More than 75 academic, artistic, social, cultural, and athletics clubs and organizations at Loomis Chaffee offer students many opportunities to meet people and get involved in the school community. One of these is Shultz Fellows.

Seniors Sara Feged and Ollie Iverson are co-presidents and moderators of Shultz Fellows. Add another unspoken title to each: ambassadors. For the club. For the school.

“Shultz has helped me learn from a wide range of viewpoints and inspired me to apply my passion for international relations and politics,” Sara said.

“Through my time in Shultz,” Ollie said, “I have learned the importance of listening to understand — rather than listening to respond.”
 

About the organization

A bi-partisan group that regularly meets to discuss politics and current events, the group takes its name and inspiration from former U.S. Secretary of State George P. Shultz ’38, whose legacy of statesmanship, diplomacy, and service came from a long and distinguished career in public service. Secretary Shultz served as economic advisor to President Eisenhower, secretary of labor and secretary of the treasury under President Nixon, and secretary of state under President Reagan. Secretary Shultz died at the age of 100 in 2021.
 

The role of Sara and Ollie

“As co-presidents, Ollie and I moderate the weekly discussions by sending emails with links for research about the topics and questions to consider,” Sara said. “We write short blurbs to help the fellows prepare for the weekly meetings; this preparation work ensures that our fellows explore a variety of ideas across the political spectrum while researching more about a certain topic.”

Presidents also read applications and interview students wishing to join, making the final decisions while consulting the faculty moderator, which this year is Catie Cotton. There is no grade restriction to be a Shultz Fellow, and the group is open to all, Sara said, though all but one of the 23 members this year are juniors or seniors. Sara also is president of the student council. Her brother, Ignacio ’23, was a president of the Shultz Fellows.

What they’ve learned

Said Sara: “With every meeting [as a junior], I began to understand the importance of respectful political discourse in the divisive and polarized society we inhabit today. I learned how to synthesize various backgrounds and perspectives to enhance my viewpoints, which soon developed into a passion for seeking differing viewpoints. A year later when I became co-president and moderator of the organization, I had the goal of fostering intellectually stimulating conversations while teaching fellows how to respect other views and have productive political discussions.”

Said Ollie: “I have found that when beginning any conversation, finding common ground and working through differences from a perspective of mutual respect leads to more productive communication. A group like Shultz is important because it approaches politics, a subject which can often be seen as taboo, from the perspective of the individual. Shultz, by showing the Loomis community how politics can bring people together, reaffirms the school's commitment to the best self and the common good.”
 

Events

In December the group hosted an Open Shultz event on the topic of abortion. Typically, Sara said, 30 to 40 people attend these open events. The format for the first 30 minutes is similar to that of a regular meeting, with fellows responding to questions they receive in advance and giving their insights and opinions, Sara said. “The last 30 minutes [are] dedicated to questions from the audience, where engaged students and members of the community [ask] questions about the topic and certain viewpoints that were voiced earlier in the discussion.” December’s event was a success, Sara said, because “Loomis community members could see what respectful discourse looked like.” On April 3 the Shultz Fellows and Model United Nations members held an event exploring the topic of international relations. And on April 17, the Shultz Fellows and environmental proctors will join forces for a discussion on climate change and climate policies domestically and worldwide.