Ivywood Classical Academy is pleased to welcome Jonah Wiegand as the school’s 2026-2027 Hillsdale College K-12 Education Office School Leadership Fellow!

The Hillsdale College School Leadership Fellowship is a prestigious, one-year, full-time apprenticeship that prepares future leaders for classical schools through immersive, hands-on experience. Fellows work alongside experienced heads of school to gain firsthand knowledge of instructional leadership, school operations, strategic planning, faculty development, and community engagement. The program is designed to cultivate leaders who are committed to academic excellence, moral character, and the enduring principles of classical education.

As this year’s fellow, Jonah will apprentice with Ivywood’s leadership team, gaining practical experience in every aspect of school leadership while also teaching 11th Grade Literature. Through the fellowship, he will participate in classroom observations, instructional coaching, leadership meetings, strategic planning, and stakeholder communication, preparing him to serve as a future leader in classical education.

Jonah earned his bachelor’s degree in History from Michigan State University and a master’s degree in the Social Sciences from the University of Chicago. His passion for history, literature, and the pursuit of truth, goodness, and beauty reflects the mission of classical education and makes him an excellent addition to the Ivywood community.

“We are delighted to welcome Jonah to the Ivywood community and to partner with Hillsdale College once again in preparing the next generation of classical school leaders. Through the School Leadership Fellowship, Jonah will gain hands-on experience in all facets of school leadership while collaborating with a cohort of aspiring leaders and visiting other Hillsdale Member Schools. As Ivywood prepares for its first graduating class, expands its campus, and continues to strengthen its classical program, this is an exciting time to experience the work of leading a growing school and community.”

“I hold that students deserve more than a catalog of names and dates; they deserve the full drama of human life. Rigorous engagement with history and literature equips them to ask enduring questions about goodness, truth, and beauty. In my classroom, I invite students into a living tradition of inquiry, leading them through demanding texts and rich historical narratives so they come to see how ideas and institutions emerge from real human choices and moral conflict,” shared Wiegand. “I am deeply grateful to be part of the Ivywood community and to labor alongside it in forming thoughtful, virtuous young people.”

The Hillsdale School Leadership Fellowship creates a pathway for educators, military veterans, and professionals from a variety of fields to pursue leadership in classical education. Working closely with Hillsdale College’s Graduate School of Classical Education and its growing network of affiliate schools, fellows receive intensive mentoring and practical leadership experience that equips them to lead schools dedicated to forming students in wisdom and virtue.

To learn more about the Hillsdale College School Leadership Fellowship, visit the Hillsdale College K-12 Education Office website.