40th Annual Lab School Gala
The Lab School of Washington shined a light on its mission and on several notable figures at the 40th Annual Gala Honoring Outstanding Achievers with Learning Differences. With a theme about "Illuminating the Future," Lab raised crucial funds for faculty salaries while recognizing three awardees and an Outstanding Alumni Achiever.
“What I saw yesterday blew my mind. The way the school nurtures and encourages every individual to be the best they can be. Celebrating strengths, supporting growth, and empowering each of the students’ full potential. When that kind of nurturing is combined with the passionate advocacy of you as parents and teachers, it can create something so powerful. It's raising incredible young people who will go on to change the world,” said honoree Abigail Kajumba during the 40th Annual Lab School of Washington Gala Honoring Outstanding Achievers with Learning Differences. Ms. Kajumba, the executive director of Emerging Public Leaders, and the three other honorees had toured the Lab campus the day before on “Gala Day”, and had the opportunity to see up close what makes a Lab education so special.
In addition to Ms. Kajumba, we were also excited to recognize Founder and CEO of Made by Dyslexia Kate Griggs, Graphic Novelist Mat Heagerty, as well as Outstanding Alumni Achiever Bryan Wood, who is director of Office Design & Move Services at the United States House of Representatives. Like our students, each of these special guests have their own learning differences and they shared their inspirational stories of how they achieved such success in their careers.
In their remarks, the other honorees echoed Ms. Kajumba and praised what they saw offered to Lab students. “The things that AI can't replace are the amazing dyslexic thinking skills of creativity, innovation, problem-solving, questioning, and those are the skills that are actually now the most sought-after skills in every single workplace worldwide,” said Ms. Griggs. “So, your kids are really lucky because your school is nurturing them, and really making sure that they are prepared for the workplace. When you see ‘Illuminating the Future,’ that's exactly what you guys are doing here.”
The Gala is the single biggest fundraising day for The Lab School each year, and the generous attendees and sponsors helped raise nearly $400,000 for increased teacher salaries and financial aid. Once again there was food, dancing, and the thrill of the live auction, but the highlight of the night was a performance by three members of the Class of 2025. Seniors Claire Buckley and Jacob Goldstein and music teacher Sean Rozsics accompanied Lyric Tucker in a stunning rendition of “Rise Up” by Andra Day. It was yet another reminder of the remarkable talent and creativity of each of Lab’s students.
