressional district

What kind of work did you do?

Although I didn’t work with the Congressman directly, I did get the opportunity to sit in on one of his press releases (on live TV!), and work closely with the legislative staff on special projects.

ADDISON GRIEST, ‘21

Addison is a rising senior at The Madeira School.

My duties while in the office included answering the phones, making coffee, refilling the kitchen, giving tours of the Capitol to constituents, bringing coffee to the police officers, running errands to grab or bring things to our other office (in the Capitol), supply runs, logging every phone call taken in an excel sheet, and completing various projects for everyone in the office

What has been the most rewarding part of the experience?

My favorite part of this experience was all the great opportunities we had while working on the Hill My most memorable moments have been getting to know everyone in the office, meeting my congressman multiple times, and the first phone call I picked up on my first day I was also able to learn my way around Capitol Hill, including the underground tunnels, the Library of Congress, the Botanical Gardens, the Capitol, and the different House of Representatives office buildings (Rayburn, Longworth, and Cannon)

While on the Hill you run into so many different congressman and senators you may or may not know For example, on our first day we saw Kevin McCarthy on his last day as Speaker during our Capitol tour, and then I somehow ended up in the same elevator as Jim Jordan the day he was nominated for speaker.

Is there a school project you have to do related to the experience?

The junior co-curriculum and the U S History course are linked, offering students a unique learning experience. In the U.S. History course, we learn about the functioning of the U S government, with a specific focus on Congress. We then select an issue area to focus on and Madeira does their best to match you to an office that deals with your issue area. The issue area I chose to focus on was hurricane recovery and its restoration process Although my issue area is only related to part of the work my office does, I got to work with certain legislative staff that dealt with my issue area

At the end of the internship, we share a presentation on what we learned about our issue area and advocate for what Congress and the general public can do to help

What has been the most challenging part of the experience?

The most challenging part of my experience was trying to keep up with all the chaos that was happening. During my internship there was no Speaker of the House for the first 3 ½ weeks Scalise was nominated for Speaker and then withdrew his nomination. There was a lot of back and forth with the Speaker nomination which left Congress at a standstill and things couldn’t get done

Has the experience made an impact on what you think you would like to do in the future?

While I really enjoyed my internship on the Hill, I am still very interested in pursuing a career in sports medicine.

SOPHIA OHLE, ‘21

Whatkindofworkdidyoudo?

Sophia is a rising senior at The Madeira School.

Howlongwasyourco-curricularexperience ontheHill?

Co-curriculumis5weekslong Iwastheonly MadeirastudentontheHillinacommittee (therehavebeenotherMadeirastudentsin committeesinthepast)andIinternedonthe SenateCommitteeonEnergyandNatural Resources.JuniorstakeUSHistory,sococurriculumandhistoryarelinkedjunioryear We chooseanissueareatofocusoninhistoryand Madeiradoesitsbesttomatchyoutoanoffice thatfocusesonyourissuearea.Ichoseclimate changeandpublichealth,somyissueareais relatedtotheworktheofficedoes.

Whoseofficedidyouworkfor?

IworkwithSenators,andIdidgetthe opportunitytoeatbreakfastwithSenatorJohn Barrasso,therankingmemberofthecommittee!

Theworkvariedfromweektoweek.Whenthe committeeishavingahearing,Iwasinchargeof makingtheSenators’binders.Ialsogottodo researchforprojectsthatseniorstaffmembers wereworkingon

Whathasbeenthemostrewardingpartof theexperience?

Myfavoritepartwasalltheamazing opportunities.Iwasabletoattend3hearings, oneofwhichincludedthesocialmediahearing withtheCEOsofallthemajorsocialmedia platforms,includingMarkZuckerberg,servingas witnesses.ItwasaverycoolexperienceandI’m sograteful!

Whathasbeenthemostchallengingpartof theexperience?

ThemostchallengingpartwasshiftingthewayI thinkaboutreadingandwriting.Inschool,they trainyoutoreadandwriteinaveryspecificway, butthewritingstyleinprofessionalsettingsis different.Ihadtoretrainmyselftowriteina professionalstyle

Isthereaschoolprojectyouhavetodo relatedtotheexperience?

Attheendoftheinternship,wesharea presentationonwhatwelearnedaboutourissue areawhileontheHill,andsuggestwhat Congressandeverydaypeoplecandotohelp solvetheproblem

Hastheexperiencemadeanimpactonwhat youthinkyouwouldliketodointhefuture?

