Academics
McCain-Ravenel Center
Externships
A Good Day at the Office for EHS Seniors
Nearly every day in May, EHS seniors woke up and went to the office. Truth be told, they gathered in office space created in Stewart Student Center, or what became known as @stewwork. But they did what professionals nationwide routinely do — log in to computers; take Zoom calls with colleagues, supervisors, and clients; and tackle projects, reports, and spreadsheets. Though there was no water cooler for bull sessions, the seniors enjoyed a high-end version of a traditional office perk: cold-brew coffee and kombucha.
This graduating class was the second to complete the traditional Episcopal capstone externship during the pandemic, and while most worked remotely from Stewart, EHS found key advantages to the virtual experience. When Washington industries didn’t match their career interests, they landed positions beyond the Beltway and around the globe. Also, the expanded program attracted new support from alumni, parents, and past parents who work outside the D.C. area and couldn’t have partnered with the School during the in-person program of years’ past. Finally, students used the flexibility of remote externships to round out their May program with online classes, the School’s Launch entrepreneurship course, or even additional externships.
Overall, the program offered more robust real-world learning for seniors than it did in 2020, when the corporate, government, and nonprofit worlds struggled to identify their pandemic routines. This year, companies simply added externs to the ranks of other employees who had been working from home the past year. “Hosts were set up better virtually,” says Stefanie Smith, externship coordinator for the School’s McCain-Ravenel Center for Intellectual and Moral Courage. “Students generally engaged in more substantial long-term projects and full-time experiences. There were more opportunities for consistent supervisor interaction this year and chances to shadow hosts and experience the workings of virtual office spaces."
The office space of @stewwork also brought the group together daily — a unity not found in other years when students were scattered in workspaces across the D.C. area. “It gave everyone a real sense of community,” Smith says. McCain-Ravenel Center staff members were able to mentor the students daily, and students talked with each other about their work. “They shared success and supported each other through frustrations.”
From Politics and Engineering to Medicine and Nonprofits
As typical for an externship, many students worked in the political, legal, and policy fields that are Washington’s anchor; nine secured positions in politics and government, seven worked for law firms, and three shadowed D.C. Superior Court judges. More than 15 joined nonprofits. But seniors also found positions with businesses and organizations that have national and international footprints — ESPN, Fidelity, Raymond James, Brooks Brothers.
Four students — Maria Claborne, Flynn Donnelly, Samantha Funkhouser, and Chris Kim — did research for public health consultant Ned Burns ’07, who is based in London. They had a daily morning call with Burns and interacted with medical professionals on their research. Three students joined different divisions of Fluke Corp., an engineering firm near Seattle.
Here are a few examples of the externships and the work.
- Jackson Bauer, a budding sports broadcaster, worked for ESPN director Aladdin Freeman ’94 and got an inside view on how Freeman and his team put together boxing and lacrosse telecasts. “I didn’t realize how much broadcasters have to prepare,” Jackson said. “I thought they simply arrived at an event and were handed a lot of research.”
- Hadley Foulk juggled three externships, working at Ogilvy Government Relations with Chris Giblin ’86; Bridging Legacies Across Campuses, a new venture by Jonathan Lee ’01 to support and connect students of color at predominantly white high schools; and the Ekstrand & Ekstrand law firm. “All three experiences forced me to be very proactive and organized,” she said. “It would have been impossible to juggle three externships if I had not been communicative and kept an agenda; I set phone reminders for everything!”
- Arianna Otoo worked at Fluke Corp. along with Lucy Dixon and Dante Jackson. She developed code for the backend of a website tool in development for the company’s calibration and marketing department. “It was good preparation for the corporate world, since there wasn't much hand-holding,” she said.
- Regan Simmons and Tabitha Cahan shadowed doctors at Children’s National Hospital who specialize in neurogenetics and care for young children with such neurological diseases as autism caused by mitochondrial disease. After weeks of watching the doctors interact with patients, Regan recommitted to her premed plans for college. Tabitha? “I decided medicine is not for me,” she said.
- Gigi Friedman, Quinn Schroeder, and Marco Uustal worked for judges on the D.C. Superior Court. “I was incredibly moved by the real effect the judges had on the lives of those who come in front of them in need of help,” Marco said. “We saw people who were placed in impossible situations, and then saw how impactful it was for them to have empathetic judges who gave them legal advice and opportunity to voice their opinions.”
- Several students worked with individual artists and writers. Rachel Marsh did research for Mary Kate Cary, a former speechwriter for President George H.W. Bush. Amy John-Terry helped her cousin Ama Lou, a singer, songwriter, and producer, plan videos, photo shoots, and promotions.
- Johnny Barrett, Stern Cohen, Jack Hines, and Harrison Wise married academic learning with a real-world business opportunity. Each morning, they took a Yale online financial markets course, then spent the afternoon developing a business plan for Tee Times 30, a start-up subscription service company that would provide average golfers with accessories and gear. “We came together and learned many things about the struggles of starting a company.”
THANK YOU...
We are grateful to these alumni and parents for hosting members of the Class of 2021 as externship hosts.
CeCe Barfield ’03
Tyler Brown ’99
Bruce Caslow P’21
Maizie Clarke Kincheloe ’04
Caulley Deringer ’82 P’23
Philip Dudley ’91 P’21 ’22
David Fenstermaker ’08
Grace Fenstermaker ’08
Aladdin Freeman ’94
Chris Giblin ’86 P’16 ’19 ’22
J.J. Johnson P’21 ’22
Jonathan Lee ’01
Jeff MacKinnon P’21
Carl Morris ’99
Carolyn Peacock P’21 ’22
Allison Priebe ’94 P’21
Colman Riddell ’23
Lisa Sokol P’19 ’21
Wiley Wasden III P’09 ’12 ’18
Beth Wilkinson P’21
Tabb Wyllie P’05
We are grateful to these alumni and parents for hosting members of the Class of 2021 as externship hosts.
CeCe Barfield ’03
Tyler Brown ’99
Bruce Caslow P’21
Maizie Clarke Kincheloe ’04
Caulley Deringer ’82 P’23
Philip Dudley ’91 P’21 ’22
David Fenstermaker ’08
Grace Fenstermaker ’08
Aladdin Freeman ’94
Chris Giblin ’86 P’16 ’19 ’22
J.J. Johnson P’21 ’22
Jonathan Lee ’01
Jeff MacKinnon P’21
Carl Morris ’99
Carolyn Peacock P’21 ’22
Allison Priebe ’94 P’21
Colman Riddell ’23
Lisa Sokol P’19 ’21
Wiley Wasden III P’09 ’12 ’18
Beth Wilkinson P’21
Tabb Wyllie P’05
