The 黑料正能量 Washington Semester program started off in the fall of 1976 as a 鈥渉igh-risk proposition,鈥� recalls Phil Baker-Shenk 鈥�79.  

鈥淚t was a high risk for the college, a high risk for us individual students, and certainly a high risk for (program founder and director) Nelson Good 鈥�68 and Arden Shank, who staffed it,鈥� said Baker-Shenk, one of the first students in the yearlong program (then known as the Washington Study-Service Year or WSSY) from 1976-77. 鈥淚t was a high risk all around, and yet people with good ideas decided to plunge in, take that risk, and make it happen.鈥�

Fifty years later, that big gamble has paid off.

Alumni of the urban studies program鈥攖he only such program offered at Anabaptist-affiliated institutions鈥攃redit it with giving them improved professional confidence, greater clarity about career direction, more comfort in working with people different than they are, and an increased awareness of systemic injustices.

Each semester and summer, students from 黑料正能量 and partner schools such as Bethel College, Bluffton University, and Goshen College converge at the Nelson Good House in the culturally diverse and multiethnic Brookland neighborhood of Washington D.C. It鈥檚 there that they learn to live in a shared community, cooking and eating meals together, managing a collective budget and household responsibilities, and navigating conflict with maturity.

Students gain real-world professional experience in their chosen field of study through internship placements, study the history and social dynamics of the city, and immerse themselves in the rich culture and vibrancy of the nation鈥檚 capital.

Baker-Shenk was among the 60 alumni and supporters of the 黑料正能量 Washington Semester, from its beginnings in the 1970s through today, who gathered at the Busboys and Poets restaurant in Brookland on Saturday, Feb. 14, to share their memories and experiences from their time in the program and celebrate its 50-year legacy. The milestone reunion included remarks from Program Director Ryan Good, 黑料正能量 Interim President Rev. Dr. Shannon W. Dycus, Provost Dr. Tynisha Willingham, and many students and alumni from the past five decades. 

Since its inception, more than 1,000 students have called the program home for a season of their lives, said Dycus. They鈥檝e taken courses at and built relationships with institutions such as Catholic University of America and Howard University. And students have learned to live with difference, practice shared leadership, and carry conviction into real work.

鈥淲e鈥檙e celebrating a living, evolving experiment in education,鈥� Dycus told the crowd. 鈥淥ne that has asked generations of students to take learning seriously enough to put it to work. Since 1976, this program has woven together community living, academic study, and vocational reflection right in the complexity of our nation鈥檚 capital.鈥�

As the story鈥檚 been told, shared Dycus, Nelson Good came to D.C. as a conscientious objector during the Vietnam War era. 鈥淎nd, out of that experience, he helped build a program committed to servant leadership and social justice, and an education shaped by peace, responsibility, and courage to see the city as it is.鈥�

Nelson Good directed the program until his retirement in 1987, mentoring it through major transitions. When the time came to find a new home closer to public transportation and academic partners, he personally helped find and secure the building at 836 Taylor Street that became the Nelson Good House. 

鈥淗e did that work even while facing a cancer diagnosis and died a few months before the facility鈥檚 dedication (on Aug. 20, 2005),鈥� Dycus said.

Alumni of the 黑料正能量 Washington Semester gather to celebrate the program’s 50-year legacy.

The 黑料正能量 Washington Semester offers a built-in social and professional network for its alumni, many of whom find long-term careers in D.C., thanks to the web of connections and relationships they build through the program.

Aerlande Wontamo 鈥�06 was among the first cohort of 15 students to live at the Nelson Good House during the spring of 2006. She interned at the Ethiopian Community Development Council while taking classes at Howard University.

鈥淚t was such a meaningful experience for me because I got on (Howard’s) campus and I looked like everybody else,鈥� said Wontamo, who is originally from Ethiopia. 鈥淭here was another person in our group, I think from Goshen, who was also at Howard, and she was white. We would go to school, and that was the first time she felt like a minority. It was this wonderful experience for both of us.鈥�

Like many alumni of the 黑料正能量 Washington Semester (it was known as the Washington Community Scholars鈥� Center or WCSC after 2002), Wontamo stayed in the city. Twenty years later, the economic development grad is still working in the refugee and immigrant services field as senior vice president of U.S. programs for World Relief, a global Christian humanitarian organization.

