In early February, Westridge Upper School students along with Director of Equity Ian Tatum and Dean of Student Voices Julia Davis attended this year's National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) Student Civic Leadership Summit in Washington, D.C. During this summit, created as a partnership between NAIS and the nonprofit Close Up Foundation, high school students interested in civic action and community engagement came together to share knowledge and strategies, reflect on their individual and collective responsibilities, and hone leadership skills to make a positive impact. Per Close Up, students identified best practices in community engagement, and developed vision statements to make a difference in their own communities.

"Our students distinguished themselves through their thoughtful engagement and their collaborative work on vision statements to tackle poverty in Los Angeles," said Tatum. "It was impressive to watch them confidently present their well-researched strategies to educators and administrators, demonstrating both their growing leadership capabilities and their deep commitment to civic engagement."

For Isabella Y. '28, one of the biggest takeaways from the conference was hearing different perspectives on nationwide issues. Students had the opportunity to visit Georgetown University, where they attended seminars and heard from experts and nonprofit leaders—and got to ask them questions. "Seeing how many people cared about issues that are so important to me and hearing everyone's takes on them," per Isabella, was eye-opening and provided invaluable learning for the Westridge group.