Holy Innocents' Student to Study Global Leadership, Ethics in Washington, D.C.

Ellie-Epperson-2015-16 Ellie Epperson ’17 will be one of only 24 students across the country to study at the School for Ethics and Global Leadership (SEGL) in Washington, D.C., this semester. Juniors from public and independent schools will tackle ethical thinking skills, leadership development, and international studies in a program designed to give students “the best possible opportunity to shape themselves into ethical leaders who create positive change in our world,” according to the SEGL website. Epperson is particularly interested in taking advantage of outside opportunities in the nation’s capital, focusing on current events, and learning more about education policy. “I’ve been a tutor and a nanny and I’ve been seeing a discrepancy between the education for kids at HIES and the kids I babysit for,” she explains. “I just started looking at the kids and realized how deep the educational inequality is. And it keeps growing because the poverty gap is increasing.” Epperson tutors at-risk children through Holy Innocents’ Change a Life Club (at Springs Mission), and volunteers with the Holy Innocents’ Horizons Program, helping students with subjects like math, reading, science, and global studies. This school year she was also paired with a Horizons seventh-grader who needed help in social studies. “Ellie meets with him every Tuesday to help him with his homework and explain any concepts he struggles with,” said Christine Brodnan, Horizons Program site director. “I have been very impressed with her ability to understand the educational opportunity gap and take action to make a difference through volunteering with Horizons.” Ellie plans to study political science in college and possibly go to law school or become involved with Teach for America. And she expects this semester’s SEGL program to push her to think outside the box and even challenge her beliefs. But HI’s Director of Global Studies Erik Vincent—who describes Epperson as a compassionate young woman who embodies the character of a global citizen—believes that Ellie’s semester at SEGL may do even more. “It promises to be transformative, both for her and our HIES community.”