Summer 2024 : simplebooklet.com

EDITOR Steven AverettCONTRIBUTORS Marla Goncalves Kyana JohnsonAmy Morris Shaumond ScottDESIGN Heather WinkelPUBLISHER Nija Majmudar MeyerMs. Madelyn R. AdamsMr. Justin H. Alexander ’99Mr. Calvin R. Allen, Jr. ’67Mr. Simon E. Arpiarian ’94Mr. Gerald R. BenjaminMr. Kenneth L. BlankMr. Ronald M. BrillMrs. Monica Howard DouglasMrs. Suzanna Sanchez Doyle ’00Mr. Michael S. DruckerDr. Russell K. Gore ’93Mr. William H. Gray IVMr. Ryan T. GunnigleMr. Rodney Scott HarrisonMrs. Jo Cranford Hodges ’96Mr. Ben F. Johnson III ’61Mr. Thomas L. Jones ’69Ms. Tamara R. Jones ’88Mr. Gregory S. Lewis ’92Mr. C. Brad Marsh ’77Ms. Belinda M.J. MorrisDr. Vicki R. PalmerMrs. Beth H. Paradies Mr. Stephen E. Roberts ’65Mrs. LaKesha M. RobinsonMrs. Lauren Z. SchlossbergMr. S. Paul Shailendra ’97Mr. Ricardo L. SimonMr. James E. Sutherland, Jr. ’86Mr. Matthew D. Wilson ’99GOVERNING BOARDWoodward Academy is Atlanta at its very best. We intentionally bring together students from diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences, creating a richer learning community and exceptional academic opportunities. Our students and graduates are caring and compassionate global citizens who are a microcosm of what the world should be. Excellence. Character. Opportunity.Woodward magazine is published twice a year by the Academy’s Marketing & Communications Oce. Contact us at magazine@woodward.edu.Mr. William W. AllisonMr. Aditya BhoopathyMr. Robert E. Bowers ’74Mr. Clarence Davis, 1974Mr. Adair Dickerson, Jr. ’71Ms. Vicki EscarraDr. Daniel S. Ferguson ’68Mr. W. Philip Gramm ’61Dr. Phillip A. Griths ’56Dr. Nancy Howard Jennings ’84Mr. Waldo S. Kennedy ’57Dr. Thomas L. Lyons ’66Mr. Gene W. Milner Jr. ’71Mr. George S. Morgan, Sr. ’69Ms. Garnet M. Nygren ’02Mrs. Marie Lupo Nygren ’78Mr. Larry D. ThompsonMrs. Amy C. VasseyMr. Anthony M. Webb ’99OUR MISSIONCHAIRDr. Xavier A. Duralde ’76PRESIDENTF. Stuart GulleyVICE PRESIDENT FOR OPERATIONS AND AUXILIARY SERVICESLee ConnerVICE PRESIDENT FOR ADVANCEMENTChris FreerVICE PRESIDENT FOR FINANCE AND CFOLouise MannVICE PRESIDENT FOR ENROLLMENT MANAGEMENTNija Majmudar MeyerVICE PRESIDENT FOR ACADEMIC AND STUDENT LIFENigel A. TraylorMEMBERSVICE CHAIRMs. Mary S. Moore ’87ADVISORY BOARD2023-24 Academic YearADMINISTRATION

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3Illuminators Among Ussteer Woodward toward its next horizon. I hope you will join me in congratulating him on his new role and wishing him great success.In the meantime, I look forward to my ﬁnal year on this campus—Woodward’s 125th anniversary—still doing my best to share my light with those who have shone so much on me during my time here.—F. Stuart Gulley, Ph.D.Last winter I had occasion to read New York Times columnist David Brooks’ book “How to Know a Person: The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen.” In it, Brooks articulates two personality types: “In every crowd there are Diminishers and Illuminators,” he writes. “Diminishers make people feel small and unseen…Illuminators, on the other hand, have a persistent curiosity about other people. They have been trained or have trained themselves in the craft of understanding others…They shine the brightness of their care on people and make them feel bigger, deeper, respected, lit up.”I was immediately struck by how aptly Brooks’ deﬁnition of an Illuminator describes so many individuals that make up our Woodward community. It may be a counselor who has been trained to demonstrate empathy and curiosity and does so adeptly, or a teacher who goes beyond educating their students to make their classroom a place of safety and support. It could be the student who sees one of their classmates struggling when no one else does and oers help, be it academically or emotionally, or a parent who volunteers to ensure all students, not just their own, have a great school experience.This issue highlights just a few of the countless Illuminators—students, faculty, sta, parents, and alumni–who make Woodward such a wonderful place to inhabit and grow.As you likely have heard by now, after 16 years basking in the light of Woodward’s Illuminators, I will end my tenure as President of Woodward Academy on June 30, 2025. The decision to leave Woodward was a bittersweet one, but the timing is right, for both myself and for Woodward. I’m even more certain of that with the recent announcement that my friend and colleague Dr. Chris Freer will succeed me as Woodward’s eighth President. Dr. Freer is intimately tied to this school and its mission, and as such is ideally positioned to FROM THE PRESIDENT“Illuminators shine the brightness of their care on people and make them feel bigger, deeper, respected, lit up.”

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WOODWARD SUMMER 20244CONVERSATIONSOCIALWhile the Woodward magazine comes out twice a year, the conversation among the Woodward community goes on year-round. Here’s a little of that conversation, both in letters sent to us and on posts from social media. The Woodward Girls Lacrosse team spent the afternoon with Piedmont Hospital NICU Parent Club.The team made blankets to give to the families of babies who have experienced time in the Intensive Care Unit at Piedmont Fayette and Piedmont Newnan Hospitals. –@woodwardacademy Lower School students and teachers threw a surprise parade for Ofﬁcer [Tim] Fenner to show their appreciation and thank him for his heroism in rescuing a woman from an apartment ﬁre near Main Campus! #woodwardway–@woodwardacademy Sophomore students spent the day at the Atlanta Community Food Bank to complete a Chick-ﬁl-A Leader Academy IMPACT THROUGH ACTION project. The students sorted, organized, and packed more than 6,000 pounds of donated food to provide boxes ready for delivery to those in need.–@woodwardacademyFollow Woodward news across social media channels.@WoodwardAcademy #woodwardwaySOCIALCheryl MinorThis is a wonderful service to parents who spend hours and days in the unit with their loved one. Thank you for caring.Ashley Smith CrabtreeNICU Parent Club is so thankful for the support!

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5CORRECTIONThe winter 2024 issue of Woodward magazine included several misspellings of Mo Lotfy’s name. We regret the error.Woodward Academy won Gold for Magazine Cover Design in the 2023 Brilliance Awards by InspirED School Marketers. Read more about the school’s win and the Marketing & Communications team’s process for creating an award-winning design at woodward.com/newsroom.Award-Winning CoverageWINTER 2023WOODWARD5SUMMER 2023GHOSTIN THEMACHINEHow artiﬁcial intelligence and emotional intelligence are reshaping education@trahlyta Congratulations! So many excellent, hard working teachers here!! chevydoingwhatevy @maya_packer glad to have been taught my many of these people!@s.mitchell9 COACH HARDIN FOR THE WIN@irishacw Congratulations out of this list we had 3 of these teachers & all 3 were my favs. Thy you!@mollyandie Congrats Sra. Wiseman! One of the best teachers I've ever had Congratulations to the recipients of the Endowed Professorship & Marcia Prewitt Spiller Teaching Excellence Award.These distinguished honors were given to faculty members who demonstrated qualities of effective and exemplary teaching and dedication to their students, colleagues, and curriculum in and out of the classroom.Endowed Professorship recipients listed in order from left to right: Kourtney Mance '91, Chris Hardin, Chelsea Sullivan '08, Lori Beth Wiseman, and Jenifer Baro.MPS Teaching Excellence Award recipients listed in order from left to right: Da'Nall Wilmer, Michael Mousadis, Anna Thomas '07, Audrey Baugh, Kate Armstrong, and Lori Fenzl, with Marcia Prewitt Spiller (right). –@woodwardacademyAWARDS

