As Agatha “Aggie” Baum prepared for her high school graduation from Brookewood School, she said she felt blessed and grateful to have had an almost-typical school year despite the COVID-19 pandemic, which last spring forced all schools in the Archdiocese of Washington to close and move to virtual learning to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
This year, some local Catholic high schools continued with online learning, while others moved to a hybrid model, alternating between in-person classes on campus a few days a week and remote learning. On September 1, Brookewood School, an all-girls Catholic school for grades 1-12 in Kensington began the 2020-21 school year with in-person classes five days per week.
“I was very relieved to hear Brookewood was opening and we would be in person,” said Baum. “(When school closed) it was very difficult, not seeing our teachers in person and having less structure. This year, thankfully, it’s been relatively normal.”
At Brookewood School, “girls read the classics, sing and recite poetry, explore the world, climb trees, play sports and grow into thriving young women,” according to the school’s website, which she said aptly describes her soon-to-be alma mater, and are many of the reasons she chose to attend Brookewood, transferring there before her sophomore year of high school.
Baum, 18, said she was also drawn to Brookewood – with its school motto, “Nolite Timere” (“Be Not Afraid”) – for its small class size, the close-knit community, its strong Catholic identity and its cherished traditions, most of which continued this year, albeit with COVID-19 precautions.
Among those long-held, proud Brookewood traditions, Baum said she particularly enjoyed throughout her high schools years are: Jane Austen Day, Medieval Festival Day and Field Day – school-wide activities that feature tea party luncheons, music, poetry competitions and outdoor games, including lots of Capture the Flag tournaments, she added.
In the classroom, Baum said her teachers challenged her and helped her in valuable ways that she will carry throughout her life – to be a better writer, to think critically and to gain knowledge of the truths of the Catholic faith.
“I’ve always gone to Catholic school, and my Catholic faith is a big part of my life,” she said. “When I came to Brookewood, we studied a lot of St. Thomas Aquinas who is very logical. We learned not just what we believe as Catholics, but why. I just learned so much more (at Brookewood).”
English and theology classes stand out as Baum’s favorite subjects for the lively discussions that took place among students during class. This year, she said a new-to-the-curriculum philosophy class, taught by Father Jose Medina, ended up being one of her most memorable courses. She said she and her classmates were introduced to works by Plato, Albert Einstein, William James and Joseph McPherson, Brookewood’s founding headmaster and longtime educator who passed away in September 2019.
Richard McPherson, Brookewood’s head of school and math teacher, said Baum is an exceptional, well-rounded student whom he’s enjoyed having in his calculus class for the past three years. “She grasps all concepts quickly and completely and possesses a quiet sense of humor,” he said. “What makes her special as a student is that she is at home in every subject, not only in math.”
Baum, along with her parents, Richard and Alina, and younger brother, Isaac, a sophomore at The Heights School, Potomac, are parishioners of St. Raphael Parish, Rockville, where she also attended elementary school.
This fall, Baum will attend the University of Maryland, College Park, where she plans to major in engineering, following in her parents’ footsteps who met at UMD as engineering students. “I enjoy math, and engineering is really a practical application of math,” she said.
Another proud family tradition is Donut King, a Kensington bakery and cafe – well known for its tasty pies and pastries – owned and first operated by her grandparents, who came to the United States from Seoul, South Korea and started the business more than 40 years ago. Baum’s grandmother, who lives with her family, is still the shop owner, but now Baum’s mom runs the daily operations.
Over the years, she has worked there too, as a youngster helping with the baking and working behind the sales counter when needed. Her favorite pie is plum, she said. But more importantly, she said seeing firsthand the hard work of generations who came before her always leaves her in awe. Baum said she greatly admires the hard work and determination of her grandparents who set out for America, arrived in the United States and started a successful business that still serves the community to this day.
“I always think it’s fascinating that it’s lasted so long,” she said, crediting her grandparents for having inherited a strong work ethic from their own parents, her great-grandparents, growing up in their native land of South Korea.
During her high school years, Baum participated in Model UN, played field hockey and ran cross county. She also loves reading historical fiction, mysteries and fantasy novels. Music is another passion of hers, playing the piano since she was 5 years old and violin since 10th grade, she said.
Thankfully, this year’s graduation ceremony will proceed normally in spite of it being a challenging pandemic year, taking place on its traditional day – the Saturday morning of Memorial Day weekend with family and friends in attendance.
On May 29, Baum, as the valedictorian of the Brookewood School Class of 2021, will address her fellow senior classmates, the school’s faculty and guests during the school’s 12th annual commencement exercises.
She said she’s not exactly sure yet what she will say in her speech, but looking back on her Brookewood years, she said she is full of gratitude for the tight-knit school community that welcomed her sophomore year, prepared her well for college and will forever hold a special place in her heart.
“Brookewood is a place where everyone knew me as a person, and I could learn from and with those who cared about my personal education and growth,” she said.