鈥淚t was my internship that was such a meaningful experience for me and led me through all of the steps to get to where I am,鈥� she said. 鈥淪o, I鈥檓 a huge fan of the program.鈥�

Anisa Leonard 鈥�21, a social work grad originally from Kenya, interned at Voices for a Second Chance, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting individuals returning home from incarceration, during her spring 2021 semester in the program.

鈥淭he WCSC program was absolutely foundational in getting me to where I am now,鈥� said the social worker. 鈥淚t sparked my interest in working with people who are marginalized in so many ways, especially in a city so impacted by race and gentrification.鈥�

Genesis Figueroa joined Ryan Good on stage for a conversation, reflecting on her experiences in the program during spring 2025. The 黑料正能量 senior, who is double majoring in political science and Spanish, interned at Catholic Charities in its immigration legal services department, where she provided translation, interpretation, and administrative work. She said she hopes to become an immigration lawyer.

鈥淚t definitely solidified what I want to do after college and what type of work I want to do,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t solidified my passion for it.鈥�

Another 黑料正能量 senior, Dia Mekonnen, remembered living at the Nelson Good House with 13 other students during summer 2025. 鈥淚t was really packed,鈥� she said. 鈥淏ut it was really nice to connect with them. It was nice to cook together, to be able to share our perspectives, and we still hang out.鈥�

Baker-Shenk credited Nelson Good, along with many other heroes, with the courage and vision to implement and sustain the idea of the D.C. program over the years.

鈥淥ne of the many things he taught me, and it was a little hard for me to take back in the 鈥�70s, was that institutions deserve our love and our commitment and our care,鈥� he said. 鈥淔ifty years later, here鈥檚 an institution that has carried each of us in this room in one way or another, and it happened because it was nourished and encouraged.鈥�

Kirk Shisler 鈥�81, vice president for advancement, is a proud member of the third cohort of students in the program (1978-79). He told guests there were many ways to support the program. One such opportunity is through the Dr. Kimberly Schmidt Endowed Scholarship, which was dedicated during the program鈥檚 on-campus reunion at Homecoming 2025.

鈥淔inancial aid is such a critical part of the story for every student, and it鈥檚 an obstacle,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 an obstacle to participation in this program and others. And so what we can do to mitigate that through donor-funded aid is an opportunity we want to focus on.鈥�

Learn more about the 黑料正能量 Washington Semester at .

Read more:

• Sept. 2025: Rebranded 黑料正能量 Washington Semester celebrates 50 years of career-building and community
• Nov. 2016: Forty years of service and learning celebrated at WCSC鈥檚 Nelson Good House
• Aug. 2015: Washington Community Scholars鈥� Center celebrates 10 years at the Nelson Good House in Brookland
• March 2014: The history of the Washington Community Scholars鈥� Center

WHEN ML LORMEJUSTE ’25 arrived at the Washington Community Scholars鈥� Center (WCSC) during the fall of 2024, he admits he wasn鈥檛 there to make friends. 鈥淚 was just there to do what I needed to do and move on,鈥� recalled the public health major. As the semester progressed, Lormejuste was nudged out of his comfort zone by social outings and group activities鈥攁nd found himself forming close friendships with his eight housemates and discovering the value of community. Reflecting on that semester spent in Washington, DC, he said, 鈥淚 love that group鈥� They became a part of me.鈥� 

Lormejuste is one of more than 1,000 students whose lives have been transformed through 黑料正能量鈥檚 longest-running intercultural program, which is celebrating its 50th year of connecting students with internships, urban studies coursework, and shared community life. Launched in 1976, the program originally operated as the Washington Study-Service Year (WSSY) until 2002, when it was renamed Washington Community Scholars鈥� Center (WCSC) as part of a shift from a yearlong format to three shorter terms per year. 

These transitions have allowed the program to stay relevant and responsive. Program staff spent the past two years gathering input for a new name from its alumni, 黑料正能量 students, and campus faculty and staff stakeholders. In April, the Provost鈥檚 Council and President鈥檚 Cabinet approved rebranding the program to the 黑料正能量 Washington Semester. 

The 黑料正能量 Washington Semester offers fall and spring semester terms and a 10-week summer session. It remains the only urban studies program among Anabaptist-affiliated institutions and draws students from schools across the country, including Bethel College, Bluffton University, Goshen College, and Viterbo University. 

