For the Class of 2024, the countdown to Commencement brings meaningful programming, community service opportunities, and chances to deepen their bond as brothers.
The Ethics, Service, and Leadership Capstone Program allows seniors to choose from options that further the study of a particular academic interest or focus on service. Each program is organized and led by Landon faculty and staff.
In "American Government & Public Service,” students visited locations like the U.S. Capitol and the Supreme Court to deepen their understanding of the fundamentals of American government and cultivate an appreciation for public service.
“I thought it was a fabulous way to end my experience at Landon,” Theodore Dematatis ’24 said. I’ve been able to really find myself here and learn what my interests are, and one of those is politics. I got to experience all the different ways government functions.”
For "Art in the Public Realm - Socially Engaged Art,” students explored artwork in Washington, D.C., visited artists, and developed a public art project during a series of field trips.
“Art can take a ton of forms and it was cool to see that in person,” said Yanni Tiimob ’24. “It was a really good way to see how art brings people together and the different things that art means to people.”
For "The Black Experience in the DMV,” seniors explored a historical timeline through to the present day to develop a deeper understanding of the Black experience and Black history in the area. The group visited locations like The Frederick Douglass National Historic Site, The National Museum of African American History and Culture, The National Football League Players Association, and Howard University.
"This experience helped broaden our perspective and made us realize how much history we have here,” said Vincent Ingram ’24.
“We went to the NFLPA where we spoke to people from all walks of life. They gave us advice and life lessons to become better and succeed at the college level and just in general,” said Zach Cameron ’24.
During “Conservation/Environmental Science – Real World Applications,” students learned about agricultural and farm-to-table practices and met with experts from the Wetland Institute, Nature Conservancy, World Wildlife Fund and more.
The students who participated in the “Habitat for Humanity” program helped build homes in the Washington metropolitan area. Students learned about housing challenges facing American families and gained hands-on experience in construction.
For the “Museums of D.C.” program, field trips focused not just on tours of the museums, but also examined the role museums play in our society, how different museums present exhibits and collections, and the ways museums utilize their physical space.
In the Lower and Middle Schools, seniors in the “Youth/Peer Mentoring” program worked closely with faculty members to mentor students, help teach lessons, and coach during divisional athletics.
"I think I learned from them more than I taught them, and that was fun to experience,” said Nathan Furgeson ’24. “Both of my parents are teachers. They always come home telling me about how their job is different from being a student, so I wanted to see their end of things.”
For the “Senior English Bus Project,” boys were tasked with completing a small bus renovation which was started by students in a third trimester English course.
After the capstone programs, students moved into a new week with a “Things All Bears Should Know” theme. The topics and activities included lessons in financial literacy, learning how to change a tire, and building Adirondack chairs.
“This has been really rewarding,” said Kevin Miller ’24. “These are life skills that maybe we don’t appreciate as much as we should, but we all need to learn them. It’s a nice ending. I’m excited for these last couple of weeks with my brothers. It’s all coming together, and I’m really excited for it.”
