On April 13 the Mount Madonna School (MMS) junior class, along with chaperones Shannon Kelly, Greg Shirley, Chelsea Otterness, and Jessica Vargas will travel to Washington, D.C. The week will be filled with tours and interviews with an array of individuals such as Journalist Ray Suarez, activist and writer Charlotte Clymer, and activist, political strategist, and founder of Active Peace Yoga, Reggie Hubbard. You can find a full list of individuals we will be speaking with on our blog.
The Government in Action program was started in 1989 by Sadanand Ward Mailliard. Over the years, Mount Madonna School students have been fortunate to meet and interview some of our nation’s finest public servants. The Washington, D.C. learning journey is an integral part of the “Values in World Thought” program at Mount Madonna School. This unique trip to Washington, D.C. provides MMS juniors with a direct personal experience of those who devote their lives to public service.
In a time of division, the Government in Action program provides our students the opportunity to actively listen with open minds and hearts. It is our belief that we can positively impact the world by engaging in conversations of meaning, being curious, and being open to learning from people with different perspectives and lived experiences.
Thanks to an introduction through MMS alum, Grace Timan, who is currently studying journalism at UCLA, we were able to interview former New York Times journalist and current UCLA professor of journalism, John M Broder. On April 8, we interviewed him via Zoom as part of our trip preparation. He offered valuable insights and advice on how to approach our interviews in D.C.
Here are some student reflections on the interview and upcoming learning journey.
This might seem obvious, but my biggest takeaway from the interview was how much I can learn from the people we are interviewing. John Broder had a much more comprehensive and insightful view of what’s currently happening in Washington, D.C. than I do. I was especially struck by how when someone is especially knowledgeable about a topic, they can apply logic and critical thinking to how they understand and react to government actions. I hope to gain enough knowledge from this trip to feel more confident in how I discuss and understand politics during these particularly unusual and unstable times. It feels like the atmosphere in D.C. is different from home—almost as if change is in the air and can literally be felt. It seems like everyone is in Washington, D.C. for a purpose. I hope to experience that same sense of purpose while there.-Lucy Yen
While preparing for this trip, my main goal has been trying to open myself up to other people’s ideas and opinions. Through my preparation, I have gained an understanding of how much has to be done to bring change in a country as large as the United States. The interview with John Broder gave me a better understanding of the different roles in government and how important they can be even if they are not the ones that are directly in power. Another thing I learned from the John Broder interview is how people like him are much more human than you think. When we started the interview, I was a little nervous and was thinking about how he might be different from other people I have talked to. However, he was just an individual who wanted to speak with us and teach us about the world. I have also found out that people who we see as important, and who are in positions of power, aren’t that different from the average person. If you take the time to research and speak with people, you will find that there are many people doing a lot of good in this country. -Nikowa D’Costa-Hemp
The MMS students will chronicle their experiences in Washington, D.C. on their student blog. We hope that you will follow along with them on this exciting journey.
https://values.mountmadonnaschool.org/category/blogs/dc2025/