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8WOODWARD SUMMER 2024In the bustling halls of the Middle School, a group of dedicated students is quietly making a signiﬁcant impact on campus life. The Middle School Crew Council, composed of homeroom representatives from each of the school’s six houses, represents a beacon of leadership, service, and gratitude. They’ve undertaken several initiatives showcasing their commitment to fostering a positive and inclusive school community.The Crew Council allows students to actively participate in shaping their school experience by joining either the Service Committee or the Sunshine Committee. The Service Committee plays a crucial role in major school service projects, including the canned food drive and the holiday gift drive for children in foster care. These students embody the spirit of giving and community support.Expressing gratitude is an essential part of the Sunshine Committee’s mission. In the fall, council members crafted heartfelt thank-you cards for the administration, counselors, and support sta. In a display of appreciation for behind-the-scenes heroes, they created signs acknowledging the eorts of housekeeping, facilities, and food service personnel. The Crew Council contributes to fostering an inclusive environment by organizing activities for the No Place for Hate campaign. They bring awareness to cultural holidays and observances, ensuring that every student feels recognized and respected. Moreover, during Black History Month, the Council plays a pivotal role in acknowledging and celebrating the contributions of Black individuals throughout history. In February, the Council assisted Woodward’s BHM activities and speaker series as well as the Black History Month Showcase. Last year, the Crew Council expanded its reach by collaborating with Upper School students on a recycling project. This initiative not only promotes environmental Middle School Crew Council Takes Actionconsciousness but also fostered teamwork and cooperation between dierent grade levels. The council’s dedication to creating a sustainable future reﬂects their holistic approach to leadership.Acknowledging the impact their school has on the local community, a few of our council members designed and packaged treats for delivery to neighbors near the Middle School. This thoughtful gesture aimed to express gratitude for their patience and understanding, recognizing the challenges that come with living close to a bustling educational institution.Overall, the Middle School Crew Council stands as a testament to the power of student leadership and the positive inﬂuence it can have on a school community. Through their service, gratitude, and commitment to inclusivity, these young leaders are shaping the future not only within their school walls but also in the broader community. As they continue to inspire their peers, the Crew Council is leaving an indelible mark on the hearts and minds of those touched by their endeavors.

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11stocks and sonsAlyssa Gao ’26Cleo Hudson Poetry Contest 1st Place Winnerstale coee and company accompany the businessmanhe is half listening to what’s-his-name, what’s-his-face droneon about how his wife’s been nagging him about treehouses and a son,and for once the businessman is interested and it’s not just becausethey’re not talking about stocks and their receding hairlinesanymore, but rather because he suddenly remembers his wife’s naggingabout his son, his son with his teeth all grown and who isn’t naggingabout playing ball together anymore, and you know, maybe he’s becoming his little businessmanis what the businessman would like to think, that maybe they’d have matching hairlinescome a couple decades or so, But he only remembers that his son asked for a dronefor christmas one year or another, and he’s racking his brain becausehe doesn’t know his favorite color even, let alone his career choice. But he’s his son,chip o the old block, but barely a daddy’s boy, nearly half a son.his boy’s nagging about math homework is long gone, replaced with the naggingof his boss with the fancy red car becausehey, he’s got to make money for his son’s business school because he’s his little businessmanand maybe his son would be better at it and buy his son’s son a droneand this time, hopefully it’ll be before their hairlinesboth recede. hopefully his son will realize there’s a hairlinebetween a bad and an absent father—and that those years go by faster than you can say “sonof a gun.” but can you blame the businessman? he didn’t want his son thinking he’s some drone,and how else would he. prove himself other than by dealing with some big shot’s naggingfrom nine to ﬁve for his cushy job as a businessman.he did it for him: he hopes his son knows what his daddy is made of, becausethe printer in his oce only works half the time, and he’s got to deal becausehe’d chosen a lifetime of busy work over playing ball with his sonSentencesMICHIE TURPIN

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WOODWARD SUMMER 12This year marked the retirement of Woodward performing arts chair and choir director Suzanne Woodru ’77. After attending Woodward, Woodru began work with the school in 1991 as a private piano teacher at the now-defunct Busey School campus in Riverdale, eventually amassing 60 piano students. She also worked as a choir assistant and substitute before she was oered a job as the music teacher at Busey in 1994. After 11 years in that role she moved to Main Campus in 2005 as one of the Middle School and Upper School choir directors. Since 2018 she has served as chair of the performing arts department.Woodru sat down with us to look back at her career and to survey Woodward’s performing arts program as she steps away.What are some of the proudest moments of your career?I have lots of those! I started my career in Clayton County and taught at a junior high school there. One of my proudest moments was courtesy of a student named Mark Wills–real name Mark Williams–who is a member of the Grand Ole Opry. He says I was the ﬁrst person to ever hand him a microphone. He’s very special to me, so I’m very proud of that. I had lots of other wonderful students there as well.At Busey we did a lot of seasonal programs that I was very, very proud Last SongWoodward Performing Arts Chair Suzanne Woodruff takes a bow.ARTS Q&A2007. We go to Europe because most of the music we perform comes from the European tradition. But, as mentioned, we’ve started branching out and doing a little bit more world music and actually taking some world music. Getting to have Woodward students sing for international audiences and witnessing that experience for the kids; I guess that would be my proudest moment. At a time when many schools are de-emphasizing or even eliminating visual and performing arts programs, how do you articulate the value of the arts as a part of the curriculum? We help give our students things they need, like teaching compassion, empathy, and worldview. We sing PAUL WARDof. And then here at Main Campus I had a wonderful treble choir that performed at the Georgia Music Educators Convention in 2015.Another one of my proudest moments is the stellar jazz choir that I had this year. We did a piece that had been performed at the World Cup a few years back. It’s called Dreamers, and it was by a Korean singer, but it had an Arabic singer that joined with him. So one of my girls learned the Arabic part and performed the solo. It was the ﬁrst time I’d ever had someone singing in Arabic. But I guess the proudest moments of my whole career have been getting to go on European tours with my students. I’m about to lead my ninth one with Woodward kids. The ﬁrst one we did was in ITALY CHOIR TOURSee photos from the Woodward Academy Choirs performance tour of Italy on pg. 28.

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13they created. That’s been a great way for us to reach other kids. This year, when the older group started singing, there was a girl sitting on the ﬂoor listening to them. And just the expression on her face when she heard that choral sound in the rotundas–it was like she’d never heard that before. Because a lot of the music that they listen to in their normal lives isn’t that choral sound.This year I was so excited because we had six new freshmen. They were all females who joined choir who weren’t at Woodward last year. One of them was the girl who learned the Arabic song. And we featured two or three others on solos during the year. So Admissions is doing a great job at getting us some new students in! And then we’ve got some students that are coming in from the Atlanta Girls School who have been singing there. We’re seeing a lot of interest.What is your favorite memory from your time at Woodward? There are so many. I don’t think I could pick just one favorite one. Recently they did a farewell concert honoring me, and we had more than 50 people come back. So that was awesome. We got to sing in Notre music from all over the world. We sing in dierent languages. For instance, most of our students aren’t Catholic. Some aren’t even of the Christian faith. But we’re singing as part of the mass at St. Peter’s on this upcoming tour, which calls for a lot of heavy Catholic music, because we’re singing in religious spaces. For some of them we can’t perform anything unless it’s in Latin. For the students to be able to step into that role and see that long history of religion is valuable.But more important than what we teach them, I think, is building self-esteem and what it does for the students’ day because we’ve built such a community here. We have 68 kids who participated in our Honors Choir program this year. So they stayed with us on Tuesday nights. They build these deep relationships with their fellow students. They share a meal together. It’s so good for their mental health to be a part of the arts programs. What do you see as the greatest strengths of Woodward’s performing arts program? I love the way we all collaborate. We do a trip in the Middle School where the band, choir, and orchestra all travel together. We do things like Baccalaureate, where our dancers perform while we sing. The performing arts department meets together at least once a month to work things out because we’re sharing spaces. I love getting them all to sit down together and just start talking. So that’s one of my favorite things about this group is the way they support each other. What opportunities do you see for the Woodward performing arts program going forward? All of our groups are growing and thriving. And the more we can get our performers out there and let people see us, the more people want to be a part of it. The visual arts department lets us be a part of Experience the Arts Day, which Dame in Paris before it burned. That's a cherished memory.What’s next for you?The other day one of my Middle School students told me he wouldn’t be doing summer camp this year. I said, “Why don’t you get to go to camp?” And he said, “Well, I’ve aged out.” And that’s kind of what I feel like I’ve done. I’ve sort of aged out. It’s just time for me to do something else.My husband and I really love to travel. I have a good friend in Paris who I met during the choral tours. She was our tour manager. We’ve gotten to be very close. So I’ll be spending some time with her. And then I’ve done a few little projects for the tour company that I’ve been working with since 2008, helping other people set up trips and that sort of thing. I’m hoping to do a little work for them. I may teach some private lessons or help out some choir directors. I’ll still be around. I hope I get to come back to Woodward and assist. But in general I want to be more accessible to my family and my husband; just not be as busy. That’s the biggest thing. I just want to have a little bit slower, simpler life.

