Devon Prep Students Spend Summer Learning About Government, and Serving Others

Oct. 15, 2011 - PRLog -- Summer may be filled with “lazy, hazy days” for many students, but several area Devon Prep students were anything but lazy this summer.  Ten students spent time doing community service in Kentucky, one senior served as a Page in the US House of Representatives in Washington DC,  and another senior spent the summer attending leadership seminars at military academies, the Boys State program in PA and ultimately Boys Nation in Washington DC., where he met President Obama.

One Devon Prep middle school student and nine upper school students travelled to Floyd County in Eastern Kentucky, one of the poorest areas in the US. There they assisted Fr. Bob Damron, pastor of St. Martha's Parish, with painting, power-washing, carpentry, cleaning, clerical work, delivery of goods for the needy, and meal preparation. They also visited the Piarist School to help prepare for the upcoming school year by delivering school supplies, moving furniture, and cleaning. The Piarist School provides a quality education, tuition free, to just over 100 students within one of the poorest regions of the country.

According to Chaperone and Devon Prep Religion Teacher Mr. Joe Lewis the trip was well worth the long ride to Kentucky. “I could not be more proud of our students in how hard they worked and how well they conducted themselves throughout the week,” he said. “The week included a nice blend of hard work, prayer and worship, and some fun and relaxation. They were a tremendous group - hard-working, co-operative, polite, and so anxious to be of help to so many people!”

The students included: Recent Graduate Clement Stormes of Strafford, Seniors Matthew Swatski of Narberth, Daniel Lewis of Downingtown and Nicholas Ragsdale of Collegeville, Juniors Christopher Clayton of Phoenixville, Timothy Crowe of West Chester, and Cole Hassett of Devon, Freshman Daniel Crowe of West Chester, and Seventh Grader Connor Ryan of West Chester

For Senior Ryan Fulmer of Broomall the summer included not just hard work, but some exciting opportunities as well. Fulmer began his vacation attending the Summer Leaders Seminar (SLS) at the US Military Academy, in West Point, NY, a week-long program designed to showcase cadet life. Through a combination of physical fitness, classroom instruction, and camaraderie, West Point’s SLS brought a collection of teenagers together into a cohesive family. Next he traveled to the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD for their Summer Leaders Seminar where he rode patrol boats, trained with an Ex-Navy Seal, witnessed Mach 4 winds in a wind tunnel and more.
According to Fulmer, “Both SLS camps afforded great experiences for anyone interested in a military career and eye-openers to those who want to serve their country in uniform someday.”

After spending a week working at Boys Scout Camp at Resica Falls Scouting Reservation in East Stroudsburg, PA he was off to participate in Boys State at Shippensburg University.  Boys State is a week-long program conducted by the American Legion where seniors are split into different “cities” and govern themselves politically, socially, and legally. Every attendee is either elected or appointed to a position and participates fully in the creation of a functioning government.  Fulmer was elected to be the Mayor of his city which won Honor City for the week. At the end of the week he was selected to represent Pennsylvania as a Senator at Boys Nation in Washington, DC.

At Boys Nation two students from each state except Hawaii are educated on the structure and function of federal government. Acting as senators they caucus at the start of the session, then form committees and conduct hearings on bills submitted by program delegates. The week included lectures, forums, & visits to federal agencies, institutions, & memorials, meetings with elected officials from their home states, and the opportunity to meet President Obama.

“I was astounded at how knowledgeable each Senator was in every imaginable field,” Fulmer said. “At one point in the conference, I realized that I was discussing quantum physics and its impact on the relation of time and position in space. I shouldn’t have been surprised, however; each minute of our day was filled with Senators eagerly discussing the problems in our world (and outside our world) and their solutions,” he explained.  “From health care to the deficit to global health, Boys Nation restored my confidence in our generation’s future decisions."

Finally, Senior Joseph Geiger of Malvern spent six weeks in Washington, D.C., serving as a Page in the US House of Representatives. He was sponsored by Pennsylvania Congressman Patrick Meehan. This summer about 70 high school students from around the US were hired as Pages, serving as support staff for the U.S. House of Representatives. They lived in the House Page Residence Hall and attended classes in addition to their work duties.

“Living with students from around the country was a good cultural experience,” Geiger explained. “My roommates were from Utah and California. It was interesting learning about them and what it’s like where they live.”

Although serving as a Page took up half his summer, Geiger feels it was well worth it. “It was an amazing experience,” he said. “I was able to see first-hand how our government works, and how bills are passed. I was there during the debt crisis and when Gabrielle Gifford returned to the House. It was all very exciting.”

Devon Prep is a private, Catholic, college preparatory school for young men in grades six through 12 conducted by the Piarist Fathers. Nearly 300 young men attend Devon Prep which is located on a 20 acre campus on North Valley Forge Road in Devon, Chester County. For more information call 610-688-7337,  visit www.devonprep.com or facebook.com/devonprep.