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Author Nelson Henderson once said, “The true meaning of life is to plant trees under whose shade you do not expect to sit.” Reflecting on Winchester Thurston’s student-driven partnership with the city of Braddock, Mayor John Fetterman recently told Head of School Gary Niels, “Not only is this one of my favorite quotes, but this is also exactly what Winchester Thurston School has done in our community.” On June 3, 2012, WT will welcome Mayor Fetterman as the 125th Commencement speaker.

For the past two years, as part of the City as Our Campus Urban Research and Design course taught by Dr. Michael Naragon, WT Upper School students have rolled up their sleeves to assist Fetterman and other community leaders in their work to renew and rebuild this distressed city south of Pittsburgh. Founded around the site of Andrew Carnegie's first steel mill, Braddock's fortunes declined in lockstep with the American steel industry. As the town's population fell from a peak of more than 20,000 to just 2,800, its buildings, infrastructure and economy crumbled.

Fetterman, a Harvard Kennedy School graduate with a Master's Degree in Public Policy, was attracted to Braddock by the town's "malignant beauty" and moved there in 2001 to work for AmeriCorps. In 2005 Fetterman became the town's mayor and has been at the forefront of a massive effort to revitalize the once prosperous town ever since. A relentless advocate for reimagining and redesigning Braddock, Mayor Fetterman's focus on creating youth-oriented programs, attracting artists and other “creative” to his community and to pursuing green urban renewal and economic development have been recognized in The New York Times, The Atlantic, and The Guardian, and on “The Colbert Report” and “Real Time” with Bill Maher.

Last year, on a visit to Braddock, then senior Sally Loevner became motivated and inspired by Fetterman’s vision and, for her Urban Research and Design project, galvanized her peers to begin volunteering there. Seniors in this year’s course continued the connection. Students have volunteered at 4 Kids Learning Center, a pre-school in Braddock, and worked with Heritage Community Initiatives on restoration projects, the most ambitious of which has been participating in the major overhaul of the 100-year-old community ball field, removing overgrown brush, building new bleachers, and painting. Read the May 17, 2012 Tribune Review article, Volunteers breathe new life into North Braddock ballfield

Students leading the volunteer efforts have overseen student teams doing community service throughout the year, which culminated in 40 students’ spending all of WT’s May Term week working in Braddock. In addition, the students have donated a portion of the prize money given to Winchester Thurston School last year when WT’s team won the Hometown High Q championship on KDKA.

The City Campus third grade classes have also forged a connection to Braddock as part of their study of Pittsburgh history, and developed a close relationship with children from the 4 Kids Learning Center this year, through a buddy program.

Head of School Gary Niels comments, “Last year I learned that Mayor John Fetterman had been an inspiration to our students. When I heard again this year how much our seniors had been gripped by the Mayor’s vision of renewing this distressed community, the decision to ask him to consider being our Commencement speaker became obvious. I was more than elated when he agreed.”

Watch WT students volunteering in Braddock on the Morgan Spurlock show, A Day in the Life.