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WOODWARD SUMMER 202416Parent Community Leaders Welcome All to Get InvolvedGIVING BACKan opportunity to thrive in the arts, clubs, leadership, community service, sports, and academics. Nilam: What made Woodward stand out was that every student can ﬁnd success here, and that the school embraces each student’s unique talents and passions. The Academy provides a strong curriculum, a wide variety of cocurricular activities, state-of-the art facilities, and a strong school culture. All of these strengths will allow my children to ﬁnd success beyond their time at Woodward when they pursue their future ambitions.Tell us about your students’ experiences at Woodward.Susan: Both of my boys started in ﬁfth grade in the Lower School, one in mainstream and one in the Transition Learning Support Program. Lower School was a fantastic place to start a new school. It is part of a huge campus, but still has a small elementary school warmth. Both boys grew so much because of all the opportunities and experiences they’ve had at Woodward. My oldest just returned from his ﬁrst Maymester trip for Outdoor Leadership. He loved it.Nilam: Both of my children have had wonderful experiences at Woodward. They had the opportunity of starting their Woodward journey at the North campus, where they beneﬁted from a tight-knit community and a strong academic background. As they progressed to Main Campus, they built upon their strengths, achieved academic success, and found a larger community that shares their same interests and passions. They have each found their own way to thrive academically and socially. Why do you choose to give your time, talent, and treasure to Woodward?Susan: I love Woodward, and I wanted to get involved and The Woodward Academy Parent Community works to build community, enrich campus life, and enhance the student experience through programming and volunteer activities. All Woodward parents are automatically members of the Parent Community and are welcome at board meetings and events. Susan Dutson ’97, who served as Parent Community president in 2023-2024, will hand over leadership to Nilam Patel for 2024-2025. Woodward magazine spoke with Susan and Nilam about why they serve and what the Parent Community oers to all parents.First, tell us about your families.Susan: We are the Dutsons: Susan, Don, Donald, 17, and John, 14. We’re a very active and sporty family. We love outdoor activities such as mountain biking, ﬁshing, hiking, skiing, kayaking, clay target shooting, and playing lacrosse. Honestly, I am just the mom on the ﬁeld or on the sidelines for most of the sports, but I love being there. Nilam: My husband, Mehul, and I have two children, Layla, 16, and Dev, 14. They started at Woodward North in prekindergarten, and it is dicult to believe they will both be in the Upper School next year! Our family loves to travel, cook, watch and play tennis, and just relax with family and friends.Why did you choose Woodward for your students?Susan: We chose Woodward for all of the opportunities provided throughout a student’s school career. Woodward gives students Nilam and Mehul Patel with their children, Layla ’26 and Dev ’28.

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17meet other parents. As an alum, I knew Woodward had so many opportunities for my family, and I wanted to volunteer to learn about everything occurring on campus. Also, I feel it is the least I can do to give my time, talent, and treasure because my boys are spending the majority of their days at Woodward.Nilam: My involvement with the Parent Community was deﬁnitely an organic process. I started out by volunteering at the book fair 12 years ago when my daughter was in pre-K, and my love for the school and desire to give back has grown exponentially through the years. Although I am giving of my time, talent, and treasure, there is so much I get in return—being a part of an amazing community, getting to know and appreciate the dedicated faculty and sta who make the Academy so successful, and making friendships along the way! Why do you give your time as leader of the Parent Community?Susan: I was very honored to be asked to take on the role as Parent Community president for the 2023-2024 school year. I’ve enjoyed working with the parents in all the schools and committees on Parent Community. Our Parent Community chairs are fantastic. It really amazes me how this group of parent volunteers comes together with administration to pull o such awesome, supportive events for our students, teachers, parents, and sta. I gave my time to lead because I believe in Woodward and all the hard work that the Parent Community accomplishes as a group.Nilam: I am honored to share my time with the Parent Community because I strongly feel that the work we do is an integral part of the Academy. We help build community between the students, faculty and sta, and parents. We support and show our appreciation for all of the members of the community. We also build community amongst ourselves as a dedicated group of parent volunteers who want the best for our children. The work of each volunteer—whether it be a blood drive donor, book fair volunteer, room parent, or school chair—makes a signiﬁcant contribution to our school. It truly is my privilege to support this tremendous group of volunteers.For Susan, what accomplishment from 2023-2024 are you proud of?Susan: My favorite accomplishment this year was our gratitude project in November. Parent Programming, led by Alicia Woods, invited all parents to come write handwritten thank-you notes to all our operations sta (dining services, housekeeping, security, facilities, and student transport). Then the Parent Community board, under the direction of Emily Miller, made a video thanking the operations sta. During the week before Thanksgiving break, we delivered a treat and note to each operations sta member. For Nilam, what is your vision 2024-2025?Nilam: Susan has done a remarkable job this past year, and I hope to continue with her eorts in gratitude. We are moving toward a more deﬁned role in these eorts by creating a “WA Cares” team within our Parent Programming committee. Two of my main goals for this year are to increase our social media presence and work toward a more interactive Parent Community website within the Parent Portal. Lastly, my larger vision for this year would be to create an open environment within the Parent Community where collaboration is celebrated and everyone feels welcome to participate and share their ideas and contributions. And we’ll be marking the 125th anniversary of Woodward, so it will be a year of celebration!Why is it important for parents to give what they can to The Woodward Fund?Susan: All the fun and amazing events sponsored by the Parent Community every year are supported by The Woodward Fund. I’m a big believer that every parent has something wonderful to oer Woodward Academy and that can come in many dierent forms.Nilam: Giving back is a way to ensure that our students continue to have a world-class experience throughout all of their years at the Academy. The Woodward Fund allows for us to retain the best teachers, have the best resources, and provide the best experiences for our children. When parents give to The Woodward Fund, it allows the Academy to remain “Atlanta at its very best” for years to come. How can other parents get involved in the Parent Community?Susan: There are opportunities to get involved with the Parent Community all over campus, including volunteer opportunities inside each school. On the Parent Portal, under “The News You Need Now,” you’ll ﬁnd current volunteer opportunities listed. Also, every month you’ll receive the Parent Community email newsletter, which lists the opportunities for parent engagement as well as programs and events for parents.Nilam: If you are a parent at Woodward, then you are automatically a member of the Parent Community. I encourage parents to get involved by signing up for volunteer opportunities. You also can learn more by emailingparentcommunity@woodward.edu.

