Covenant Preparatory School 8th Grader Goes to China

Recently, Covenant Prep 8th grader Michael Slappy was selected to be one of just four youth ambassadors from Hartford to join a powerful educational program taking place in Beijing, China. The school could not be more proud of Michael for being chosen and for representing the city of Hartford all the way across the world. Share below are is what Michael had to say about the life-changing experience.

“I’m forever grateful that I was given the opportunity to visit China! Through the influence of Ms. Cannavo and Ms. Clarissa, I was able to apply to the EmpowerED Alternatives Winter-Friendship camp in China. After obtaining our visas, we began Saturday classes where the Student Ambassadors would learn about Chinese culture and language. When the day came to board the plane, we were all excited.”

“First we traveled to London and explored, visiting places like the Big Ben tower. Secondly, we arrived in China for our days of sightseeing and we visited the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, and The Great Wall. The sights left us in awe, and we were welcomed by the locals. After days of adventure, the friendship camp began. The students were kind and humorous and made the lessons engaging and worthwhile.”

“The students were kind and humorous and made the lessons engaging and worthwhile. The counselors quickly became the Ambassadors best friends with their unique personalities. My favorite part of the trip was the karaoke on the day before the closing ceremony. Finally, the trip came to an end in Japan after visiting the skytree. I never thought Covenant would take me abroad, but they did and it was the time of my life!”

Meet the Keynote Speaker for the NMC National Conference: Sequoia Austin

We are proud to announce that Sequoia Austin will be our Keynote Speaker at the national conference this July in St. Louis! Sequoia Austin is an educational consultant and former school leader based in the Washington, DC area. With experience as a teacher, Director of Student Culture, and Assistant Principal, she has led instructional and cultural shifts in diverse school communities focused on equity, restorative practices, and sustainable leadership systems.

Sequoia earned her undergraduate degree in Neurobiology & Physiology and a Master’s in Education from the University of Maryland. Throughout her leadership roles, she supported schools in clarifying high-priority goals, strengthening implementation structures, and coaching educators toward more focused and aligned practice.

Today, Sequoia partners with school and district leaders to reduce initiative overload and bring clarity to complex work. Her approach bridges mindset, systems thinking, and practical implementation—helping leaders move from urgency-driven decision-making to intentional, sustainable progress.

A former Division I walk-on basketball player, she brings the discipline and resilience of high-performance environments into educational leadership spaces. Her speeches and sessions are known for their clarity, honesty, and actionable insight, equipping leaders with both perspective and next steps.

We hope you will join us in St. Louis to be inspired by her experience, energized by her spirit, and empowered to put into practice what you learn from the conference.

San Miguel Academy Rower Earns Gold at USRowing Indoor National Championships

On Saturday, February 7, San Miguel Academy eighth-grade oarsman Micah Fisher captured the gold medal in the middle school boys category at the USRowing Indoor National Championships. Fisher secured the national title with a personal-record time of 7:18, finishing more than six seconds ahead of the second-place competitor.

Micah’s victory marks the third consecutive year a San Miguel Academy oarsman has claimed a national championship title, following Jermain Stevens, who earned gold in both 2024 and 2025.

Father Mark Connell, Head of School and rowing coach at San Miguel Academy, commented, “I’m not surprised by yet another victory. Our athletes row hard six days a week and bring tremendous enthusiasm to every practice.”

San Miguel Academy’s Rowing Program is designed to expand educational opportunities for student-athletes and has played a significant role in helping graduates secure top-tier high school and college placements. The program is one of the largest middle school rowing programs in the nation and the largest minority middle school rowing program in the country.

Congratulations, Micah!