Living, learning, and launching careers

Up to 15 students in the 黑料正能量 Washington Semester share cooking responsibilities, manage a collective food budget, and work together to maintain their home at the Nelson Good House in the Brookland neighborhood of Northeast DC. Alumni over the past five decades point to their experiences in the program as a highlight of their college careers, if not their lives. 

鈥淚 never realized what a great program this was. I learned valuable lessons in adulting, from navigating a large city to living in community,鈥� said Meredith Lehman ’25, 黑料正能量鈥檚 first Rhodes Scholar. 

Like many students, her internship paved the way to a future career opportunity. She interned at the Institute for Policy Studies this spring and returned to DC over the summer to work as a fellow at the progressive think tank. 鈥淓veryone should do this program, no matter their major,鈥� said Lehman, who double majored in political science and biology. 

Cynthia Lapp ’86, a music education graduate and pastor at Hyattsville Mennonite Church in Maryland, has benefited from the program in multiple ways. She was a student from 1983 to 1984, later served on staff for four years, and continues to support program interns at her church. Many of those interns have gone on to become pastors themselves. 

Lapp said her internship at Elizabeth Seton High School opened the door to a teaching position after college. She added that the program is especially meaningful for students new to community living. 鈥淪urrounding ourselves with people from different cultures and backgrounds helps us see beyond the way we think and live, including how our decisions impact those around us.鈥� 

Some students find their perfect match through the program鈥攏ot just professionally, but romantically. Alumnus Micah Shristi ’00, an English major who now works as director of International Student Services at 黑料正能量, met his wife, Charlotte Gingerich Shristi, a Goshen College alumna, while in the program from 1998 to 1999. Many of his housemates from that year are among his closest friends, including Nathan Musselman ’00, who now lives next door. 

鈥淲hat鈥檚 wild is that there鈥檚 another couple from our year,鈥� he said. 鈥�Jenelle Hershey ’99 and Keith Hoover ’00 also got married after their time together in the program.鈥� 

A ‘Good’ start 

In the fall of 1976, a scrappy academic program began immersing students in the cultured community of the nation鈥檚 capital. Nelson Good ’68, who came to DC as a conscientious objector during the Vietnam War, founded and directed the program until his retirement in 1987. 

The program, like the city around it, has seen plenty of changes. From the shift to three shorter terms and an accompanying name change in 2002 to a 2005 move from South Dakota Avenue to its current location on Taylor Street, the program has continued to evolve to meet the needs of its students and an ever-changing higher education landscape. 

鈥淭he new name more clearly communicates the program as a university-run academic offering, is grounded in the context of our nation鈥檚 capital, and is easy to remember and say. It also aligns with common naming conventions used by other universities鈥� DC-based programs, making it more recognizable regionally and beyond,鈥� said Ryan Good, 黑料正能量 Washington Semester director and son of the late Nelson Good. 

While evolving, the program has remained committed to supporting students鈥� personal and career development. Students consistently report leaving the program with improved professional confidence, greater clarity about career direction, more comfort in working with people who are different than they are, and increased awareness of systemic injustices, said Good. 

鈥淒ad would be thrilled to see the ways this program has evolved over the years. Though much has changed, the bones of the program he envisioned remain the same鈥� supporting students as they make sense of who they are in a complex world, both personally and professionally.鈥� 

Two events will celebrate the program鈥檚 50th anniversary: a reunion during Homecoming 2025 on Saturday, Oct. 11, from 1-3 p.m. in the Student Union, and a spring gathering at the Nelson Good House on Saturday, Feb. 21, from 10 a.m. to noon. 

For more information about the 黑料正能量 Washington Semester, visit:

This story appears in the Summer 2025 issue of Crossroads magazine.

The celebration is small but significant: Ten years ago this week, on Thursday to be exact, WCSC officially moved from cramped quarters at the much-beloved, but run-down 鈥淭his Old House鈥� to the spacious renovated brick three-story building on Taylor Avenue. (The house was not quite ready for immediate occupancy; the first group of students moved in January of 2006).

The noisemakers and party hats are only a precursor to next year鈥檚 40th anniversary celebration, said Schmidt, a professor of history who can鈥檛 resist offering some historical context for .

鈥満诹险芰库�檚 D.C. program started in 1976,鈥� she added. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 one year after the Vietnam War ended and two years after Nixon resigned. A lot has changed, but a lot has stayed the same.鈥�

Servant leadership part of program vision

One thing that hasn鈥檛 changed for 黑料正能量鈥檚 longest-running cross-cultural program is its unwavering commitment to teaching about servant leadership and social justice, as epitomized by its first director and the building鈥檚 namesake, Nelson Good.

