Annual Visiting Scholar
The visiting scholar program has been a mainstay at LA for many years and gives our students the opportunity to interact with career professionals.
Established in 2010, Lawrence Academy’s J. William Mees Visiting Scholar Program brings professionals to campus to give students the opportunity to learn what they do and how they have been successful in their fields. Not only does each visiting scholar take the time to present to and engage with the school community at large, they also spend a significant portion of their three days on campus working in small groups, providing students with firsthand access to these experts.
This is my first time with any kind of school at this level. It's been really kind of incredible, the facilities, the level of engagement that the kids have. It's really been a lot of fun. I mean, it feels more like college than a high school. That's what I compare it to and it's been really incredible to be a part of it.
Lin-Manuel Miranda, 2015 Mees Visiting Scholar
In October 2014, three months before the debut of his Tony Awards-winning musical Hamilton, Lin-Manuel Miranda visited Lawrence Academy to speak in classes and engage with students as part of the J. William Mees Visiting Scholar Program. Other past visiting scholars include poet Taylor Mali; Irshad Manji, educator, author, and founder of the Moral Courage Project; and singer-songwriter Dar Williams. From journalists and scientists to artists and authors, these successful experts are aspirational models of intellectual curiosity: real-world examples of what can await after graduation.
2024- 2025
This year, Lawrence Academy’s J. William Mees Visiting Scholar is Sustainability Director and Founder of Cookswell Jikos Teddy Kinyanjui. Teddy was born and raised in Kenya, continuing the family tradition of eco-friendly stove design and construction. Over the last decade, he has directed his father’s legacy, the Woodlands 2000 Trust, and contributed significantly to the conservation and enhancement of natural forest regeneration throughout Kenya.
For the first time in recent memory, the Mees Scholar will join us for the entire week. He will work with different classes in history and science, lead a Seedball-making workshop, and present to the community on Tuesday evening. Today, he introduced himself at the Assembly, enjoyed a tour of campus led by Vivien Belanger ’27, and attended Ms. Gidding’s 9th-grade Human Geography and Cultures class.
Previous Visiting Scholars
2023-2024: Carolyn Mackler
2022-2023: Shaun Leonardo
2021-2022: Carrie Nugent
2020-2021: Matthew R. Kay
2019-2020: Jamie Ducharme
2018-2019: John Hunter
2017-2018: Irshad Manji
2016-2017: Francis Gary Powers Jr.
2015-2016: Dr. Peter Groffman
2014-2015: Lin-Manuel Miranda
2013-2014: Adam Boucher and Tim Fukawa-Connelly: Dar Williams
2012-2013: Taylor Mali
2011-2012: Andre Dubus III
Shaun Leonardo on campus
In 2022-2023, Lawrence Academy had the pleasure of welcoming Brooklyn-based multi-disciplinary artist Shaun Leonardo to campus to work with our students (and faculty). Click here to see photos from Shaun's visit.
Time Magazine reporter Jaime Ducharme working with students during her visit as the 2020 Mees Visiting Scholar.
Course Offerings
Want to see all our course offerings for academics at LA? Feel free to click here to check out our 2024-2025 Academic Course Guide.
Past Visiting Scholars
- Academics
- School Life
Lawrence Academy is pleased to announce that Brooklyn-based multi-disciplinary artist Shaun Leonardo is our J. William Mees Visiting Scholar for the 2022-2023 school year.