Brendan Court ’06 Program

A DAY IN THE BRENDAN COURT ’ 06 PROGRAM

6:30 am

Many of his classmates are still asleep when ISHAAN DEVALLA ’23 silences the alarm on his cell phone. He shakes off sleep with a steaming cup of tea before heading out the door...

8:45 am

Devalla arrives at 10600 Preston Road, where he meets up with fellow classmates JACKSON WHITAKER ’23 and BOWDEN SLATES ’23 to welcome their students.

CONNECTING COMMUNITIES and FORMING LEADERS

Central to character and leadership education is the idea that leadership is service that moves communities forward. Volunteering with the Brendan Court ’06 Summer Enrichment Program offers Marksmen the opportunity to grow as leaders and learn more about the community around them.

9:45 am

The Honorable ERIC JOHNSON, Dallas mayor and St. Mark’s parent, tells the group about growing up in West Dallas, attending Ivy League schools and life as the mayor, before sharing that speaking to youth is the best part of his job. As Johnson calls on various students to answer their questions, Slates raises his hand to join in.

10:50 am

Science teacher WINSTON LEE ’23 shares his passion for chemistry with his class. He applauds his students as they recall key concepts about atoms and their structure.

THE BRENDAN COURT ’06 PROGRAM

The program offers Dallas ISD middle-schoolers classes in math, social studies, science and English—all taught by Upper School Marksmen. The three-week summer program provides highquality learning experiences for the students who attend, while allowing St. Mark’s students to explore teaching. Each student volunteer applies to teach a specific subject and then teaches a mock lesson as a form of audition. He is then responsible for creating his own curriculum in the subject he teaches. These lessons in leadership and service stay with many Marksmen throughout their lives, no matter the profession they choose.

For the first time in three years, the program was able to meet in person this summer. This year’s cohort of student-teachers were able to visit with their students face-to-face and interact with them over the course of three weeks.

(left) Hood explains the ball python's skeletal structure

(below) Students line up to feel the python's scales

11:35 am

Jacie Hood, director of education at Sci-Tech Discovery Center in Frisco, holds a special visitor—a ball python—as she teaches the group about their anatomy, diet and more. As she answers questions from the class, NAT FISHER ’23 puts a finger to his lips to quiet a few whispers from the back row. After the lesson, students and teachers alike line up to pet the snake, gently using two fingers to stroke her scales.

“For me, a highlight was seeing our students progress,” said Aadi Khasgiwala ’23, one of the program’s co-directors. “For example, we scheduled a robotics activity, and seeing them enjoy it and engage with it was very rewarding.”

Over the course of three weeks, Marksmen teachers form meaningful relationships with their students. For Ishaan Devalla ’23, one of the most important times of day was before classes began. “It's a good time to sit down and just talk with them,” he said. “Having that free time allowed us to really get to know them.”

Over time, the Marksmen earned the students’ trust. Those bonds motivated the student-teachers to be good leaders and mentors.

“I know they look up to all of us,” said Sky Park ’23. “I feel a responsibility to perform to the best of my ability as a teacher, mentor, friend and colleague.”

12:15 pm

AADI KHASGIWALA ’23 has had a busy morning. Part of his job as co-director of the program is to plan daily activities and meals. Today students enjoy bean and cheese burritos, courtesy of chef Roberto Perez (father of JONAH ’23 and GABRIEL ’30). As the students enjoy their lunch, one boy who is an aspiring chef takes note.

These interactions don’t just create connections between individuals; they provide a greater understanding of the broader Dallas community for participants and teachers alike.

“There are other people in the city who lead very different lives,” Bowden Slates ’23 said. “I think it's so important to get out of your comfort zone and realize that your daily life is not necessarily the same as everybody else’s.” For Brendan Court students, the experience can be life-changing as well. After participating in the program as students, some have gone on to attend St. Mark’s. This year, one student in particular made an impression on the group.

“All the student-teachers encouraged him to apply to St. Mark’s,” Khasigwala said. “He is outgoing and enthusiastic but also focused, which makes him an excellent student and contributor.” Khasigwala hopes to see him again, either as a Marksman or a student in next year’s program.

12:45 pm

RISHI MOHAN ’21 is home from Harvard to answer the students’ pressing questions about the quality of college food (“not good, but there are restaurants”) and applications. The future chef asks about his preferred career path, and the class discusses the benefits of both culinary and business school.

1:05 pm

MATTHIAS CANON ’23 plays his bass guitar and Khasgiwala plays the cello for the group’s talent show. Ever the educator, Canon even works some music theory into his act. The students join in, sharing their skills in music and magic tricks. 1:50 pm

VIVEK PATEL ’24 walks the group through important safety measures in the Makerspace and answers their questions about building and programming robots. Later, the boys line up to use the sanding machine under Patel’s watchful eye.

3:00 pm

After the students are dismissed, teachers meet to reflect on their day and prepare for the next one.

For alumnus Jackson Cole ’16, teaching with the Brendan Court program paved the way for a career in education. He served as an English teacher in the program as an Upper Schooler in 2013 and 2014. After graduating from St. Mark’s, he earned his degree at Yale University before returning to Dallas with Teach for America.

“I wanted to return to Dallas, because Dallas is my community,” he said. “We are taught that our own well-being is tied to the well-being of the communities around us.” Faculty sponsors Dr. Katherine Anson and Jorge Correa say one of the most rewarding aspects of the program is seeing Marksmen grow as collaborative leaders.

“Community service starts with the idea of ‘I’m helping you’ and slowly but steadily becomes, ‘we work together to create opportunities and find solutions to our challenges,” Correa said.