On Veterans Day, Lower School students at King School came together to honor the service and sacrifice of local veterans in a heartfelt discussion with two distinguished community members: Sherwet Witherington P’35, ’35, and Ken Pinkard.
The event, organized by Art and Design teacher Alexa Orndahl, aimed to instill gratitude and understanding of the commitment of those who serve. It was a meaningful blend of storytelling, questions, and inspiring life lessons.
“It is important to continue to celebrate change makers and integrate inquiry into real-world application, in this case being Veterans who were able to answer questions and speak to their time in the military. They serve as wonderful role models for our students and give the students a real world example of how our King virtues are important values one can hold throughout their lives,” said Orndahl.
Witherington, a former U.S. Army Intelligence Officer turned lawyer and mother of twin second-graders Zora and Zoan Love-Witherington, shared her unique journey from Egypt to America and, ultimately, to military service.
"I joined the military because I came to America from Egypt when I was eight years old, and when I was 10, I became an American citizen," she explained. "I've always known that I'm very lucky to be Egyptian American. I believed when I signed up to serve my adopted country, and I still believe today, that our country is one where all of us, no matter what we look like, what we believe, or who we love, can live full, healthy, happy lives. That was worth fighting for.”
Joining her was Marine veteran Ken Pinkard, who has a family connection to the school as the cousin of Jackson and Hampton Young, members of the Class of 2033 and 2034, respectively.
Pinkard supported both special operations and conventional military missions as an intelligence professional.
Students were engaged throughout the conversation, eager to learn more about the veterans' experiences. They asked questions ranging from the duration of military service to thrilling adventures.
How many times have you jumped out of the airplane? Asked one of Witherington’s daughters Zoan Witherington ’35. “I have jumped out of an airplane eight times!” said her mother, an answer that was received with awe.
“What advice do you have for overcoming challenges?” asked Isabella Ulloa ’32.
“Your virtues!” answered Witherington. “If you exercise that muscle of perseverance, of integrity, of kindness, then that'll just become something that you do always. So I would say the key to being successful is to practice how you want to be in the world every day,” she added.
“What was your proudest moment?” Jasper Coulombe ’32 asked Pinkard.
“After doing 28 years, you run into a lot of young men and women who served their country…they coming up to me and saying that they've had a life-changing experience and it was because of the leadership that I've provided…So that's always one of the proudest moments is helping younger people be successful in life,” said Pinkard.
The event concluded with videos from other veterans, bringing a sense of shared gratitude across the community. Head of School Carol Maoz and Orndahl, alongside the Lower School students, extended warm thanks to the veterans for their service and wished them a happy Veterans Day, leaving the students with a deeper appreciation for the sacrifices made by those who serve.