(Kevin Remington)

Family, education, and morality were among the topics discussed

Anticipation was running high as families gathered outside the chapel on a drizzly, cold Friday afternoon. Just a few short weeks earlier, ticket sales generated two-and-a-half hour lines and a long waitlist as students and families attempted to secure their tickets. 

The chapel buzzed as hundreds of students and families found their sold-out seats and patiently awaited Laura and Barbara Bush. 

The ensuing talk was a round table discussion led by two of Mock Convention’s foremost leaders: Carly Snyder, ’24, and Ramsay Trask, ’24. The topics of discussion ranged from international travel to the environment, but among these topics one reigned supreme: family. 

From the onset of the event, Laura and Barbara Bush made the importance of family evident, directing all their answers towards the topic. Weighing heavy on their minds was the influence of the Bush patriarchs. 

Time and time again, the speakers referenced the authenticity, humility, and commitment of both George W. Bush and George H.W. Bush. Specifically and powerfully, Barbara Bush offered an account of her childhood. She claimed that she believed everyone’s grandfather was president of the United States. 

The Bushes made clear that their entire family adores one another. Whether referencing small family getaways, or afternoons spent at grandparents’ houses, Laura and Barbara Bush reiterated the importance of family connection time and time again – an exceptionally palatable message for Washington and Lee’s parent’s weekend.

Aside from the focus on family, Laura and Barbara Bush placed a special emphasis on the theme of education. A former teacher herself, Laura Bush recounted her experiences promoting education in Texas, either as a teacher or the first lady of the state. She referenced her experience founding both the Texas Book Festival and the National Book Festival.

Underscoring this educational focus was Barbara Bush’s experience as both a student and a global traveler. Barbara Bush, a prospective architecture student, never would have guessed that a trip to Africa on an AIDS relief trip would ignite a passion in global health – leading her to establish the Global Health Corp. Barbara Bush went on to reinforce the importance of novel experiences to one’s education, as one never knows what may kindle a passion. 

Finishing the discussion, both Laura and Barbara Bush emphasized the importance of morality: in life, in leadership, and in parenthood. Laura Bush stressed the importance of periodically self-evaluating one’s personal values and morals. She highlighted the importance of predicting one’s decisions on personal values. 

Moving into the realm of leadership, the mother-daughter-duo continued to advocate for morality, stating that one should select their leaders based on their values. 

Laura and Barbara Bush offered one last piece of advice to parents and students alike: in relationships, be present, be selfless, and finally, be moral.