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18WOODWARD SUMMER 2024In celebration of Woodward Academy’s quasquicentennial (125th) anniversary next year, we are gathering 125-word “tiny memoirs” from current and former students, faculty, and sta. We’re looking for submissions focused on a speciﬁc moment, feeling, or subject, rather than a wide-ranging summary of your Woodward experience.On the right is an example from Caroline Guest Stancil ’03, Woodward’s Director of Advancement.For more examples of this type of micro memoir, you may wish to peruse the New York Times’ Teen Tiny Memoirs contest.We also would appreciate a picture to accompany each memoir submission. While a current portrait is acceptable, more creative submissions—a picture of you during your time at Woodward, a picture of the place or thing being recollected—are especially appreciated.So pick a representative moment from your time at Woodward, encapsulate it in 125 words, and share it with us! We will select our favorites for forthcoming publication and will share all entries online. You can enter your memoir at woodward.edu/tinymemoirs.Thank you for sharing your Tiny Memoir! Sons of the Class of ’91Class of ’91 Woodward alums Shalonda Armstrong (left), Kourtney Mance (center), and Sabrina Burnett (right) with their sons, 2024 Woodward graduates Terry Armstrong (left), Austin Mance (center), and Brandon Burnett (right).We Want Your Micro Memoirs!THEN AND NOWTH ANNIVERSARYWoodward North Field DayParents gathered in the Multiplex awaiting the opening ceremonies as students processed in with their assigned country. I was assigned to Germany most years, which donned a black t-shirt. The Olympic theme song blared as the fastest 6th graders sprinted around the room for the running of the torch. Your schedule of events for the day written on an index card pinned to your shirt upside down so that you could quickly ﬂip it up to see your next endeavor—among them the e toss, three-leed race, or legendary trash can dig. The day was rounded out by the medal ceremony, and of course the epic tug of war as each country battled for gold—all orchestrated perfectly by Coach Vincent.SUBMIT YOUR TINY MEMORIESYou can enter your memoir at woodward.edu/tinymemoirs.Tiny memory example

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20WOODWARD SUMMER 2024Arc of a DiverOn the block with diving team member RJ Snyder ’25.Student writer Sadler Wilson ’25 interviewed state championship diver RJ Snyder about his background and experience in diving. Her article shared here ﬁrst appeared in The Butterknife, Woodward’s Upper School Student Newspaper.As many know and can relate to, the balance of being a student-athlete proves to be one of the greatest challenges for high schoolers. Finding the balance between time for yourself, academics, family, friends, and the sport that you love is extremely important. RJ Snyder ’25 executes this balance perfectly as an accomplished diver for WA and the Atlanta Diving Association at Georgia Tech. Prior to moving to Atlanta at the age of 10, RJ ﬂourished as a tumbler at his local gym in Chicago. However, when moving to Atlanta, ﬁnding a tumbling center proved to be challenging, so his parents oered him the decision between gymnastics and diving. Both sports would allow RJ to use his skills from tumbling, but he chose to dive. He began the process of joining a club team and starting his diving career. “When my parents were looking into it, they saw that Georgia Tech had a club team… so I started o with the lesson group, and after a year, my coach moved me up into the top team and I’ve been on there ever since,” RJ said. RJ’s weekly routine is constantly ﬁlled up with school, diving practices, and time at home or with friends. While balancing between club team practice and WA’s practice, RJ is at the dive ﬁve days out of the week. RJ begins his day with school and immediately has to leave to beat trac to get to his practice on time. RJ comes to WA practice one day out of the week– Monday–and club practice four days out of the By Sadler Wilson

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21week– Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday mornings. “I have to get to Tech by 5 pm, but I get there at 4:30 to be able to get in on time, and then we stretch,” RJ said. “We get in the water at 5:45, get out at 7:30, and then we do a little conditioning, and I get home at 8:30.”During the fall, RJ competes in high school meets for WA, but in spring and summer, he competes in meets for his club team. While most high schoolers get to spend their summer traveling and having downtime, RJ’s dive season is in full swing at GA Tech. Although the season restricts him from traveling over breaks, RJ enjoys all of the meets that he gets to compete in over the summer. When asked about a memorable meet that he competed in, RJ recounted the memory of his ﬁrst time qualifying for Nationals. “I was 12 and I had just started basically… and I ended up having a really good meet and I qualiﬁed for Nationals in the last spot, and my coaches were not expecting that,” RJ said. Today, RJ has since placed 19th in Nationals. When coming to WA during his freshman year, RJ attended one day of WA dive tryouts. RJ easily made the team and began competing for WA in the fall of 2021. Ever since, RJ has qualiﬁed for state in all three years of his high school career. RJ clearly has an appreciation for both his club team and the WA team. “I don’t go to practice here at Woodward a lot, but I love the team here,” RJ said. “I have really good relationships with everyone.”Every season so far, RJ has successfully qualiﬁed for State, and he explains the gradual process of competing to dive at this prestigious meet. “For the meets in high school–I think we have about eight–you have to get a certain score to qualify for State, and I think we had ﬁve divers qualify for State, including myself,” RJ said. At the State meet, there were 30 divers from both 6A and 7A divisions. Out of both of those divisions, RJ had to ﬁrst score in the top 10 to move on to ﬁnals. After competing in the ﬁrst and second rounds, RJ did a total of 12 dierent dives, completing six dives in each round. After ﬁnals, the judges separated divers from 6A and 7A into their individual divisions. RJ ﬁnished ﬁrst in 6A, which is a major accomplishment for himself and WA’s Dive Team. To RJ’s complete surprise, his friend group appeared at the State meet in support of him and his teammate Dillon Craig ’25. RJ was extremely grateful for their support and explained how much it meant to him. “They didn’t tell me that they were going to go, and I thought that was so cute because they made a poster and everything,” RJ said. “It was just good vibes, and I loved that they were showing their support.”It is clear that the WA community is so proud of RJ and all of his accomplishments as a diver. As RJ is ﬁnishing his junior year, he is looking to the future of diving in college. RJ has received three oers so far, and it seems that he has already fallen in love with one of the lucky schools. Lower School students can avail themselves of a full slate of intramural athletics, which are often a great way to discern a favorite sport before playing at the more demanding junior varsity and varsity levels. Here are the key dates for this year’s intramurals (dates subject to change).Lower School IntramuralsDID YOU KNOWFLAG FOOTBALLAugust 26 - October 3Sign Up: August 12CHEERLEADINGAugust 26 - October 3Sign Up: August 12CROSS COUNTRYSeptember 9 - 19Sign Up: August 26SOCCER October 7 - 17Sign Up: September 23TENNISOctober 21 - 30Sign Up: October 7LACROSSENovember 4 - 14Sign Up: October 21SWIMMINGFebruary 10 - 20Sign Up: January 27WRESTLINGFebruary 10 - 20Sign Up: January 27BASKETBALLMarch 17 - 27Sign Up: February 24SOFTBALLApril 1 - 10Sign Up: March 18VOLLEYBALLApril 14 - 24Sign Up: April 1TRACKApril 28 - May 8Sign Up: April 14Snyder (in plaid pants) with his teammates at this year's state championships.

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24WOODWARD SUMMER 2024IN THE WORLDInternational Maymester ProgramsGLOBAL CONNECTIONSMaymester included a variety of on-campus courses, some including daytime excursions, overnight domestic trips, and even a few international experiences. We are pleased to share the success of six Maymester international programs that spanned the globe from Africa to Europe to Central America. Each program had a dierent focus and learning objectives. Some even included partner school exchanges with homestays. We hope you enjoy reading about the students’ incredible experiences.FRANCEFrench Partner School ExchangeDuring the French Partner School Exchange, Upper School students participated in an immersive cultural experience combining language learning and a taste of local life in the small town of Roanne, France. For two weeks, students lived with a host family while attending Woodward partner school, Institut Saint Paul. Students experienced everyday life with their family and enjoyed cultural group activities such as visiting a local primary school and agricultural school, rowing on the Loire River, traveling to nearby Lyon, and of course, learning all about French gastronomy and craft through visits to a local market, bakery, chocolate maker, vineyard, and more. This school year, Woodward students will host their French counterparts when Institut Saint Paul visits in Spring 2025. We are thankful for our decade-long partnership and the opportunity for our students to make lifelong cultural connections.

