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Austin N.B. ’27 and Upper School French Teacher Kevan Morshed P’37 were selected for this year’s Albert H. Small Normandy Institute, a George Washington University program that invites 15 high school student and teacher pairs from across the U.S. to learn about the D-Day Campaign of 1944.

During a semester-long online course with GW faculty, the student and faculty teams conduct research on a fallen soldier from their home state. Austin and Mr. Morshed chose Private Eugene Beauchene, Jr. from Olneyville, RI, who was killed in battle on Friday, June 23, 1944 and buried at the Normandy American Cemetery in Colleville-Sur-Mer, France.

Austin and Mr. Morshed worked with archival documents to learn about the life of Pvt. Beauchene, and they were even able to contact his 88-year-old daughter, Nancy Beauchene Heidman, who now lives in Wisconsin. “She helped us tremendously with our work,” Mr. Morshed says.

With that information in hand, Mr. Morshed and Austin are writing Pvt. Beauchene’s biography, which will be given to the American Battle Monuments Commission.

As part of the travel component of the program, this summer they went to Washington, D.C., where they visited historical and cultural sites, attended lectures from different scholars, and spent a day in the U.S. National Archives in College Park, Maryland where they examined documents from Pvt. Beauchene’s 4th Infantry Division in WWII.

Following their stay in DC, they went on to France and spent a week exploring the Normandy region and many of the sites related to the Normandy Invasion. They walked on Omaha and Utah Beaches, explored German Atlantic Wall fortifications, and saw other battle sites and cemeteries.

Perhaps most significantly, Austin presented a paper on the Battle of Saint-Lô and gave a remembrance for Pvt. Beauchene in front of his gravesite in the Normandy American Cemetery. In addition to talking about his life and military service, Austin read a letter that Pvt. Beauchene wrote to Nancy, who was five at the time. He composed it only a few days before he died.

“It was an honor for us,” Mr. Morshed says. “The experience was moving and it changed the way we think about history.”

Wheeler recently welcomed some special visitors from Violet’s Village to Wheeler Farm. Violet’s Village is a local nonprofit that provides a free camp experience, for up to 20 students, that focuses on African history and culture, storytelling, creative expression, gardening, and community service.

During their day with us, the Violet’s Village campers toured the farm campus, went swimming in our new pool center, and enjoyed lunch on the Columbine Hill House deck. They also heard from student panelists Jyvon P. ’28, Marco W. ’28, Gabby L. ’29, and Nyla P. ’35, who shared their experiences as members of the Wheeler community.

“It was especially meaningful to have a couple of older students speaking with their peers, while the younger campers also had the opportunity to see and hear from students they could more easily identify with,” says Raffini, who is the founder and artistic director of Violet’s Village. The team mixed it up and made it work perfectly. In the end, our campers all got to hear the answer to the question they were asking: ‘What’s it like to go to school here?’ Overall, it was a great experience!”

“Building connections with local nonprofits like Violet’s Village creates opportunities for valuable exchange and allows students from across our community to learn about Wheeler,” notes Head of School Mark Anderson P’27.

“Many of the experiences that Violet’s Village offers to its campers align closely with values we embrace at Wheeler,” adds Assistant Director of Equity, Community, and Belonging Charlene Williams P’28. “It was wonderful to be able to create this opportunity alongside colleagues from across the school.”

@violets.village

This summer, Wheeler welcomed 22 middle school students from The Grace School to our campuses as part of a new partnership focused on learning, leadership, cultural affirmation, and community.

“The opportunity to create an enriching summer experience where students could explore their identities, build community, and take an active role in their learning made for a natural partnership between Wheeler and The Grace School,” says Director of Equity, Community, and Belonging Princess Bomba P’16, P’18.

“The Grace School Summer at Wheeler was designed with students’ voices at the table, not simply for them,” says Gerina Auguste, director of this summer’s inaugural Grace School at Wheeler Program. “From the moment they arrived, students were encouraged to share their voices, build connections, and participate in activities centered around outdoor exploration and community.” You can read the full story on our website by following the link in our bio! ✨