Lessons Learned In and Beyond the Classroom

Not so very long ago, Catharine Bellinger '08 was a self-described young woman in a hurry, eager to pack as much learning into every NCS day as she possibly could, if not a little more.

So when she discovered that the NCS curriculum offered the opportunity, through an program called Independent Studies, to take that pursuit beyond the Close and into a public charter school in Ward 8, where she could learn firsthand what it takes to teach, Bellinger leapt at the opportunity.

"I'm incredibly grateful to NCS because ... when they could have said no, ultimately my NCS teachers saw the passion that I had for education, and they said yes," Bellinger told an assembly of Upper School students Thursday at Hearst Auditorium.

Looking "beyond the four walls of the classroom" changed her life, she said, and she continued to follow that vision after graduating from NCS and while attending Princeton University. Today, Bellinger directs the Washington branch of Democrats for Education Reform, an organization that advocates for improved public schools and giving parents greater access to school choice. She previously co-founded Students for Education Reform, which organizes collegians to push for changes to higher education. Forbes magazine has twice recognized her in its annual "30 under 30" lists of the world's most promising young adults.

"You all are learning so much in the classroom, and there are teachers here today who inspired me to want to work in education, to want every single school in America to have teachers like we have here at NCS," Bellinger said.

In her brief address, she encouraged the students to look beyond the classroom for their education -- "Try lots of things. That's one nice thing about NCS: You can try lots of things, and they give you the opportunity to be well-rounded" -- and she advised them to build a network of mentors, including by calling upon older NCS alumnae in a field of interest: "Identify the people whose careers you admire, reach out to them, and keep in touch."

"It's totally okay to ask someone for advice, even if you don't know what you want to do" career-wise, Bellinger said, adding that one question she has found helpful is, "Can you tell me about the decisions you made in your career?"

By following up with those whose insights you have sought, "those people become invested in your career. As you keep in touch with these people, they will ultimately accelerate your career or the social issues you care about."

To explain how she came to this view, she pulled from her own experience: As Bellinger considered internship possibilities after her sophomore year of college, a confidante advised, "Work for a person; don't work for a company. Work for someone you can see yourself being in 10 or 15 years." This encouraged Bellinger to seek out Jon Schnur, an influential figure in education policy circles, who hired her as an intern and then introduced her to other allies.

"Through the network of mentors that I developed, [SFER] had people supporting our work and introducing us to potential board members," she said. "What I realized through founding SFER is connecting to people who you can see yourself being in 10 or 15 years is how you can actually create your career vision. It's also a way to create social change."