Takoma Academy Shadow Day Inspires a New Generation of Achievers

Senior Ivan Williams is scrubbed up and ready to observe a surgery at The Johns Hopkins Hospital

One of the hallmarks of any successful business career is having a mentor. That same philosophy has not been lost in the education realm as demonstrated by Takoma Academy’s (TA) highly successful Shadow Day program.

Shadow Day allows TA students to spend a day with a person who is currently in an occupation they would like to pursue. Senior Ivan Williams, Jr., plans to become an orthopedic surgeon and landed a prized opportunity to shadow TA alumnus Jaysson Brooks (’03), who is an orthopedic surgery resident at The John Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore.

What Williams says he found most valuable about the experience was “that I got to see the field of work I would like to pursue and what all goes on throughout a day of an orthopedic surgeon.” He adds, “I really appreciate what [Dr. Brooks] does for people and for allowing me to have such an amazing experience.”

Dr. Brooks also touts the value of the program: “It was exciting for me as a Takoma Academy alumnus to have Ivan shadow me as I went through my normal day. I distinctly remember walking the halls of TA with many dreams and aspirations, not knowing whether I would be able to attain any of them,” he recalls. “I didn’t really have an opportunity to shadow any surgeons at that time. Seeing the excitement in Ivan’s eyes, and hearing the extremely intelligent questions he had about the
different aspects of patient care during rounds and  surgery, reassured me that TA is still producing academically curious students who will continue to become leaders in their various fields. I am not sure if Ivan will eventually choose to go into medicine or even become an orthopedic surgeon, but I am sure that his future is very bright.”

Junior Angela Stewart found great excitement and new found respect for the CEO of Next Day Pressure Washing, Daniel Stewart. First because the company is owned by her father, and second because she did not realize all the many facets that go into owning and operating a company. She did a full day of hard work for her dad, including helping clean up some of Maryland’s most traveled roads—ranging from the drive-through at Chick-fil-A to cleaning buildings. Stewart states that she had “no idea the great amount of effort and precision it takes to thoroughly clean a road or buildings.”