Since kindergarten, siblings Regan, 17, and Tommy Schultz, 19, have attended the same school. For Regan, “it’s just a big part of my life.”
Now, the two prepare to split for different universities. The siblings, who will graduate from Bishop Ireton High School in Alexandria, have enjoyed many aspects of school community together, including a seemingly endless list of extracurriculars.
Tommy is a member of the school’s Options Program and will graduate with his Options Certificate of Completion. “I’m excited to graduate. I’m going to miss all my friends, though,” he said. In Options, Tommy and his classmates practiced various life skills, including how to do laundry, manage money and even tie a tie. The class took field trips to practice some of these skills, such as going shopping at the mall before Christmas.
He participated in multiple extracurriculars throughout his high school career. Last year, he went on a school service trip to Camden, N.J., where he ministered to the homeless. “I felt nervous, but then I had a lot of fun,” he said. He also was an extra in a school play, “Hello, Dolly.”
Regan invested herself in the school community, joining the National Honor Society and Ireton Student Council. She also served in Cardinal Connections, which invites Options students, including Tommy, into the greater school community. “We just try to include them in typical school activities that most kids take for granted,” she said. Fostering this spirit of inclusion, Regan joined Options students at football and basketball games, and hosted events with them, such as Christmas parties.
The sibling duo also made their mark on Ireton athletics. Regan started out her high school career playing lacrosse and field hockey. Then, she began running track her sophomore year and hasn’t looked back since. She plans to continue running in college. Tommy skated for the boys ice hockey team for four years and served as manager of the girls’ field hockey team for three. The men’s hockey team even named an award after him, “The Tommy Award.”
After graduation, the siblings will follow their own paths. Tommy will head to George Mason University in Fairfax, where he’ll live on campus and participate in the Mason LIFE program, a program for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities. He said he hopes to make new friends.
Regan plans to use her leadership and athletic skills in service to the nation. This year, she will enter the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, where she will run Division I track and cross country. While her major is undecided, she is leaning toward quantitative economics.
Throughout her high school career, Regan said she’s been blessed with many great mentors, in particular Father Noah C. Morey, former Ireton chaplain who was appointed diocesan director of vocations last year. “I’ve definitely had a lot of great mentors to steer me in the right direction,” she said. “The Naval Academy has an Association of Christian Athletes that I’d be interested in joining and looking into. So, hopefully I can contribute to that community while I’m there.”
Although the siblings will attend different schools for the first time in a dozen-plus years, family will be less than an hour’s drive away. “It’s going to be tough, but it’s nice that we ended up pretty close to each other,” Regan said. “I’ll be able to see him often.”