Good, who first came to Washington D.C. as a conscientious objector during the Vietnam War, founded and directed the Washington Study Service Year (WSSY) until his retirement in 1986. As a member of the advisory council, he offered mentorship through programmatic changes in 2002 鈥� reflected in the name-change to Washington Community Scholar鈥檚 Center 鈥� and then spearheaded the search for a new and larger facility that was closer to public transportation and academic institutions (黑料正能量 students at that time attended classes at Catholic University of America and Howard University).

鈥淭his Old House鈥� had been used for decades previously by Mennonite service agencies, but despite the nostalgic connections, it was clearly time to move elsewhere: zoning restrictions prevented any upgrades or expansions and the house was not handicapped-accessible.

Good reconnoitered the city, knocked on doors, interviewed prospective sellers, and eventually talked one couple into letting their property go at a reasonable price. The months-long renovation process included 鈥渁 lot of sweat equity,鈥� Schmidt said, as well as a sizable financial commitment from 黑料正能量. Additionally, WCSC alumni and other donors contributed more than $100,000 toward the renovation costs.

When the well-wishers gathered to celebrate Aug. 20, 2005, the afternoon blessing and celebration included speeches, music, remembrances of alumni, and a tribute to Good, who had passed way from cancer just months before. His daughter Deborah, a WSCS participant in 2002, shared a poem, and alumni and friends were also invited to plant a butterfly garden in the backyard.

That garden continues to flourish, Schmidt says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a beautiful space. The students use it for barbecues and reading a book and just hanging out. If you look in the garden, it鈥檚 clearly a place where college students are, and I mean that in a good way.鈥�

Experiencing life in an urban environment

If the garden has been obviously staked out by college students 鈥� who come from 黑料正能量, Goshen College, Bluffton University, and most recently, through a new articulation agreement with Regis University in Colorado 鈥� the three-story brick apartment building, Schmidt says, is quietly innocuous, also in a good way.

Students experience life in a predominately African-American neighborhood with a growing population of foreign-born residents and a Catholic presence (friars-in-training from the Franciscan Monastery of the Holy Land in America regularly walk by). The sits between three academic institutions: Catholic American University (CUA), Trinity Washington University and Howard University Divinity School. The CUA/Brooklands metro station bisects the neighborhood and its urban attractions: several restaurants, a coffee-slash-bike shop called ; the mixed-use , featuring a thriving studio arts scene with regular music and dance events; a Barnes and Noble; and a few places to find that staple of college life: pizza.

The modern design of the Good House was a perfect and restful complement to the urban experience, says Emily Blake, who lived there that first spring semester and later was assistant director from 2008-2012. 鈥淭he city can be this crazy collage of interactions and weird and wonderful sights. It’s nice to come home to a place that’s simple and beautiful, and filled with people who know you.鈥�

Fellow WSCS participant Aerlande Wontamo remembers the house that spring was 鈥渘ew, clean and perfect.鈥� She has fond memories of dinners in the common area, walking to and from the metro, and being befriended by local bus drivers. Wontamo took classes at Howard University and worked with the Ethiopian Community Development Council in Arlington, a connection which years later led her to her current position as senior resettlement manager for Lutheran Social Services. She鈥檚 lived in the D.C. metro area for about eight years, a decision she traces back to the positive experience of living in the Nelson Good House.

鈥淪o many lives continue to be transformed by 黑料正能量鈥檚 commitment to the WCSC program. This house is the place where that happens, and we honor Nelson Good鈥檚 memory by helping students make more memories,鈥� Schmidt said.

He didn鈥檛 know it yet, but the assignment sparked an interest that was to become his life鈥檚 work.

After graduating from 黑料正能量 in 1979, Baker-Shenk worked for two years for the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs before earning his law degree at Catholic University in D.C. He then returned to working on issues affecting Native American tribes, including three more years as an aide in the U.S. Senate. Now a partner in the Holland & Knight law firm, for the past 25 years he has been representing tribal governments across the country facing a variety of challenges to their sovereignty and self-governance authorities. It all goes back to that formative year he spent in Washington, which almost didn鈥檛 happen in the first place.

