1. The Perfect Match

The Perfect Match Washington and Lee students connect with local schools through the Burish Program.

By Kelsey Goodwin
December 4, 2025

"It's one thing to study education policy in class, but it's another to see how it plays out in real life."

~ Audrey Foss '28

When Nona David '26 steps into a local elementary school, she isn't just a volunteer. She and her fellow Burish interns are a part of a 15-year tradition that links Washington and Lee University students with public schools throughout Rockbridge County.

"I always describe it as being a liaison between school administrators and student volunteers," said David, who serves as one of two head interns for the Burish Program, alongside Mackenzie Morante '27. "We're kind of a middle ground in helping the schools identify their needs, helping students find placements that match their skills and interests and making sure that everyone feels supported."

That spirit of connection has defined the Burish Program since its founding. Established through a gift from former W&L President Thomas Burish and his wife, Pamela, a longtime educator, the program funds student internships that support local schools. What began with one student volunteering at Maury River Middle School has evolved into a robust, student-run network with placements across the county.

The Burish Program's early years were informal. Before the creation of W&L's Education Studies Department, students interested in teaching completed coursework through Mary Baldwin College. Pam Burish helped facilitate connections with local schools. When the Burishes left Lexington upon President Burish's retirement, they endowed a fund to sustain student involvement in education.

"Initially, one student was volunteering so much that the school asked her to start recruiting friends," explains Haley Sigler, director of teacher education and faculty adviser to the program. "That evolved into a small stipend position. We realized it needed a name, a structure and a system for recruiting and training students. Once we created an application process and called it the Burish Program, it really took off."

Today, each Burish intern is assigned to a specific school and acts as a volunteer coordinator, bridging communication between teachers, administrators and W&L students interested in volunteering for projects designated as priorities for each school. The program operates under the Department of Education Studies but welcomes participants from every major. Students may apply through the federal work-study program or enroll for one academic credit in the Burish Service Internship, which combines fieldwork with guided reflection on education and community engagement.

"Now we have 12 interns, and each year they identify the next cohort of leaders," Sigler says. "It's a true cycle of mentorship."

Head interns like David and Morante recruit and interview new interns, organize volunteer fairs and troubleshoot logistical challenges from transportation barriers to volunteer scheduling. Sigler says it is an opportunity for leadership development for students regardless of their intended career path.

"It really is student-run," says Sigler. "Our faculty of two could never manage it without the student leaders. They're the ones communicating directly with principals, identifying needs and matching volunteers."

That autonomy, she notes, is intentional.

"We want our students to learn how to navigate real systems," she says, "to reach out to administrators, to design programs that meet a need and to assess what's working and what isn't. Those are powerful professional skills."

Morante, a physics major and Russian language and culture minor, says her background outside of education brings new dimensions to the work.

"You don't have to be an education minor to participate," she says. "That's what's so great about Burish. It's about community engagement, not just teaching. We have interns studying everything from politics to chemistry to languages."

Both David and Morante emphasize that the most successful interns are those who take initiative.

"You have to do a needs assessment," David says. "The best interns are the ones who notice what's missing and offer to help."

For Carmen Marley '26, a chemistry major from Lincoln, Nebraska, Burish offered a way to give back to public education while gaining perspective on how schools operate in different contexts.

"I'm a big believer in public education," she says. "I went to a large public school where funding was evenly distributed across the city. Coming here and seeing the disparities between schools in the same county has been eye-opening. Programs like Burish help address those gaps in small but meaningful ways."

Interns spend an average of three hours a week at their schools, assisting with both classroom and afterschool needs. Marley, who is currently volunteering at Fairfield Elementary School and served as an intern at Mountain View Elementary School last year, says her experiences have underscored the importance of being a consistent, compassionate presence.

"I ran a lunch buddies program where we'd just sit with kids who needed a little extra support," she says. "Some of them had parents who were incarcerated or living with grandparents. It showed me how much stability matters in a child's life."

Audrey Foss '28, who coordinates volunteers at Lylburn Downing Middle School, said her time in the Homework Help program has reshaped her understanding of education policy. She plans to major in politics and minor in education policy as well as Law, Justice and Society.

"I care a lot about quality education and civics education," says Foss, who plans to pursue law school and a master's in public policy. "Being in the schools has given me a firsthand look at how factors like funding, location and family background shape opportunity. It's one thing to study education policy in class, but it's another to see how it plays out in real life."

Lylburn Downing's principal, Abbott Keesee, says the school benefits from having college students who assist with homework after school.

"They're very willing to jump in and help, and I know they are getting a taste of what it's like to work with this age group," Keesee says.

Gareth Minson '20, a former Burish intern who later earned a master's degree in public policy and management from Carnegie Mellon University, recently returned to campus to talk with students in one of Sigler's classes and says his Burish experience helped define his career path.

"I met incredible kids and teachers," he says, "but I also learned what it means to design programs that actually work. It's one thing to write policy on paper; it's another to understand how those policies affect real people."

Minson's undergraduate fieldwork in Rockbridge County inspired him to explore the intersection of data analytics and social impact. His graduate capstone project was an AI integration plan for DC Central Kitchen. He says the plan was built on lessons first learned through Burish.

"It's insane to write policy without knowing who you're talking about," he says. "Programs like this teach you to listen first."

David and Morante have enjoyed their time as co-chairs this year, citing Burish's culture of mentorship and support as a perfect backdrop for one another's skill set.

"Nona is amazing at knowing who needs help and how to solve problems quickly," says Morante. "She's organized, compassionate and makes sure nothing falls through the cracks."

David, in turn, says working alongside Morante has been energizing.

"She's so creative and collaborative," she says. "It's been wonderful to see how different perspectives strengthen the program."

Burish's success has depended as much on community relationships as on student enthusiasm. Local principals and teachers rely on the program's continuity and professionalism. The schools, in turn, offer W&L students an invaluable space to connect theory and practice.

"Through Burish, our students meet the people their policies might someday serve," Sigler says. "Whether they become teachers, policymakers or pediatricians, that empathy carries forward."

For David, an English and German double major with a minor in education studies who will begin student teaching this winter, the program's impact feels deeply personal.

"I've built lasting relationships with local teachers who've mentored me," she says. "One of them will be my cooperating teacher when I student-teach. That connection started with Burish."

As for the future, both David and Morante hope the program continues to expand the depth of its engagement with the community.

"It's not about clocking hours," says David. "It's about showing up, listening and being part of something bigger than yourself."