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26WOODWARD SUMMER 2024ROMEClassical Architecture: Woodward and RomeAs part of the Rome Classical Architecture Maymester course, 20 Upper School students explored the history and inspiration for many of the buildings on Woodward’s campus referencing architecture from ancient Rome. Students ﬁrst researched and presented a building or architectural feature on campus and compared it to a similar structure or feature from ancient Rome. Students then spent six days traveling through Italy, focusing on sites around Rome as well as in Perugia and Assisi. The program ﬁnished with a tour of the Marmore Falls, the largest manmade waterfall in Europe. Along the way, students were immersed in some of Rome’s most famous sites: the Colosseum, Forum, Circus Maximus, and Castel Gandolfo. In Perugia, they learned about the city’s underground architecture and defensive battlements. Finally, in Assisi, the group visited the historic Basilica of St. Francis and explored the Rocca Maggiore sitting above the city center. Students also sampled much of the famous Italian cuisine and even took part in a chocolate-making course, where they enjoyed the fruits of their labor! GERMANYPlaces of MemoryOn our travels to Berlin and our partner school, the Hans Erlwein Gymnasium in Dresden, Germany, students considered how we remember the past and how the past is memorialized dierently in dierent parts of the world. Inspired by Pierre Nora’s philosophical text, “Places of Memory,” students investigated personal memory versus institutional memory. What events, people, and places are deemed indelible with ocial museums, monuments, and landmarks? What personal stories are contained in them? Where else is personal memory embodied in these cities and at home? Students kept a daily journal, comparing how they saw history represented in foreign cities and how they have seen history shown at home.During the partner school exchange in Dresden, students lived with host families while attending school and participating in a variety of cultural activities. Students will host their German partner school in October 2024. Time in both Berlin and Dresden aorded students two dierent experiences adding depth to the program and cultural perspective-taking.

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27ESWATINI AND SOUTH AFRICACommunity Initiative, Trekking, & SafariThirteen Woodward rising juniors and seniors, accompanied by faculty members Paula Gentry and Ronda Zents, traveled to South Africa for a two-week adventure that included a community initiative, backpacking trek, and safari. For the community initiative, the group partnered with a rural Neighborhood Care Point in the kingdom of Eswatini, where they camped for ﬁve days supporting the work of this UNICEF-funded project. Their days were spent learning the local language and customs of the Swati people while playing with and caring for the children the project serves–many of whom have lost their parents to the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Eswatini. The team also worked on two building projects: ﬁnishing the construction of a chicken breeding house and clearing the ground for a new community clinic.For the backpacking trek, the team shouldered their 65L packs with their tents and belongings and set o on a three-day hike of the Ngwempisi River Gorge, which covered an 18-mile stretch with several river crossings and steep elevations. The trip concluded in South Africa’s famous Kruger National Park where the group enjoyed encounters with lions, elephants, giraes, hyenas, hippos, baboons, and many varieties of antelope and birds. Before ﬂying out of Johannesburg, students also visited the Apartheid Museum and Soweto township. The trip itinerary was co-authored with World Challenge, an organization that inspires leadership through student-led expeditions and sustainable travel.

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29Woodward Academy has been awarded the GEBG Endorsement for meeting the Global Education Standards of model practice. As stated on the GEBG website, it is a leading non-proﬁt association of K-12 schools that researches and establishes model practices in global education and supports member schools to bring global perspectives, global issues, and global competencies into their teaching and learning. Woodward is only the eighth school globally to earn the endorsement. The other schools are: ¢ Appleby College (Ontario, Canada) ¢ Epiphany School of Global Studies (North Carolina, USA) ¢ The Harker School (California, USA) ¢ Miami Country Day School (Miami, USA) ¢ Pace Academy (Georgia, USA) ¢ Providence Day School (North Carolina, USA) ¢ St. Mark’s School (Massachusetts, USA)In tandem with SAIS accreditation this past fall, a GEBG representative joined the accreditation team to evaluate how Woodward meets the Global Education Standards. The resulting Endorsement Report provided commendations and recommendations that will drive the growth of our Global Connections program and global education goals throughout the Academy. Woodward Earns Global Education Benchmark Group EndorsementNEW YEAR’S BAND TRIP TO ROME, ITALYUpper School band students, accompanied by teachers and chaperones Ken Beard, Valerie Morgan, Gina Calloway, Reid Hall, and Harrison Morgan, traveled to Rome, Italy, from December 28 to January 4. There the students had the opportunity to perform in the city’s New Year’s Day parade. Additionally, they experienced Italy’s rich culture by visiting iconic places like the Colosseum, Vatican City, Circus Maximus, the Trevi Fountain, the Spanish Steps, the Pantheon, and Pompeii.The band, led by Kenneth Beard, committed to months of practice and preparation for the opportunity to perform in the parade, along with ensemble performances for residents and tourists in other quaint spaces around Rome. The students represented themselves and Woodward Academy well!

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30WHAT BROUGHT YOU TO WOODWARD AND HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN HERE?I came to Woodward as a cheerleading coach in 2003. I served as a permanent substitute teacher in the Lower School before becoming a fourth grade teacher in 2006. I became Assistant Principal at the Primary School in 2015, then Principal in 2023. I have been at the Academy for 21 years, but serving full time for 18. It certainly does not feel like it has been that long, but time ﬂies when you’re having fun!WHAT DOES DAVID BROOKS’ DEFINITION OF ILLUMINATORS MEAN TO YOU?David Brooks’ deﬁnition of Illuminators strikes me as a description of the ultimate people person! When an Illuminator leaves a room, others feel good about the time they have spent with them. People feel seen, heard, valued, and safe when illuminators are around. AS PRINCIPAL, YOU’RE A BIG SOURCE OF LIGHT IN THE PRIMARY SCHOOL. WHAT INSPIRES YOU TO BE AN ILLUMINATOR DAY BY DAY?It is truly an honor to be considered a source of light. The ﬁrst things that come to mind are positivity and joy. I have always been an optimist. While I do see the negative side of things and acknowledge it, I ﬁnd much more value in accentuating the positive. You can choose not to let the negative overshadow the positive and steal your joy. I am a huge Harry Potter fan and one of my favorite quotes comes from the ﬁlm adaptation of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Professor Albus Dumbledore, says, “Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light.” I couldn’t agree more!I consider myself to be a people person. I am genuinely interested in people and their stories. I enjoy talking to others, learning about them, and hearing dierent perspectives. As a principal, I consider one of the most important parts of my job to be knowing my community so I can better connect, support, and empower them.My two biggest inspirations are the WA community and my family. I love Woodward–our faculty and sta, our students and their families, and our leadership. I also love my family. I do my best to make my community and my family proud every day.HOW DO YOU TEACH OR INSPIRE WOODWARD’S YOUNGEST STUDENTS TO BECOME ILLUMINATORS?At the Primary School we have the tremendous responsibility of laying the foundation for our students’ educational journey–and really, their future. In addition to teaching them to read, developing their number sense, writing skills, as well as many other endeavors in the academics and arts, we also instill positive values in our students that will help them for the rest of their lives.A really big part of what we do at the Primary School is lay the groundwork to help our students become caring and compassionate global citizens who are truly a microcosm of what the world should be. We want our students to respect everyone, to know how to listen to others, to have productive discourse, and to work together, even if they have dierent views. We also want them to know how to think critically to solve problems. This is challenging and important work that is only possible with a great deal of intentionality, fabulous faculty, and supportive parents.To help develop the next generation of Illuminators, we create an environment where students feel seen, heard, valued, and safe. This starts with taking time to get to know each student at the beginning of the school year. Each classroom has a morning meeting to give each student the opportunity to connect, share, and even move (which is so very important for our youngest learners) before the school day begins. We build time into the schedule with our wonderful counselors to ensure our students receive the social-LIGHTING THE SPARKDr. Erica Wiltshire is the beloved Principal at Woodward’s Primary School. She explains her role as an Illuminator, and how the Primary School seeks to instill those traits in Woodward’s students.IlluminatorsCELEBRATING THEIlluminators: Deﬁned by author David Brooks as “someone who has a persistent curiosity about other people, is trained in the craft of understanding others, and knows how to ask the right questions at the right times to see things from another’s point of view."