Goingintotheinternship,mymindwasprettyset ongoingintothefieldofmedicine.However, afterhavingthisexperience,Imightwanttogo intohealthcarepolicyinstead.

BACK ON CAMPUS

We love seeing Congressional alumni back on campus, and welcomed a number of alums back to school over the past several months.

Addison Griest, ‘21 and Caroline Hinrichs, ‘21.

Elisha Pickle ‘23 (left) with Alex Gromacki, Middle School Math Teacher, and Margaux Turner, ‘23.

Thomas Singleton, ‘22 (middle) with his parents

Kendra O’Neil, ‘23 & Arden McEldowney, ‘23

Ben Hinrichs, ‘20 and Grace Allexon, ‘20

Natalie Lobel ‘23 with her mom, Lauren

BACK ON CAMPUS

We love seeing Congressional alumni back on campus, and welcomed a number of alums back to school over the past several months.

Lorna Evans, ‘21 (center) with Kim O’Neil, Assistant Head of School and Director of Early Childhood and Primary School (left), and Lisa Bicksel, Music Teacher, Infants/Toddlers-Primary School and Lisa Bicksel.

Alumni and faculty at the Tip Off Classic in January

Grant McIntosh, ‘21 with Brent Hinrichs, Associate Head of School and Director of Lower and Middle School

ARTISTS-IN-RESIDENCE

We were excited to launch an Artist-in-Residence program, as a part of our multi-year Arts Initiative with Jason Curry as our first guest. As an independent school music educator in New York City and a professional saxophonist who performs with Jazz at Lincoln Center, Jason was well-equipped to offer valuable advice and mentorship to our faculty and students as we seek to enhance our Arts Program even further. Jason visited campus multiple times over the school year for faculty and student discussions, special activities, and meetings with our teachers, and was back in May 2024 to help launch a new jazz unit in our music curriculum.

ARTISTS-IN-RESIDENCE

Amy Fitts, a theater specialist and independent school teacher, joined us as an Artist-in-Residence earlier this year. Amy observed classes and met with teachers on creative ways to enhance our curriculum She worked with primary school music students on acting, public speaking, and creative movement, and offered advice to prepare them for their musical, Go Fish! Amy worked with middle school speech and drama students on monologues, readers theatre, scripts, and public speaking, and shared her experiences in the theatre.

Funding for the Arts Initiative’s Artist-inResidence program is made possible through proceeds from the 2022 Colts Take the Arts Gala.

PITCH IN FOR CONGRESSIONAL GALA

The2024PitchInforCongressionalGalawasaresoundingsuccess.Theevent,held onFriday,April19,attheEagleBankClubatAudiField,andwasattendedby320 parents,alumni,faculty&staff,andfriends. Together,weraised$250,000(net) tohelplaunchtwokeyprojects:

RenovationoftheThreeLittleSchoolPlaygrounds

TransformationoftheBigSchoolCafeteriaintoa MultipurposeCenterandDiningCommons.

Congressional School Parent Organization Leadership Team From Left: Carly Schacknies, Julie Sara Boyd, Lauren Lobel, Amy Wells-Morgan, and Malaika Hill

Washington Capitals Mascot “Slapshot” and Congressional Mascot “Spirit” pictured with Head of School, Dr Edwin P Gordon

Gibson Sauri ‘22 with his father, Michael Sauri

Kim O’Neil, Assistant Head of School and Director of Early Childhood and Primary School and Dan O’Neil

Evie Hinrichs, 2nd Grade Teacher, and Brent Hinrichs, Associate Head of School and Director of Lower & Middle School

Scan the QR code to learn about the two campus transformation projects

Jessica Meyers (left) and Cecilia Kashakhi current parents and 2024 Gala Co-Chairs.

Current parents, Dr Mandira N Mehra ‘97 (right) and Matthew Witek

Current parents, Justin and Khelin Aiken

Todd Friedman, 3rd Grade Teacher

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EDGE OF THE CLEF TAKES 1ST PLACE

Congressional’s Middle School choral group, Edge of the Clef, took 1st place on Saturday, May 4, at this year’s Hersheypark Choral Festival. The group won 1st place in the middle school division and received an “Excellent” rating from the judges. Congratulations to the students, coaches, and mentors who worked incredibly hard to achieve this win