Living Out Our Mission

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Last week I had the pleasure of attending the final Upper School announcements for our graduating seniors. It was a bittersweet gathering - full of laughter, even more tears, and a sincere and shared sense of gratitude for our school and for each other.

As the Director of Enrollment, I help articulate the story of Episcopal to prospective families. Through stories of our students and faculty, I attempt to highlight each pillar of the mission in an effort to paint a picture of “life at Episcopal.” Often, I lean on students and faculty themselves to share their own personal experiences. With each new story told, I grow more and more proud to be part of this community. This could not be more true of my experience during Upper School announcements.

In his closing address to his peers, Eli Haymon, our Student Council President, reflected on the ways in which he and his classmates lived out the Episcopal mission each day. An excerpt of Eli's speech is below. I hope you will enjoy it as much as I did.

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A Year in Reflection

Eli Haymon, Student Council President

"Ever since I was a freshman, I knew I wanted to be president. I remember watching Charles Cooper from all the way up in the back row with the rest of Mrs. Sofranko’s advisory and telling myself “I want to be up there one day, making stuff happen.”

And now, a year after that dream had finally been realized, I cannot imagine a better group of people to have the privilege of leading.

This past week I've been reflecting on the last nine months, and I just want to say how proud I am of us and how far we've come in this short time together.

I'll quote the Episcopal mission statement - “Episcopal nurtures and develops the whole child -- spiritually, intellectually, morally, physically and artistically…”

Looking out at all of you now, I see a room full of remarkable individuals who are testimonies of that mission. We have some truly outstanding characters among us who will change the world one day soon.

And though our individuality makes us strong, I think one of the defining characteristics of this place, and the one thing that makes me proudest to be a Knight, is the community that we strive to build here each and every day. 

This year I have seen what a group of people can do when its members share an unconditional love for each other.

When we have 200 strong driving to New Orleans on a Tuesday night for a soccer game- that's community. When we spend a whole day listening to and interacting with our thesis students, sharing new ideas with each other- that's community. When we drop everything we’re doing to go rip out a stranger’s floorboards because they had four feet of water and hadn't slept in three days- that's a community that I want to be a part of." -  Eli Haymon

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What Eli captured, for me, is the essence of “life at Episcopal.” Our students wholeheartedly embrace and challenge one another. They engage in research through programs like project based learning in PreK-4 and Honors Thesis in Upper School. They help lead Chapel through our Student Vestry and they seek opportunities to serve their community. They work alongside their peers on our courts and fields and they take center stage in musical and dance performances. Each aspect of our mission is important, and our students are the stories that bring the Episcopal mission to life. Yes, this is a community I want to be part of.

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Amanda Grace

Amanda joined the Episcopal team in 2014 as the Director of Enrollment. Prior to relocating back home to Baton Rouge, she served as Director of Admission at St. Mark’s Episcopal School in Houston, Texas. Amanda earned a BA in Mass Communication from LSU where she later spent five years working to support the University’s scholarship and recruitment efforts. As the Director of Enrollment, Amanda leads all facets of enrollment management including prospective family communication, admission and retention efforts.

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