The course catalog has two empty spaces this year: Humanities English 9 and World History 1. The Humanities, or more commonly known as Cohort, will only be available to sophomores next year, and the year after that, the program will be entirely discontinued. The decision to remove Cohort was based on decreasing enrollment in the program. Both students and teachers are upset about this change, and it’s not hard to see why: Cohort is a great program. A project-based initiative, the cohort program is taught by Miguel Fernandez and Virginia Keel, who use real-world knowledge to their energetic teaching. The program combines history and English for freshmen and sophomores, connecting topics and themes across the two courses. By doing so, the two classes also have the same members in them, so students travel and learn together as they move through the program. 

The unique curriculum that Cohort offers encourages students to engage more deeply with the material, making learning more enjoyable and effective. Cohort fosters engagement, as there are many opportunities throughout the year that allow the students to apply what they’ve learned or hear more about it from professionals in the field. Over the course of seven years teaching Cohort, history teacher Fernandez has developed many relationships with professionals in a variety of fields and invites them to speak with the students. The professionals range from a CIA officer who worked on the mission to track down Osama Bin Laden to an astronaut who worked on the International Space Station, and students get to hear about their experiences and ask questions. 

Many of the unique opportunities that are offered in Cohort have inspired students to find their passion and pursue a career in the field they learned about. For example, Nathan Stewart (’25) was inspired to pursue nuclear engineering because of a Cohort field trip to the nuclear reactor at the University of Maryland. 

“Cohort was instrumental in my career choice,” Stewart said. “I’ve always known I wanted to do engineering, but visiting the UMD research reactor and learning the science and history behind nuclear engineering showed me one of my true passions.” 

However, the most impactful part of Cohort is not the way students learn, but the way they connect with others. Cohort is often described as “tight-knit”, and it’s hard to find a better word to describe it. In the program, students are encouraged to work closely with their peers, building a community of trust and care for one another. 

“The system of having two classes with all the same people also greatly helped with connecting to people and is why I believe the cohort program was the best choice for freshmen coming into Madison,” Marshall Le (’27) said. 

Because students feel more comfortable around their peers, they are more likely to engage and enjoy class. 

“There’s a real sense of community that’s built here,” Fernandez said.“It gives students a home within the school.”

Both Fernandez and Keel put so much time and effort into their students to make sure that they are not only succeeding in school but in their other endeavors as well. 

“Mr. Fernandez and Ms. Keel weren’t just teachers, but they enjoyed getting to know the students personally and they truly cared,” Le said. “They were always involved and asked how the students were doing and also heavily encouraged whatever passion you may have had.”

Their passion and dedication to the program have even inspired some students to save Cohort. Maia Zimlicki (’29) and Vie Moore (’29) started a petition against its removal and have gathered over 400 signatures from students, around 20% of the student body. 

“There have been so many people who have benefited from this program, and I think the students’ perspective should be considered,” Moore said. 

During its time, Cohort contributed so much to the Madison community. Not only did it start and champion the mastery grading system, but it was also a place where students could think and learn differently while making lasting connections with their peers. Cohort will be missed, but its legacy lives on in students and teachers.