The idea of an 黑料正能量-sponsored academic program in D.C. began with Nelson Good 鈥�68, who spent two years after graduation in D.C. as a conscientious objector volunteering at a community center. He later became an administrator of two Mennonite-run voluntary service units in Washington and soon became convinced that a service-year experience would be improved if a formal academic component were added.

Good approached 黑料正能量 with his idea, but it was not immediately embraced by the administration. The college was facing a period of financial uncertainty in the mid-鈥�70s, and was hesitant to start such an innovative program. This came as a disappointment to Baker-Shenk and a group of students who had become excited about Good鈥檚 proposal. They decided to take matters into their own hands in the spring of 1976.

鈥淲e organized together, and said to the administration, 鈥榃e鈥檙e going to go elsewhere unless 黑料正能量 starts this program,鈥欌�� remembers Baker-Shenk.

Their effort paid off, and the university took a gamble on the idea. Good became the first director of the Washington Study-Service Year (WSSY), a position he would hold for the next 11 years, and Baker-Shenk was one of the first nine students in the first WSSY program during its initial year, from 1976 to 1977.

鈥淭hanks to EMC鈥檚 vision, and thanks to WSSY and Nelson Good, I stumbled into a life-long passion and vocation that I would have never predicted ever happening to a little Mennonite farm kid from Pennsylvania potato fields,鈥� Baker-Shenk said.

From the beginning, the WSSY program (renamed the , or WCSC, in 2002) was structured much like it is today. Students lived together in a group house and split their time between internships and academic courses, either taken at universities in the D.C. area or taught by 黑料正能量 faculty staffing the program. Throughout its history, the program has afforded students the opportunity to live, study and gain valuable, real-world work and cross-cultural experience in the middle of one of the world鈥檚 most important cities.

鈥淚t was just such a thrilling year on multiple levels for me,鈥� said Rolando Santiago 鈥�79, a student during the second year of the WSSY program, beginning in the fall of 1977. 鈥淲hen I look back on it, I鈥檓 not sure that I鈥檝e ever had such a rich, stimulating year since.鈥�

Now the executive director of the Lancaster Mennonite Historical Society, Santiago said his internship with Ayuda, a legal aid agency that primarily served Hispanic immigrants, gave him 鈥渄eep appreciation for, and understanding of, the role that community-based organizations can have in enriching the life of an entire population.鈥�

He said that mindset also heavily informed his work in mental health for the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and as executive director of Mennonite Central Committee U.S. from 2004 to 2010.

Originally from rural Puerto Rico, Santiago got his first taste of urban living in Washington, and intentionally stretched himself by taking courses at the University of Maryland that weren鈥檛 available then at 黑料正能量. He also became involved in the Hispanic Mennonite Church in D.C. and capitalized on the spontaneous learning opportunities he encountered, such as a course he took on Marxism and Leninism taught by a person he鈥檇 met through Ayuda.

鈥淚t was a bit scary for me because I was always taught that that was not something you touch, intellectually or otherwise,鈥� said Santiago, who later expanded his housemates鈥� horizons by arranging for the teacher to give a lecture on Marxism to the entire WSSY program.

One of his classmates that year, Dawn Longenecker 鈥�80, also described the experience as one that stretched, challenged and transformed her in important ways.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a really wonderful place where people can struggle and grapple and build community all at the same time,鈥� said Longenecker, director of Discipleship Year, a voluntary service program in Washington D.C. run by the Church of the Saviour.

As a WSSY student, Longenecker discovered a lifelong passion for advocacy and social change through her internship with the Gray Panthers, a grassroots organizing and advocacy group for elderly people. Longenecker recalls wrestling with the other WSSY students over questions of faith, justice and application of the Gospel, and said her mind was 鈥渂lown on multiple levels.鈥�

鈥淚t was an incredible year,鈥� said Longenecker, who has remained in Washington ever since, mostly doing social work. 鈥淢y whole life journey came from WSSY. My whole life was transformed.鈥�

The formal academic component of the program includes classes taught by WCSC faculty, plus the option of studying at a number of different universities in the Washington D.C. area. At the beginning of the program, the University of Maryland was the main partner institution; today, students can enroll at Trinity University, the University of the District of Columbia, the Corcoran College of Art and Design and others, including Howard University and Catholic University.

