Alumni
“Coach Mo” Plaines Inspires with Nonprofit Work
Earlier this month, the McCain-Ravenel Center for Intellectual and Moral Courage (MRC) hosted Episcopal’s own Maurice Plaines for a talk on his work as the director of scholars advancement at Emerging Scholars. The talk was a part of the MRC’s Accelerator Program, which strives to galvanize the entrepreneurial passions of students by connecting them with innovators in the DC metropolitan area.
During the conversation with Plaines, affectionately known as “Coach Mo” to the community, students considered how to use their interests to power and sustain healthy communities. They also got a sense of the special mix of personal stories, volunteer hours, in-kind contributions, and monetary donations that it takes to bring the work of a non-profit to life. Plaines closed with the idea that individual success is not in opposition to the work of nonprofits. Indeed, nonprofits often benefit from the philanthropic participation of its supporters.
Attendees also learned that Episcopal is a founding member of the consortium that brought Emerging Scholars to life 22 years ago. In addition to institutional support, Episcopal encourages its students to participate as tutors on Saturdays. Some students choose to spend their Senior Externships with the nonprofit, and some return to campus in the summer to work as counselors for the program.
In the words of Director of Externships Norman Kim-Senior, “it was indeed an honor for the MRC Accelerator to shine a light on this deep and growing partnership with Emerging Scholars. Coach Mo provides a great model of what it means to be a community leader who commits to the patient work of building strong communities while helping the next generation to secure the future that they want to see.”
Learn more about Emerging Scholars here.
