Academic Concentrations

How It Works

List of 3 items.

Eligibility & Requirements
A student may apply to participate in the Academic Concentrations program in the spring of her first year at Foxcroft (usually freshman year), and eligibility is reviewed annually.
To be eligible, a student must:
- Have a proven record of motivation and achievement
- Demonstrate competency in the Concentration
Requirements to earn the Academic Concentration transcript designation vary from discipline to discipline but generally include the following:
- Rigorous course work at a high level of achievement
- Internships each year that a student is enrolled
- Annual commitment to community service in the concentration field
- Independent study and/or a culminating project
A student who enters Foxcroft after her freshman year may be eligible to transfer courses, internships, and community service from another school in order to meet the requirements; final approval for transfer credits rests with the department chair and the Assistant Head of School for Academics.
Application Process
To apply, a student should
- Meet with the Assistant Head of School for Academics
- Meet with Lead Concentration Mentor in her Concentration area
- Prepare a written proposal
- Submit a transcript and a list of co-curricular and leadership activities
Progress & Support
Each student will have:
- A “concentration mentor” — a faculty member who will guide the student through the three-year program and track her progress towards fulfilling requirements
- A “concentration committee” comprised of the mentor and two additional faculty, to review project proposals and final presentations
- A variety of internships and community service opportunities established by the School to choose from. The student may also devise her own.

News

Academic Concentration Projects Culminate in Final Presentations to the Community
6/2/2023
Last Wednesday, May 24, the Academic Concentration program’s six graduating seniors made their final presentations to family and community members during the culminating event for the program.
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Academic Concentration Projects Culminate in Final Presentations to the Community
6/3/2022
Last Wednesday, May 25, the Academic Concentration program’s eight graduating seniors made their final presentations to family and community members during the culminating event for the program. Presentations took place between 9am and 2:30pm in 30-minute time slots, with options for friends and family to attend in person or via Zoom. These students also received special recognition at Commencement on Friday, May 27, when their Concentration designations were shared as they received their diplomas.
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A Grand Finale for the Academic Concentrations
6/4/2021
From Director of STEM Education Kristine Varney

This year the Academic Concentration program graduated ten students, the largest class since the program began in 2018. Topics of study among these seniors varied widely, from Global Studies student Shuhan L.’s exploration of non-profit organizations through her work with the Operation Smile program to Gracie S.’s STEM research about the history of humans as an outdoor and indoor species, which culminated in some self-experimentation with living exclusively indoors and then outdoors for several days last summer. Global Studies student Dami O. merged several areas of interest as she looked at the effects of history, identity, and culture on modern-day U.S.-China relations.
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Equine Science Class Participates in Hoof and Distal Limb Dissection at Piedmont Equine Practice
2/21/2020
Animal Science Concentration Coordinator and STEM teacher Katie Hergenreder recently took her Equine Science students on a field trip to the Piedmont Equine Practice in The Plains, VA, to participate in a dissection of the hoof and distal limb of a horse. Students worked with veterinarians Dr. Jena Porto and Dr. Christy Moore and received a tour of the facility after the dissection. Following are two student reflections on the experience.
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Vox Media Reporter Alex Ward Speaks to Global Studies Students
2/21/2020
by Hayden E. ’21

Last week, Global Studies students had the opportunity to hear a special speaker, Alex Ward from Vox Media. He is not only a reporter but also the son of Senora Sánchez, one of Foxcroft's Spanish teachers. In addition to covering international security and defense issues, he also hosts a podcast.
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Concentration Mentors

List of 4 members.

Katie Hergenreder

STEM Department Chair, Animal Science Concentration Coordinator, Dorm Parent

Read Bio
Katie Hergenreder worked as a private tutor, teaching assistant, and radiation oncology research assistant at the University of Maryland Medical Center before joining the Foxcroft faculty in 2016 to teach physics and math and run the Learning Center’s STEM Lab. She also teaches Animal Science and Equine Science as part of the Animal Science Concentration program which Katie developed and coordinates.

Katie’s STEM skills and interests include computer programming and robotics along with math and physics. She is also a Tae Kwon Do black belt and was a member of the University of Maryland's Equestrian Club, serving as the Director of Lessons. She earned her M.Ed. from Vanderbilt Peabody College in the summer of 2021.

Katie lives on campus, is a member of the Orchard Dorm team, and has a lovable yellow-lab mix dog named Khaki. She enjoys riding off campus and is a member of the Middleburg Hunt.
Julie Fisher

Director of STEAM Education; Department Chair, Fine Arts; Yearbook Advisor

540.687.4380

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Julie Fisher joined Foxcroft's Fine Arts Department in 2017 as our Digital Arts Instructor. She supervises and teaches in The Innovation Lab @Foxcroft School. She leads classes in photography, digital design, and engineering, and also sponsors the yearbook.

From 2005-17, Julie taught all levels of photography, art, and graphic design at Atlee High School (Hanover County, VA), where she also served as Fine Arts Department Chair and National Art Honor Society Sponsor. One of her accomplishments was implementing an International Baccalaureate program in Visual Arts and Photography at the school.

Julie completed a B.F.A. in Studio Art with a concentration in photography at James Madison University and earned an M.F.A. in Photography from New Hampshire Institute of Art. She continues to pursue art at a professional level, showing her work at a variety of galleries and art centers on the East Coast. Her art combines her interests in photography technique and family genealogies, an interdisciplinary approach combining art and history that no doubt benefits our students.

Julie, her husband, Rick, and their two children, Rick and Allie, reside on campus.
Maria-Esther Sánchez

Spanish

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During my early years in Spain, my homeland, I never thought that I would be living in another country. After 27 years in Massachusetts (26 of them teaching at a coed boarding school), I had the opportunity to move to Virginia to follow my desire to teach at an all-girls school. Ten years later, I am still teaching at Foxcroft. Life is full of surprises!

Although my passion was Law, teaching was a very close second. I have been involved in education for almost four decades. At the coed boarding school where I worked in Massachusetts, I taught all levels of Spanish, including AP Spanish Language and AP Spanish Literature. I also developed courses on the Pre-Columbian Civilizations, the Spanish Civil War, Spanish Art, and the Abrahamic Religions as different alternatives to the AP Spanish courses. My passion for teaching extends as well to educating adults, which led me to run workshops and seminars for several years for the Massachusetts Foreign Language Association, where I eventually served on the Board of Directors. Furthermore, I taught Spanish to lawyers at a Law Firm for about two years, combining my love for teaching and Law.

At Foxcroft I have had the opportunity to teach all levels as well. I have also been advising a variety of student-led clubs: We the People (diversity and inclusion), Global Cultures (international awareness), and Hand in Hand (LGBTQ+). I also have the privilege of being the advisor to the Chronic Illness and Disabilities affinity group. Besides being involved in various faculty committees, and being the Global Studies Concentration Lead, I have had the pleasure of coaching volleyball, speed walking, and soccer. And just in case you wonder, yes, I am a big fan of Barça.

Besides my work at Foxcroft, my life is fulfilled by my husband, John, and my son, Alex, who lives in the D.C. area with his wife, Christine. My big hobbies are reading, photography, gardening, cooking, and mystery movies or tv shows.
Meghen Tuttle

STEM, Dorm Parent