By Elise Gao ’26

Mercersburg is proud to introduce Emily Schoenberger ’15 as the new director of civic engagement, starting in the 2025-2026 academic year. She will also assume the role of head of the history department. An alumna who returned to teach while pursuing her M.Ed., Schoenberger will be taking over this role—along with several others—from Allison Stephens P ’11, ’13, who is gradually transitioning toward retirement. Already a vital part of campus life, Schoenberger serves as a dorm dean in Swank Hall and teaches in the history department.

We recently spoke with her about the plans she has for our school’s civic engagement programming.

1. Prior to your current role, what past experience/interactions have you had with civic engagement?

I was a member of the Civic Engagement Task Force during the 2023-2024 school year. Additionally, I recently finished my M.Ed. in curriculum and instruction from Penn State, where civic education was a big focus of my program. 

2. How did you learn about, and why were you interested in pursuing this role?

I learned about this role when I reached out to apply for the history department head position. I had been independently interested in both positions, so when I heard the school was considering combining the history department head position with a new director of civic engagement role, it felt like the perfect fit for me. I’m passionate about civic education as a teacher of political science and history. But I also care deeply about this community. I have lived in Mercersburg for most of my life, and I’ve been a part of the Mercersburg Academy community for nearly as long. Taking on this role means that I will be able to impact the civic learning experiences of everyone in our community, not only the students in my classes. 

3. How would you define civic engagement within the context of our school community?

The formal definition that we’ve developed as a school is that civics is the study and cultivation of the knowledge, skills, and attitudes essential to participate as a well-informed, engaged member within a community, a nation, and the world. The shorter version is: “How do I be a good citizen?” Democratic societies require engaged citizens to function. As a college prep school, it is an essential part of Mercersburg’s job to prepare students to take on the role of engaged citizens in the wider world. How does that begin? With lots of opportunity for practice and discussion at the school and local level during a student’s time at Mercersburg. 

4. What is your vision for the future of this program, both in the short and long term?

In the short term, I’ll be focused on continuing the amazing work that Allison Stephens and Nicole Brown began. This includes overseeing the Civics Student Advisory Board, working with faculty and staff on implementing civic education in their contexts, facilitating civics-sponsored events like debate watch parties and current events teas, and sharing civic knowledge with the wider school community. In the long term, I want to build a comprehensive civic education program that will outlast any one individual director. Civics is imbued in almost everything we do here at Mercersburg, which makes this new role both daunting and hugely exciting.