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31emotional support and skills needed in today’s society. We teach and reinforce respect and the importance of the Woodward Way. We are intentional about what is displayed throughout our building and even the books that are found in our libraries.We do these things because we believe in the importance of “windows and mirrors.” Children–well, all people really–need to see reﬂections of their own culture and experiences, but also should have the opportunity to view cultures and experiences that are dierent from their own to build empathy. We choose SEE Learning Character Words inspired by our school theme to focus on each month. For 2024-2025, the Primary School theme is “It’s a Beautiful Day in Our Neighborhood!” Together, the ﬁrst letter of each of our character words spells “neighborly”:NeighborlyEmpatheticIndependentGenerousHonestBraveOrganizedResponsibleLeaderYouthfulThese words are displayed in our building, discussed on morning announcements and in classrooms, and also reviewed during our Community Meetings. Community Meeting is a time when the entire Primary School community comes together to sing, dance, hear from a class about something they are learning about, and periodically hear from our Upper School students and our Academy chaplain. It is part assembly, part pep rally. Each third grade class gets the opportunity to lead a few community meetings, and each classroom in our school is featured during a meeting each year. If you have never attended a Primary School Community Meeting, I highly recommend coming! They take place at 8:40 a.m. on most Fridays. Come join us and see for yourself!ARE THERE ILLUMINATORS WHO INSPIRED YOU OVER THE COURSE OF YOUR LIFE?Of course! I would deﬁnitely describe my parents as Illuminators and they are a tremendous inspiration to me. I also have had the pleasure of working with many other amazing administrator Illuminators during my tenure at Woodward like President Gulley, Nigel Taylor, Marcia Spiller, Ron McCollum, Bill Cobb, Ann Spratlin, Andy Phillips, and Elaine Carroll.I also would add Maya Angelou to this group of illuminators who inspire me. Several of her quotes guide me daily, but one of my favorites is: “Try to be a rainbow in someone else’s cloud.” Luckily, since my brain is prewired to see the positive in all situations, this happens naturally for me most of the time. But everyone has their moments and reminders never hurt! I keep this quote in two places. It is on the wallpaper of my laptop and there is a rainbow on the wall behind my desk. WHY DOES OUR WORLD NEED PEOPLE WHO ARE ILLUMINATORS?I wholeheartedly believe that a community thrives when its members feel seen, heard, valued, and safe. Empathy, a deﬁning characteristic of Illuminators, plays a tremendous role in creating these types of environments. If I had to choose one thing I could somehow magically pour into our world, I would choose empathy. Life is so busy, so full of all of the things, all of the time. But if we could take a moment to really listen to each other and consider things from another perspective, I think the world would be a better place. Illuminators do this.

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32IlluminatorsCELEBRATING THEYOU ARE A WOODWARD ALUM. WHAT LED YOU TO RETURN TO TEACH?In high school, I began coaching swimming at Leafmore Creek Park Club in Decatur. We had a swim team of more than 200 athletes from ages 3 to 18. I learned of my passion for connecting with student-athletes. After graduating from Woodward, I attended Georgia Tech and continued to coach the summer swim team. I was majoring in industrial engineering, but quickly realized that my real passion was coaching. During my third year at Tech, I reached out to Woodward Coach Anthony Thomas ’99 and he oered me a job as the ninth grade assistant boys coach, I quickly expanded to coaching boys lacrosse, Lower School football, and subbing in the Middle School. In 2015, I graduated from Georgia Tech and enrolled at Mercer University to get my Masters of Arts in Teaching, substitute teaching at Woodward during the day and attending evening classes. In fall 2015, the Upper School science department had an opening, and I began teaching biology and chemistry.After that year of teaching science, a math position opened, and I joined the math department. Since then, I have taught Geometry CP, Algebra 2 EP, Pre-Calculus EP, and Calculus EP. This year I became Assistant Department Chair of the Math Department, the best subject department on campus!WHAT DOES DAVID BROOKS’ DEFINITION OF ILLUMINATORS MEAN TO YOU?An illuminator is someone who can make a positive impact on those with whom they interact. As a teacher, I have a variety of students who enter my classroom, and therefore I interact daily with a group of students who have dierent passions, values, and goals than me. The best way I have found to connect with those students is to ask questions about their passions. This allows me to learn more about the world we live in and gives me a connection to that student. Often, I talk with my colleagues about how we each may be the smartest math person in the room, but unless we are able to make a personal connection with our students, it will be very challenging to teach them.HOW DO YOU INCORPORATE YOUR LIFE EXPERIENCE IN YOUR TEACHING AND YOUR COACHING?The ﬁrst night I was on Georgia Tech’s campus as a freshman, I was walking with a group of students to play frisbee at the rec center. On the walk over, I noticed an international student who could not stop looking at the sky on that clear August afternoon. I began a conversation with him, and he mentioned that in his home country the sky was always gray because of the HOLDING COURTWoodward Assistant Math Department Chair and multi-sport coach Tim Coats ’11 talks about what drives him to mentor students on and off the ﬁeld of play.

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33industry in that country. The next day, I met a fellow freshman from South Carolina who was very interested in car racing. Growing up I had always found the passion people had for cars driving in a circle strange. The more questions I asked him, the more I learned about the strategy and dedication that goes into it. We are still great friends 13 years later, and I believe a lot of it started because I was open and curious to learn about someone else’s passion. These two interactions have stuck with me because they remind me that if you are not willing to be open to learning about others’ passions and backgrounds, you will miss out on the opportunities to really know them and be able to inﬂuence their life.HOW HAVE YOUR EXPERIENCES AS A TEACHER AND AS A COACH HELPED YOU TO ACT AS AN ILLUMINATOR IN YOUR LIFE OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL?The biggest takeaway I have from teaching is that everyone does not have the same worldview as I do. Through practice of trying to understand what others believe and why, I think you can more fully view our world. Through improved understanding and respect, I can more eectively live out one of my callings: “love your neighbor as yourself” (Mark 12:31).WHY DO YOU LOVE YOUR WORK?The question I get asked most by students is why I came back to work at Woodward. The answer I always give them is if you want to be a teacher, there is no better place to be a teacher than WA. From the coworkers to the facilities, Woodward has done a wonderful job of positioning the faculty to authentically connect and challenge the students that enter our classrooms.I love that every day is dierent because of the students and families I work with. Every day, whether in the classroom or on the court, I hope that I can challenge students and athletes to grow. I hope to help them develop skills they will use throughout their lives. I believe the notes I receive at the end of the year and the visits from an alumni I taught years ago are evidence of this and bring me great joy.ARE THERE ILLUMINATORS TEACHERS, COACHES, OR CLASSMATES WHO INSPIRED YOU WHEN YOU WERE AT WOODWARD? HOW ABOUT OTHER MENTORSINSPIRATIONAL FIGURES SINCE GRADUATING?Woodward is full of illuminators, and it is what makes Woodward a great school. As a student I had wonderful teachers and coaches such as Paula Gentry, Anthony Thomas, Tim Hamling, and Pete Fritts. Now as a teacher, I am blessed by the colleagues I work with every day; Ken Kirschner, Sara Elliot, Swannee Park, Stacey Sandifer, and Michael Mousadis are just a few of the wonderful illuminators I get to work with.Outside of Woodward, I have great mentors and friends. Starting with my wife Allison Coats, my parents Bill and Barbara, and great friends Kyle, Kayla, and Blake.WHY DOES OUR WORLD NEED ILLUMINATORS?As our world has become more polarized and technology-centric, I believe that the number one skill a person can develop to successfully lead and problem solve is the ability to listen and understand someone who is dierent from yourself. PAUL WARD

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34TELL US ABOUT YOUR JOURNEY SINCE GRADUATING FROM WOODWARD.After completing high school, I enrolled in the Carnegie Mellon School of Fine Art to pursue my photography education. Building on my prior knowledge from high school, the curriculum at Carnegie Mellon emphasized the theory of photography while giving me experiences with photographers who challenged me to alter my perspective on framing the world. Since college, I’ve forged a career as a freelance photographer, traveling extensively to capture compelling narratives worldwide. One recent project took me back to Pakistan in search of my roots; this work has garnered international recognition and will soon be represented by a gallery. Commercially, my focus is on photographing people, ranging from picturesque weddings in Tuscany’s Villa Cetinale to corporate branding shoots for consulting ﬁrms nestled near the Alps in Sonthofen, Germany. Through my lens, I’ve gained access to diverse cultures and narratives, and I cherish the opportunities my work aords me to listen to and document these stories.HOW DID YOUR TIME AT WOODWARD PREPARE YOU FOR YOUR WORK?I had the good fortune to learn photography under Chris Greenway at Woodward. He put a camera in my hand and taught me how to view the world through a lens. I credit him with molding me into the photographer I am today. Many photographers I encounter express surprise at my educational journey, and they marvel at my unwavering love for photography. Recognizing and fostering passion and LIGHT CAPTURED, LIGHT DISPERSEDTejasvir Rekhi ’12 quite literally illuminates the world around him. Tejas is a Detroit-based professional photographer who travels the world for his work, from art projects in Pakistan to weddings in Tuscany.IlluminatorsCELEBRATING THEtalent in someone so young, as Mr. Greenway did, requires a truly exceptional individual.WHAT SKILLS DID YOU LEARN AT WOODWARD THAT PREPARED YOU TO BE AN ILLUMINATOR?Woodward Academy was not only the place where I fell in love with photography, but also where I learned to understand the importance of hard work and the people you surround yourself with. Woodward also instilled in me the idea of pursuing your craft as a career, placing emphasis on the long-term commitment required for success. WHY DO YOU LOVE YOUR WORK?Photography is how I comprehend the world around me. It requires me to constantly be engaged, focused, attentive, and empathetic to the people and the stories surrounding me. This craft allows me to learn about others and to understand myself. I ﬁnd that my camera lets me into rooms that I wouldn’t have been able to enter. It allows me to have conversations that I never could have imagined having. Most importantly, it allows me to experience the world by being an insider and outsider simultaneously and constantly. WHY DOES OUR WORLD NEED ILLUMINATORS?In a world where discovering one’s path can often be a journey, illuminators play a vital role, oering guidance and empowering others to recognize their innate light and potential. By unlocking what already resides within, illuminators help others ﬁnd their own light, sparking a ripple eect that continues to multiply and positively impact many lives.

