One Act of Kindness, A Thousand Ripples
The 41st Annual Gala Honoring Outstanding Achievers with Learning Differences made a splash in its debut at the Washington DC Ritz-Carlton.
Each year, Lab’s Annual Gala welcomes and celebrates individuals with learning differences who share their inspiring stories with our community. After several years on Lab’s campus, the 41st Annual Gala debuted at a new venue: The Ritz-Carlton, Washington, DC.
The honorees reflected on their personal journeys with learning differences and their visit to The Lab School. “What I saw yesterday was what I dreamt school could be when I decided to shift from law school to being a teacher,” said Holly Clark, a dyslexic education and digital learning pioneer.“What you’ve done for your kids is one of the most incredible gifts you can give.”
Lab’s Annual Gala makes the gift of a Lab education accessible to the children who need it the most, this year raising more than $535,000 for financial aid and to support teachers’ salaries.
Joining Ms. Clark as 2026 Outstanding Achievers with Learning Differences were: Chris Lehane, Chief Global Affairs Officer at Open AI and Paul Musselman, Senior Managing Director at Ankura Consulting Group. Patty Gray ’01 a technical advisor for women’s protection and empowerment at the International Rescue Committee, was recognized as Outstanding Alum. These honorees joined a distinguished group of notable achievers and leaders whose learning differences shape how they think, create, and lead.
In recognition of this distinguished community, Lab launched the Outstanding Achievers Endowment Fund for Financial Assistance at Lab, a dedicated component of Lab’s endowment that will help make a Lab education accessible to more students with learning differences across the region.
“There is a word that almost everyone who visits our school uses,” said Head of School Kim Wargo in her welcoming address. “That word is ‘magical.’ Our school makes magic. Our school transforms lives. Our school changes families.” This magic was on full display during the Gala – literally. Student artwork including paintings, ceramics, linocuts, and digital artwork, available to buy in the silent auction, adorned the reception area where guests enjoyed cocktails and hors d’oeuvres before the three-course dinner. Art classes across all three divisions worked with their teaching artists to create the collaborative pieces on display. . Guests also enjoyed a performance by Lab student Aaron Guida ’27 who sang “Good Kid” from the spring production of The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical, which also happened to be the highest grossing production in Lab’s history.
The Gala is an opportunity to celebrate what is possible when students with learning differences embrace their strengths. “Kids like yours have brains that, once unlocked, have incredible superpowers,” Mr. Lehane told parents and teachers during his remarks. “I think we just saw these in our speakers. That resilience Paul spoke of. Patty’s empathy about the world around her and thinking about refugees. Holly, that creative energy and mind to think about how this stuff can actually help to advance education. All of your kids have some version of those incredible skill sets. What The Lab School does, is unlock them by giving them the confidence to deploy those incredible talents that they all have. At Lab, I had the benefit of seeing what are going to be the next generation of superheroes and I can’t wait to see what all of your kids do.”
