Maggie Walker holds legacies in its walls. Lives and paths have been defined by time at the governor’s school, and it’s a beautiful thing. The richly lived-in building offers us comfort and comradery in the toughest of times, gently reminding students that many before us have had and survived the same struggles. Although Maggie Walker has evolved greatly since its early days, core values, beliefs, and Walker-isms remain constant over the years. I invited two beloved teachers and MLWGS alumni, Mr. John Piersol and Mr. Samuel Ulmschneider, to illustrate their time at Maggie Walker and compare it to the school as we know it today. 

However, we have to begin the story before Maggie Walker was named Maggie Walker. It was simply the “Governor’s School,” which existed in shared space within Thomas Jefferson High School. Back then, Governor’s School students existed not only on an entirely different bell schedule from TJHS students, but were confined to the basement and top floor for the majority of their day. The Governor’s School was still on the fringe of Richmond schools—a mysterious and experimental place—and not yet the dream school of high-achieving students from north to south of the river. Piersol described this time as “the academic wild west.” Freedom reigned and the student defined the class, not vice versa. The school’s growth was cramped in this space, as it was only able to hold around 550 students, compared to some 800 students we house today. This arrangement presents itself as awkward and uncomfortable, and Piersol remembers it as “just a lot of stairs.” 

 Though the students remained largely separate, and some had gone so far as to have called GS students “unwelcome guests” within the halls of Thomas Jefferson, not all of TJHS felt this way. The Governor’s School and TJHS students shared sports teams, and in brief glimpses of togetherness, they were just a bunch of teenagers doing their average after-school activities together. Unbeknownst to his current students, Piersol was a track and cross country star and through this, gained friendship and commiseration with the TJHS students. Not every student had this, but Piersol’s experience shows that the Governor’s School’s time at TJHS wasn’t exactly a West Side Story-esque gang rivalry ordeal.

Eventually, the Governor’s School attained its own building and became the Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School for Government and International Studies. This began the transition from the lesser-known Governor’s School to the school we attend today. Both Ulmschneider and Piersol graduated in the class of ‘02—the first graduating class to have finished their high school education at the current Maggie Walker L. Governor’s School building. The students of the class of 2002 were given a blank slate, an entire world of opportunities laid at their feet. What would the new Maggie Walker be like? It’s impossible that they could have foreseen what MLWGS would become, but they set us up pretty well. 

The class of ‘02 and their administration allowed students to use and experiment with the building. They created art, murals, and other niche spaces to make the building reflect the people it held. Ulmschneider noted that Maggie Walker is teeming with “elements that have accumulated over the years, giving it a lived-in, inhabited, and accomplished feeling.” That couldn’t be more true. The trophies, murals, tapestries, and paintings that we walk past daily are a testament to that fact. The success of Maggie Walker and its students is undeniably displayed on every square inch of the building. 

Yet ironically, Governor’s School students went from having too little space to more than it could use during its transition from TJHS to Maggie Walker. Piersol commented that “When we came in senior year there were empty wings and classrooms.”  He also remarked that the capacity didn’t grow all at once, but that instead there was a slow influx each year from his time as a student to the beginning of his teaching career, and that it was “very different to come back as a teacher once we had the time to gradually year-by-year start adding freshman spots.” Even now, each incoming class is “the biggest yet,” including the class of 2027, who will join us in a few short months. 

When reminiscing about the old days, it’s often claimed that the new generation of MLWGS students have it easier. However, Ulmschneider believes that the workload has remained largely the same because as the course requirements shift, each individual class must readjust workload requirements to suit. He also said that the emphasis on AP courses has increased greatly, making many students feel that they may only stand out to colleges if they take as many APs as possible. This has contributed to a more AP-centric and competitive environment.

As we saw future Dragons flood the halls of Maggie Walker just a few weeks ago, it’s hard to imagine the reality of Maggie Walker’s early years. MLWGS has come a long way, and we are lucky to have returning alumni like Ulmschneider and Piersol who feel compelled to contribute to the mission of Maggie Walker. The education we receive here is top-notch, and the lineage before us is rich and full. Ulmschneider described his time at Maggie Walker as a student as “a hallway of potential doors.” Maggie Walker continues to lengthen this hallway, offering more and more to its current students and drawing past ones back to add to the legacy.