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35TELL US ABOUT YOUR JOURNEY SINCE GRADUATING FROM WOODWARD.I attended Davidson College just north of Charlotte, where I studied psychology and Arab studies. Though I was involved in religious life on campus, I didn’t anticipate pursuing theological education after college, but Davidson provided me with an incredible opportunity for a trial year of seminary, which turned into a full Master in Divinity degree from Princeton Theological Seminary. After that I served as a pastoral resident at Covenant Presbyterian Church in Charlotte, where I focused on connecting the congregation with the wider community for the common good. Then, I was an associate pastor at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Greenville, South Carolina, where my focus was again on building connections among the congregation, with the city, and the wider world. In August 2023, I returned to Davidson as college chaplain.WHAT SKILLS DID YOU LEARN AT WOODWARD THAT PREPARED YOU TO BE AN ILLUMINATOR?Woodward’s commitment to diversity and inclusion fostered an environment where I interacted with people dierent from me every day. At the time, I don’t think I realized how rare that experience was in our world. Many communities are designed to separate people from dierent backgrounds, and it takes signiﬁcant eort to build relationships with those who see things dierently from you. At Woodward, engaging with dierence was woven into the fabric of my daily life. Woodward’s well-rounded educational approach didn’t train me to seek answers alone but to think critically and identify the right questions. That approach continued through my liberal arts education at Davidson. This world is dynamic, and it’s not enough to memorize sets of knowledge. Woodward fostered in me an inquisitive spirit that has prepared me to approach novel situations with openness and humility.WHY DO YOU LOVE YOUR WORK?I love working with the breadth of the Davidson community, which includes students with a wide variety of experiences and perspectives. They are from many dierent countries, educational backgrounds, religious and spiritual traditions, and worldviews. Though Davidson is a small town, it feels like the world is at my ﬁngertips, and I am constantly learning through those I encounter. I also have the privilege of accompanying others through life’s joys and challenges. As Davidson’s chaplain, I am present with students through everything from academic stresses to the loss of a loved one. It can be dicult to bear witness to another person’s pain, but it also is a sacred reminder of our shared humanity.WHO ARE THE ILLUMINATORS WHO INSPIRED YOU? My English teachers, especially Jane Graham, opened new worlds to me through language and literature. By immersing ourselves in stories, we uncovered truths that are more powerfully shown than told, and we learned to empathize with everyone from Homer’s Odysseus to characters from “Little Shop of Horrors.” Choir with Stephen Rotz and Suzanne Woodru cultivated in me an appreciation for beauty. The arts are powerful tools for connecting with others and oneself. Since graduating from Woodward, I’ve had a host of incredible mentors, including Davidson’s former chaplain, the Rev. Robert Spach. Rob’s gentle spirit, keen mind, and ﬁerce advocacy was a gift to me as a student at Davidson and continues to inspire my vision for both chaplaincy and everyday living.WHY DOES OUR WORLD NEED ILLUMINATORS?It’s almost cliché at this point to remark upon the polarization in our world. Where many have become siloed in spheres of black and white, Illuminators invite us to see beyond our certainty. They combat rampant isolation and despair by fostering a sense of belonging to something bigger than ourselves. I’m reminded of something Mr. (Fred) Rogers once said: “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, “Look for the helpers. You will always ﬁnd people who are helping.” Those are the illuminators. THE FLAME OF FAITHThe Rev. Julia Watkins ’10 serves as chaplain at Davidson College. She spoke with Woodward magazine about what David Brooks’ concept of illuminators means to her and how she learned to shine her light on others during her educational journey at Woodward.IlluminatorsCELEBRATING THE

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36 36TELL US ABOUT YOUR JOURNEY SINCE GRADUATING FROM WOODWARD.I graduated Woodward in 1999, and I went to Dartmouth College. And then I went straight to the University of Chicago Law School, and graduated in 2006. In my ﬁrst year, Illinois state senator Barack Obama was teaching constitutional law. So that was really cool. After that, I spent ﬁve years working on private equity mergers and acquisitions at a large law ﬁrm in Atlanta.I always knew I wanted to go back to business school, so I accepted a full scholarship to Yale, and graduated in 2013 with my MBA. I took a job at a company called EnPro Industries, a small cap manufacturing company. For seven years I worked in mergers and acquisitions, HR, and general management. It’s where I had a chance to get to the next level of developing my leadership and, really, my servant leadership.For the last two years I have been a leader of corporate development, which is the group inside of a company that oversees mergers and acquisitions. I help assess and ultimately determine how we’re going to integrate those businesses inside of Adobe so that they will thrive.HOW DID YOUR EXPERIENCE AT WOODWARD PREPARE YOU FOR YOUR WORK?An important thing I learned was acceptance and inclusivity. I really enjoyed playing my sport and played it at a decently high level. I relly enjoyed academics. I really enjoyed playing Alto and Soprano saxophone in the band. I learned to be open by having the opportunity to experience so many dierent things and meet so many dierent types of people. Woodward made me more sensitive.And then the summer before my senior year, Mr. [Mark] Carrington and his wife led a trip to Europe that changed my life. It was the ﬁrst time I’d left the country. We went to Italy, France, and London. It was an exceptional experience, and really teed me up for global living throughout my adult life. It helped me be so much more sensitive to what other people are going through. It made me value the United States that much more. I’m proud to be an American and proud to be a Georgian. And I know where we live is not perfect. But nowhere is.I look at myself as trying to be part of the solution, because everything is a problem-solving exercise. So some of it is about being content without being complacent. As my mom used to say, “If we all took our problems and threw them in a pot, you’d be begging for your problem back once you saw everybody else’s.” Be sensitive because you don’t know what people are going through. Try to help wherever you can, even if that means just showing up with a positive attitude and being loving to other people. That’s some of what I learned at Woodward.WHAT DOES DAVID BROOKS’ DEFINITION OF ILLUMINATORS MEAN TO YOU?The ﬁrst thing to come to mind is ego management. When we say the word “ego,” it has a negative connotation. But ego is what has gotten me up in the morning to ﬁght some hard battles. The key is managing our egos because, like anything, your biggest strength also is your biggest weakness. It can get out of control. So that ego management is a big part of being an Illuminator. You have to quiet your ego so you can make space for caring for, and loving, other people.That said, I am not a naturally empathetic person (like my wife, Rachel). I’m a naturally hard-charging, aggressive, competitive person. But in the last ﬁve or six years, I’ve discovered that being empathetic can be a learned skill. I put in the time with therapy and coaching and just getting the right support because I wanted more from my relationships. I wanted people to feel like they’re heard and respected and cared for in my presence. And in the years since I’ve really been focusing on doing this, my relationships are much more fruitful, and the reaction that I get from people tends to be authentic and kind because I’m oering them that kindness.WHAT LED TO THE CREATION OF WA CONNECT?WA Connect was an idea I had with Garnie Nygren FORGING CONNECTIONSAnthony Webb ’99, director of Corporate Development - M&A Integration for Adobe,has always been attuned to those around him and works to foster personal growth and connections. He shared his views on the importance of Illuminators and how he tries to ﬁll that role himself, including his creation of the nonproﬁt Boys Speak Out, along with helping to found Woodward’s WA Connect mentoring program.IlluminatorsCELEBRATING THE

