Copper Canyon High School teacher and student duo Samantha Ness and Adan Ramos were selected to the prestigious Albert H. Small Normandy Institute’s 2025 class, an immersive program that delves into D-Day and World War II history.
Only 15 teams across the country are selected for the program each year. The Copper Canyon pair will be the first Arizona team that has entered the program since its inception in 2011, Ness said.
The Albert H. Small Normandy Institute is a five-month program through George Washington University. It officially began in January, with institute members and staff meeting with participants over Zoom. The institute holds lectures and online discussions, usually bi-weekly, about World War II. In June, they will travel to Washington, D.C., for four days, followed by a week-long educational trip in France.
Ramos, 16, is a sophomore at Copper Canyon High School. Ness, a world history teacher, met him last year. During the past year, Ness has watched him grow personally and intellectually. She selected him for application into the program amongst several students. This will be Ramos’ first European trip.
“I’ve got so many incredible students that I wanted to provide the opportunity and keep it fair,” Ness said.
“To be chosen just here on campus, he had to write a statement of why he wanted to do it, and then we elaborated on that in the application.”
Ramos loves discovering the truth — it is why he enjoys history, and why he one day hopes to become a lawyer. Ness helped him with that journey of self-discovery, he said, helping him establish a connection with history because of her enthusiasm with the subject.
“She shares different perspectives. She brings in new people. She always shares brand new ideas to give you different perspectives from different angles, giving you the ability to just recognize how much actually goes on and outside of just our country,” Ramos said.
Among other projects and experiences planned for the teams, the Albert H. Small Normandy Institute ensures its cohorts recognize the soldiers lost in battle. While in France, Ramos and Ness will honor Shelley Doyle Montgomery, a World War II Gold Star Veteran from Tucson who was killed in action during the war. They have spent the semester learning about him and will visit his grave at the Normandy American Cemetery, Colleville-sur-Mer, France. Their biography they wrote about him will be given to the American Battle Monuments Commission and held in the archives at the Normandy American Cemetery.
A granddaughter of a Holocaust survivor, Ness recognizes the responsibility she carries as a world history teacher; furthermore, it makes the opportunity to learn more about World War II through the Albert H. Small Normandy Institute in Washington, D.C., and Paris even more special.
“While we’re in D.C., we get to do the Holocaust Museum and Arlington National Cemetery. We get private research time in the National Archives. It truly is a curated experience, being able to take classes at George Washington University for free. It’s a huge program with alumni, so once you complete it, you’re still in (it),” she said.
Acceptance into the program showcases the educational opportunities made possible through Arizona education, Ness said. Despite the stigma about the state’s education system, achieving things like this is possible.
“I’m very fortunate to teach in a district that does pay teachers very well, and that gives me a place to fight for teachers who aren’t in my position to have the same equality that I do in terms of pay and resources,” Ness said.
“With Arizona, everyone thinks, ‘Oh, it’s 49th in education,’ but these programs do exist, and they are possible. It doesn’t mean that everybody (here) is on a lower standard than the rest of the country.”
Teachers who are interested in applying for the Albert H. Small Normandy Institute for themselves and a student can do so starting Sept. 1. For more information, visit ahsnormandyinstitute.columbian.gwu.edu.