Students are also required to take a weekly academic seminar. Until recently, WCSC director Kimberly Schmidt taught some seminar topics, while former associate director Doug Hertzler 鈥�88 focused on others. (At the end of the fall 2012 semester, Hertzler departed WCSC for another job.) Schmidt and Hertzler 鈥撀爓hose academic specialties are history and anthropology, respectively 鈥� used the city as a giant textbook as they examined issues of race, class, urban life and faith.

鈥淭he cultural and historical studies at WCSC have greatly informed my life,鈥� said Mark Fenton 鈥�10. 鈥淟ooking at the gentrification of D.C. and issues of race and politics during the history of the city, has made me a more informed and better-rounded person.鈥�

WCSC also represents 黑料正能量鈥檚 longest running cross-cultural, established several years before cross-cultural education found its way into the university鈥檚 required curriculum. When the program began, about 70 percent of Washington D.C.鈥檚 population was African-American, giving many students 鈥� particularly in the early days of the program 鈥� their first extended experience surrounded by people whose race and culture were different from their own, which tended to be largely white, rural populations.

鈥淚 remember the moment when I realized I wasn鈥檛 seeing race when I was working with kids,鈥� said Dwight Gingerich 鈥�81, who coached basketball at a predominantly African-American school during his year in the WSSY program. 鈥淥ur neighborhood was 99 percent African-American, and it was a great cross-cultural experience for me.鈥�

While many WCSC students today also participate in other cross-cultural programs offered at 黑料正能量, the program in Washington still fulfills that requirement for students.

Many alumni recall the importance of the informal, day-to-day aspects of the experience.

鈥淚鈥檓 much more confident in finding my way around places, because I biked all over the city, and finding my way around transit systems isn鈥檛 so daunting,鈥� said Fenton.

Amy Smith 鈥�90 Mumbauer remembers learning about the challenges of sticking to a tight budget while shopping for her 12-student house at the Shoppers Food Warehouse and Glut, a food co-op. Like most WCSC groups, hers shared cooking and cleaning duties. They ate together around a long wooden table beneath a ceiling occasionally dangling spaghetti 鈥撀爐he result of tests for pasta done-ness.

By the late 鈥�90s, the WSSY program was beginning to have trouble filling all its spots, facing competition from 黑料正能量鈥檚 growing cross-cultural program and increasingly rigid academic requirements that made it difficult for students to spend an entire year off campus. Even with a handful of students from other Mennonite colleges entering the program each year, low enrollment was a significant concern when Schmidt became director in 1999.

After two more lean years, Schmidt and others at 黑料正能量 made a difficult decision to reduce the program from a year to a semester in length. With the 鈥測ear鈥� part removed from the WSSY equation, a name-change was also in order. They chose the term 鈥淐ommunity Scholars鈥� to emphasize the academic rigor of the program 鈥� one of its major distinguishing factors from the many other college internship programs that exist in Washington D.C. 鈥淐ommunity Scholars,鈥� Schmidt says, also connotes an emphasis on social justice, which has always been a focus of the program. Finally, 鈥淐enter鈥� was chosen to emphasize the partnership 黑料正能量 has with other Mennonite universities that regularly send students to the Washington Community Scholars鈥� Center, or WCSC.

Today, Bluffton University in Ohio is 黑料正能量鈥檚 biggest partner school in the program, sending up to five students per year. In addition to two semester-long sessions each year, WCSC also offers a 10-week summer program that places more emphasis on the internship experience and allows students to accumulate the same number of internship hours as those who spend the whole semester in Washington.

鈥淚 really admire how 黑料正能量 took a longstanding program and wasn鈥檛 afraid to redesign it in a way that more people would benefit from,鈥� said Fikir Tilahun 鈥�00 Sanders, a member of one of the last groups of students to spend two semesters in the WSSY program.

In 2006, the newly revamped WCSC program underwent another change. Faced with expensive and cumbersome renovations to the original building in northeast Washington, the program moved a relatively short distance to a new building on Taylor Street. The new home gave the program more space and more convenient access to a Metro station.

The location also sits in an ideal neighborhood, neither sheltered nor unsafe. It is characterized by mixed incomes and ethnic diversity, said Hertzler. The diversity immediately surrounding the house, he added, made it very easy for students to conduct the direct participant-observation projects he assigned for the urban anthropology courses he taught.

The building is called the Nelson Good House, named in honor of the program鈥檚 founder and first director who was diagnosed with cancer as he was overseeing renovations of the new WCSC building in D.C. Good passed away in 2005, soon before the move was made.

