School Welcomes College Presidents

On Wednesday, January 30, Dr. Edward L. Ayers spoke at an Upper School Assembly. Dr. Ayers is the President of the University of Richmond and former Dean of the College and Graduate School of Arts and Sciences at the University of Virginia.  He is a renowned historian, winner of the prestigious Beveridge Award and Bancroft Prize, and host of a syndicated radio program on American history.  Dr. Ayers previously received a presidential appointment to the National Council on the Humanities and he currently serves on the board for the American Council of Education.  Using digital resources that he has developed, Digital Scholarship Lab, Dr. Ayers deeply engaged the boys through his nuanced and complex explanation regarding the cause of the end of American slavery, and he offered insightful responses to students’ thoughtful questions.   
 
On Tuesday, February 5, Dr. Chris Howard, President of Hampden-Sydney College, spoke to the Upper School at assembly.  A distinguished graduate of the Air Force Academy, Dr. Howard received the Campbell Trophy, given to the nation’s premier football scholar-athlete by the National Football Foundation.  (This award was won in 2010 by St. Mark’s graduate Sam Acho.)  Dr. Howard also was awarded a Rhodes Scholarship, and served in the Air Force in Afghanistan.  In 2003, Dr. Howard both earned his MBA from Harvard Business School and was awarded a Bronze Star for his service in the United States Air Force.
 
Dr. Howard's talk centered on the 5 Be's:
• Be yourself.
• Be humble.
• Be accountable.
• Be courageous.
• Be the change in the world you want to see.
 
Backing up each "Be" with a personal story from his own life, Dr. Howard recalled his time in high school, playing football at the US Air Force Academy, and his distinguished military service, as well as from his experiences in major corporations and higher education.