The Indian Hill School District was thrilled to welcome back esteemed educator Benn VanOudenallen to Indian Hill High School (IHHS) this school year. We say “back” because VanOudenallen is an alum (IHHS Class of 1994), and he has a Brave family! Benn’s wife, Michelle Metcalf, is a 1997 graduate, and his two daughters, Grey and Ingrid, are current Indian Hill students. In addition to teaching government and economics, VanOudenallen is leading the prestigious Indian Hill High School Mock Trial program, an institution he helped establish during his tenure as a student. We wanted to learn more about this amazing Brave!
Indian Hill School District (IHSD): Tell us more about your experience as a student at Indian Hill and your family.
Benn VanOudenallen (BV): My family moved to Indian Hill in 1992 from the Washington DC area the summer before my junior year. I moved from a top 100 public school district, so I was used to a high-performing environment, however I was blown away by the impact of the shift to a smaller school. Indian Hill’s size and philosophy allowed me to take part in so much! I feel so blessed to have had such a well-rounded final two years as a Brave.
My wife, Michelle Metcalf, is a 13-year club member and taught fourth grade in the district for a while. When our kids were little and we were pondering the best choices to make for their future, we decided we would do whatever it took to get them into the district. Grey is currently in sixth grade, and Ingrid is in fifth. As a parent, I have been absolutely delighted in my daughters’ experience. It goes without saying that the resources are top notch. However, the care and connection from those who have shepherded them along the way is evident at our diner table. One of my greatest joys is sitting over a meal and hearing them rave about their teachers, projects, bus drivers, principals, nurses, field trips … the list goes on.
IHSD: We love to hear that! Tell us about your journey into education – what sparked your love of teaching?
BV: The bug to teach was planted in my brain back in 1994 when I served as Don Flint for Senior-Switch Day. I threw on a tie and fully expected to let all my fellow seniors show up late. I ended up covering for a bit as a ‘sub’ in a math class. I was beyond fortunate that I actually understood the concept that day and that my classmates had the patience to let me explain it to them without throwing pencils in my general direction.
Twenty-five years later, I’m back home.
IHSD: How does it feel to be back inside an Indian Hill High School classroom?
BV: It has been wild to have my career come full circle this year. Thankfully, the halls I walked as a student are now gone. The spirit, the mission, and some of the faces remain. Students are still amazing and full of potential, and Indian Hill still offers phenomenal opportunities for those students to step boldly into their capabilities. What is really unique in my situation is the ability to remember the tools we had in the 1990s while seeing these kids take advantage of the tools Indian Hill has provided for them today!
IHSD: You have a history with the IHHS Mock Trial program – can you share a bit of that?
BV: Mock Trial is one of those opportunities that made Indian Hill so special. Back in 1994, Indian Hill started something called Law Club, and John Slonim was the advisor. The name change would come later. I was drawn to the idea of it and signed up for the launch. We were completely new on the scene and had no idea what we were doing. I fell in love with the energy of collective creative effort. It was the first time I had ever been part of a small team that was full of super cerebral minds. It sounds wild, but I looked forward to waking up early on Saturdays and coming into school to practice my part for the big case.
IHSD: What is your vision for IHHS Mock Trial?
BV: I want to help create that same feeling for our students. I want them to deeply enjoy the thrill of cerebral minds locked in collaborative creative effort. I want us to remain true to the competitive tradition established over the years, and I want to rack up some more state titles for sure!
IHSD: We are fortunate to have access to IHHS Mock Trial alumni – how do you plan to leverage their expertise?
BV: Finding the right partners for this is tricky. You are looking for people who check multiple boxes. You need folks who understand how to be a mentor for young people, who also have legal expertise. You are asking for their time in hopes of cultivating a multi-year relationship. As a new mentor, I have connected with several alumni and parents and we are going to start with small and specific asks this January as we continue to build that network. It is a lot easier to dabble your toe in the water and help us with a bit of case law rather than asking for a community member to digest a 200+ page case here in year one. The folks who get into it tend to GET INTO IT though. They start to anticipate the release of the yearly case in October and have a true passion for the construction of a case and helping the kids see and love the law.
IHSD: What do you want our community to know about these amazing IHHS Mock Trial students?
BV: We really have two sets of students. Covid was a major disruptor of the flow of Mock Trial. We have six selfless seniors, and I sing their praises any chance I get. When I came onboard in the spring, I told them they were inheriting a new advisor, new teammates, and a bit of a re-launch. I made it pretty clear that they would bear a lot of responsibility for teaching their new teammates as well as their new advisor. With college applications, senior year events, varsity sports, plays, and rigorous AP classes, I told them I would understand if they wanted to focus their energy in other directions.
Those six seniors stepped up and have made me so proud. They have done an amazing job bringing the new team members up to speed, displaying remarkable patience and purpose. They have established a positive culture of healthy competition and watching the two inter-squad trials was one of the most joyful moments I have had so far at Indian Hill.
The other set of students are the underclassmen who showed the gumption to try out last year, and then showed up to be part of a club run by this ‘new guy’ with a weird name. They have been comfortable being uncomfortable and navigated a whole bunch of new information with passion and humor. Their growth is a testament to the great work being done by our seniors and these underclassmen will be instrumental in transferring the culture next year.
IHSD: What are the upcoming January competitions?
BV: January really is the craziest time of year as we refine our case, our roles, and our culture. We will have two practice tournaments; The University of Cincinnati hosts a tournament on January 8 and the Buckeye Brawl is at THE Ohio State University on January 15. Those tournaments should provide us with the feedback we need to refine our approach for the pursuit of a state title which will start at districts January 27.
IHSD: What is your greatest hope for the program?
BV: My immediate hope is that I don’t let these seniors down. I want to honor their experience and expectations while keeping an eye in the future. Indian Hill has such an amazing reputation across the state that teams will most certainly bring their ‘A’-game in hopes of knocking us out.
Long term, I’d love to find myself sitting in the back of a room in 10 years, watching alumni come home during a winter break to help current students refine their cases or judge a scrimmage. It would mean that we have successfully carried on the legacy of Indian Hill Mock Trial.
Photo caption: Educator Benn VanOudenallen (IHHS Class of 1994) joined the Indian Hill High School faculty this school year to teach government and economics; additionally, he will lead the prestigious Indian Hill High School Mock Trial program. He holds artwork from when he was a student in 1994, when the original Mock Trial program, then called Law Club, was established.
Photo caption two: (L to R) Indian Hill High School Mock Trial seniors Sarika Singh, Lily Andrews, Ashwini Krishnan, Harrison Padhy, and Joseph Kayne.