When a group of Christian Hill staffers first met while working for various Members in the House and Senate, they had no idea that their policy experience would lead to opening a school in our nation's capital. Cornerstone Schools was birthed by prayers in the Capitol building by Hill staffers who felt God's call to create an academically rigorous, diverse Christian elementary school. Now, about to enter its 20th year, Cornerstone is a successful K-12 school whose principal had his beginnings as both a House and Senate staffer. Come hear from the congressional staffers who heeded God's call that led from public policy to the creation of a life-changing inner-city school.

Derrick A. Max is the Co-Founder and Principal of Cornerstone Schools of Washington, DC -- a private, classically minded Christian school serving students from Kindergarten through 12th grade in Southeast, Washington, DC. Prior to serving as Cornerstone's Principal, Mr. Max was a program director at the Arthur S. DeMoss Foundation, was Executive Director of two programs leading the effort to privatize Social Security, and worked at both the Cato Institute and the American Enterprise Institute. Mr. Max also served as the staff economist on the Education and the Workforce Committee in the U.S. House of Representatives and as a speechwriter in the U.S. Senate.

Brandi Laperriere is the Co-founder of Cornerstone Schools of Washington, DC. She got her start on Capitol Hill working for Congressman Peter Hoekstra and Senator Spencer Abraham. Currently, she remains actively engaged in the Cornerstone School while raising five children and completing a Masters in Counseling from Gordon Conwell. She and her husband Andy, a former staffer for then Majority Leader Dick Armey, live in McLean, VA.