Eagles Soar

Every spring a new group of Capital City Eagles takes flight, but they maintain close ties to the nest – keeping up friendships with former classmates and drawing on Capital City teachers and staff for academic advice and support.

The Class of 2016 is case in point. "We have an active group chat. We talk every single day. It’s funny," says Milan, who graduated from Towson University last spring with a B.S. in Business Administration and is currently jobhunting for a position in Human Resources. "It’s been a cool way to keep up with everyone." Rattling off the names of several classmates she adds, "I think we’ll be friends for life."

In addition to staying connected virtually, there are regular meet ups during the holidays, one mom used to send cookies to everyone ahead of exams, and there are currently plans in the works for a socially distanced outdoor gathering. 

Class of 2016

Daliza, another alum from the Class of 2016, also stays connected through the group chat. "We reminisce about Capital City. How everyone stayed after school to hang out and get ahead in their schoolwork. We talk about college. Many of us left town so it’s nice to have story time about our experiences in different states." Daliza graduated from George Washington University last spring and is getting a graduate degree in Anatomical and Translational Sciences before applying to medical school next year. "I feel like Capital City really honed us on writing. Professors give us an essay and it’s an ease. Our classmates usually have a harder time," she adds.

"Capital City overall was a really good experience," Milan says. "I think about senior expedition and how it prepared me for college." When a professor assigned a 20-page paper freshman year, Milan was ready. "Senior expedition gave me more confidence and presentation skills." Expeditionary learning was invaluable to Milan. "When I got to college, I was able to look at different ways I could absorb information not just in the classroom."

Milan at Towson University

Carlos, Class of 2016, graduated from the University of the District of Columbia with a B.S. in Architecture and now works as a virtual design and construction engineer for Whiting-Turner in Washington, D.C. He’s slated to be the first speaker of the fall for the Career Lunch and Learn series in the High School, where professionals talk about their work and offer career advice to students. (Interested in giving a career talk to students? Contact Leila Corcoran, Capital City Internship Coordinator.)

Carlos Campos

"Everyone thanks Capital City for their writing and public speaking skills. As an architecture student, I had to present every week or two. I would prepare beforehand but was also able to improvise and take criticism well. Those four years of high school at Capital City, especially senior expedition, gets you over your nervousness about speaking in front of people and explaining your work."

His senior expedition paved his professional path. "Researching and writing about gentrification in the city, got me interested in architecture, what you could do with an existing building. It’s interesting architecturally, but the effect it has isn’t great." Carlos loves how the thriving network of Capital City alumni help each other find jobs. "When you’re all very good friends, everyone sets each other up," he explains.

That kind of caring is also reflected in the way teachers and students stay in touch long after their time in the classroom has passed.

When Capital City graduates have questions about science, High School Anatomy teacher Binni Chadda is the go-to. "I’ve heard from Kiara (Class of 2019) and Shanyce ( Class of 2020) and most recently, Jennifer (Class of 2020) Facetimed to ask about a virtual slide on tissues she examining," says Ms. Chadda. "Students tell me that the content they learned in Anatomy class plus the interactive notebook I had them keep helps them with college Biology and Anatomy."

Just last week, High School Dance Instructor Tyra Jackson sent dance videos to Makai (Class of 2020) after he got in touch with her to say how much he missed dance.

Throughout the fall, Ben Williams, 12th grade History teacher, has been helping Jessica (Class of 2020) navigate bureaucratic hurdles in order to register to vote in Tennessee where she’s a Posse Scholar attending Sewanee, the University of the South. They’ve scheduled a time to talk over the local candidates, so Jessica knows who’s on the ballot when she walks into the voting booth.

"I asked Mr. Williams because I had learned a lot in his class my senior year about voting and was able to register in D.C. through him, so I figured he would help me register in Tennessee," explains Jessica.

Jessica registering to vote
Mr. Williams voting

"I was honored and happy that a former student would think of me and reach out when she had questions," says Williams. "I want my students to be active and engaged in the political process and empowered to vote. I tell them all the time, ’Democracy is not a spectator sport. You have to be in the game and participate to make a difference.’"

Jessica has been encouraging her friends to vote. "This is my first time voting. I think it’s important to vote because it’s a chance for people to select a representative who will address issues that are important to individuals and communities. Capital City helped shape my perspective through the way we learned, such as Socratic seminars and debates. Although I might not agree with a side, the learning style taught me to see the arguments on both ends."