Schmidt noted that the concept of 鈥渟ervant-leadership鈥� remains at the heart of the WCSC experience and has been a core emphasis of the program since its inception. Servant-leadership, she explained, entails following Christ鈥檚 example in vocation by aligning faith and values with career goals; it characterizes the best leaders as motivated by a sense of service. In Washington D.C., she added, students have the additional opportunity to explore and apply Anabaptist values of servanthood and nonconformity in the geographic and figurative seat of American power.

鈥淚 came to understand in WSSY that institutions, and positions of leadership within institutions, are opportunities for serving,鈥� said John Stahl-Wert 鈥�81, who studied in the program during the 1977-78 school year.

The author of several books, including The Serving Leader, Stahl-Wert said that WSSY鈥檚 emphasis on servant-leadership, and a book the group read 鈥撀�Servant Leadership: A Journey into the Nature of Legitimate Power and Greatness by Robert Greenleaf 鈥� became the basis for his work today. In addition to writing, Stahl-Wert is also a leadership coach and speaker based in Pittsburgh.

鈥淐riticizing institutions and leaders is one of the weaker 鈥� if sometimes necessary 鈥� acts of contributing good to the world,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e must step into difficult positions of responsibility.鈥�

Stahl-Wert interned with the Juvenile Probation Office of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. He recalls feeling immediately at home in the city even though he grew up in rural Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. During his WSSY experience, he said Washington D.C. became the first of many cities he now loves.

First exposure to big-city life is another important element for many in the WCSC program.

鈥淚 came to WSSY with very little experience in an urban setting,鈥� said Trent Wagler 鈥�02. 鈥淭he first lesson I learned was that I鈥檓 a very, very small blip in this huge journey. . . . Coming from a small Kansas high school to a small Mennonite college campus, it was pretty easy to get an inflated sense of my importance in the world. My year in Washington put that into some perspective.鈥�

Wagler interned with the Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company. That opportunity led to work as an actor and musician at a professional theater in rural Virginia, which later inspired his career now fronting his nationally touring band, The Steel Wheels.

With its interconnected emphases on learning and service, diverse opportunities for students to explore career interests, and location in the heart of a major city, the program exerts an impact on students in multiple ways, say alumni.

鈥淢y D.C. semester was one of the best choices I made at 黑料正能量,鈥� said Fenton, who is now a media specialist with the Gravity Group in Harrisonburg. 鈥淚t helped me focus my goals and work toward them, building myself as a person, as a professional, and more. I am very glad for every way that my time in Washington changed me. It has all been for the better.鈥澛� 鈥� Andrew Jenner ’04

Graduating from 黑料正能量 in 2005 with a double major in sociology and environmental science, Good has filled a number of roles at 黑料正能量: admissions counselor, associate director of admissions, director of retention, women鈥檚 head soccer coach, cross-cultural leader to Spanish-speaking countries, and instructor in several programs, , , and the .

鈥淚 look forward to continued enrollment success, a continued commitment to the Anabaptist mission and vision of 黑料正能量, and superb admissions leadership from Dr. Jason Good,鈥� said , PhD, vice president for enrollment, in announcing Good鈥檚 appointment.

Good earned his master鈥檚 and doctorate in Hispanic studies from the Universidad de C谩diz in Andaluc铆a, Spain. His dissertation, completed in Spanish, focused on the integration of immigrant students into educational systems, specifically analyzing how to welcome and retain underrepresented groups.

Good is the son of Nelson Good ’68 () and Betty Good-White ’67, a psychotherapist in Washington D.C., as well as the brother of Deborah Good ’02, the husband of Bryn Mullet Good ’06, and the nephew and grandson of alumni. In short, he has deep roots in this educational community, though he was raised in Washington D.C.

Good replaces Stephanie Shafer, who had been director of admissions since 2004, supervising Good in several of his roles. Shafer announced her intention in August to be director of development at Cornerstone Christian School, a Harrisonburg institution with students in preschool through grade 8, where she will be in charge of enrollment, marketing, public relations and fundraising.

“Stephanie leaves the 黑料正能量 enrollment office in tremendous shape as she exits, bringing in two out of the three largest classes in over 14 years and being part of the sixth consecutive year of overall enrollment growth,” said Hartman in an email announcing her departure to the campus community. “We wish her the very best in her future endeavors and will miss her contribution immensely.”

Good’s former position of director of retention is now open, with candidates being considered by Hartman.