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37’02 around 2010. We wanted to bring more impact opportunities to the Alumni Board and really make a dierence at Woodward. We started o having alumni come to speak at the school because I had done programs like that through my nonproﬁt, Boys Speak Out. The idea is “you can’t be what you can’t see.” For kids to be able to visualize and understand what it takes to reach their goals is really invaluable. Then we said, “Hey, it would be great to do some internship opportunities.” So we opened it up to that. I even hired some Upper School students to work with a startup that I was working on. Over time, we set that foundation of creating more engagement and tapping the talent that’s in the Woodward network.WHAT OTHER EXPERIENCES HAVE YOU HAD AS A MENTOR?As mentioned, I founded–and for 15 years directed–a national nonproﬁt called Boy Speak Out. It was born out of a program that I started with two classmates while I was at Dartmouth. We did a lot of research and found that boys struggle with emotional problem solving, and that stands in the way of both their academic performance and their ability to grow personally. A boy will come to school and the ﬁrst remotely negative thing that’s said to him causes him to lash out and get into a ﬁght. Because he’s unable to say, “Man, my parents separated. I think they’re gonna get divorced. This is really upsetting me. I really need some help thinking through how this is making me feel.” Being able to just organize thoughts about feelings is really important for young men. You gotta be able to ask for help, you know?Once I began working in a large national law ﬁrm, I started what were called four-a-day programs. These were professional programs or school-focused programs where I would bring local kids from all over the country into the best law schools, the best business schools, and the Supreme Court of the United States when Damian Williams ’98 was a clerk for Justice Stevens. Damian was on the board of Boys Speak Out, and he welcomed us with a Knowledge Is Power school in Washington D.C. Shaun Weinstock ’99 was my classmate and his older brother Josh Weinstock ’97, was a producer at Warner Brothers Studios, which welcomed some kids from a local Los Angeles school. We were all over the place, and it was great to give kids visibility into the dierent jobs they’ve heard about, but might not really understand.That program ended up morphing into more detailed mentoring. We started working with a group of kids in Atlanta from 8th through 12th grade, providing support for them to get into the trades, get into college, or land internships. By 2017, I had to slow down on Boys Speak Out because I needed to spend more time with my own kid, and my career had grown so much. Currently I am the global co-chair of the employee network at Adobe. So I do a ton of coaching for people who are trying to maintain and develop their careers. WHY DOES OUR WORLD NEED ILLUMINATORS?Because we need more people to oer one another grace. We need more people to oer understanding. My mom used to say, “Rest in power. Judge judiciously. And forgive liberally.” It means digging down into ourselves and oering patience and love and care to others.What I have observed from the top leaders that I’ve worked with and that I respect is that they have two main attributes: 1) They stay calm in chaos. When things are chaotic around them, they leave space to be able to think, and they don’t get caught in the chaos. And, 2) They always think about the impact any decision will have on the people around them. And that’s the way I have tried to show up. And I encourage people to oer more patience and more grace so that we can connect more as human beings. Anthony Webb ’99 (right) with his father, Charles Webb, and son, Marcus Webb ’33.

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38Woodward alumni Andy Cameron ’83 and Darrin Finley ’83 wanted to give something back to their alma mater. As accomplished leaders in their respective ﬁelds, they were both inspired by the concept of “Big Rocks” introduced in author Steven Covey’s “Seven Habits of Highly Eective People.” They partnered with the Upper School, using the Big Rocks concept to teach students about leadership and making a positive impact.“The heart of the Big Rocks concept is built on organizing your eorts and resources around the big things that matter,” Darrin said. “Having always been a Covey fan, a great deal of my consulting work included elements of his Big Rocks methodology. When Andy and I began discussing ways we could share our experiences and passion for student leadership development, using this simple, eective approach seemed to be a great way to get student leaders to strategically plan how they wanted to lead during the school year. Now in our third year, we have been able to build on those initial ‘Big Rocks’ and share with the students how their eorts are linked to Woodward’s overall strategic plan and how they make a dierence.” Andy and Darrin bring a deep well of knowledge and experience to their work with students. Now working remotely for American Express from his home in Fernandina Beach, Fla., Andy spent 25 years as an executive with the Coca-Cola Company, followed by four years with Nike at its headquarters in Beaverton, Ore. Darrin, who lives in Jacksonville, Fla., began his career in the ﬁnancial industry, working his way from intern to senior executive with the Federal Reserve and later as an executive at Citibank. He transitioned in 2004 to running his own consulting practice with a focus on transforming managers into leaders. Andy holds a B.S degree in Management Information Systems from Milligan College and an M.B.A. from Mercer University. After Woodward, Darrin attended Georgia Tech and received a B.S. degree in Industrial Management; he later earned an M.B.A. from Jacksonville University. Andy and Darrin introduced the Big Rocks approach to students three years ago at the Institute for Ethical and Civic Engagement led by Jennifer Knox ’95, director of character education and the Ron M. Brill Chair of Ethical Leadership at Woodward. Students start by identifying Big Rocks that they would like to see moved or changed at the Academy. “We then work with a self-identiﬁed group of students to prioritize three to ﬁve Big Rocks for the school year and support them as they lead the work,” Andy said. “Not only are the students leading change and leaving a legacy for future classes, but they also are learning leadership skills that will be valuable as they move through their careers and become the leaders and illuminators of the future.” The Big Rocks cohort for 2023-24 included 20 students working in teams on projects in ﬁve areas of Upper School life: Learning Outside the Classroom (Alumni Connections), Well-being and Cultural Awareness, Student Transition, Service Promotion, and Student Voice. Some of their projects include connecting CLASS OF  ALUMS HELP STUDENTS MOVE ‘BIG ROCKS’Below: Kevin Stephens ’24 was honored with the ﬁrst annual Big Rocks Award for students. IlluminatorsCELEBRATING THE

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39Upper School juniors with alumni for college and career guidance; promoting awareness of Woodward’s school psychologist; conducting a service-hour contest among classes (seniors won); and improving the experience of transitioning to the Upper School from eighth grade. Kevin Stephens ’24 was honored with the ﬁrst annual Big Rocks Award for students. “Kevin exemplifed the spirit of Big Rocks through his leadership, collaboration, engagement, and execution,” Andy said. “Kevin’s warm presence, dedication, and proactive approach to our collective work in the area of service learning promotion is evidence of his compassionate integrity.”For both Andy and Darrin, Woodward set the stage for a fulﬁlling career and life beyond the Academy. “Woodward taught me how to learn and how to think for myself. More importantly, there was a group of dedicated faculty and administrators who challenged me but also saw more in me than I saw in myself,” Andy said. “My Woodward journey laid a foundation for being well-rounded, well-versed in liberal arts and the more technical aspects of math and sciences,” Darrin said. “This balance contributed a great deal to my professional successes. Additionally, Woodward taught me how to collaborate with dierent people from dierent backgrounds.”As alumni, they believe in passing on wisdom gained from experience to help shine a light on the path ahead for current Woodward students. “Like leadership, it’s about creatively ﬁnding ways for other people to excel in the pursuit of their goals and/or our common goals,” Darrin said. “It is also about subtly sharing your experience in a way that can lead to growth in others without being overly instructive or prescriptive.”“For me, it is about using my experiences to give back and shine a light on the next generation of leaders,” Andy added. “The students we get to work with are so amazing. Not only are they smart and gifted, but more importantly they are willing to stand up and enter the arena to make a dierence for their classmates and their school.”“At the heart of why I do this work is because I believe we lack real leadership in this nation and in this world. So-called leaders today preach divisiveness and are more concerned with identifying enemies then bringing people together and solving big problems we, and future generations, are facing,” Andy said. “We need illuminators more than ever to shine light on opportunities to work together for good. When I work with these students, my faith and hope in the future is greatly restored.” Andy Cameron ’83 (left) and Darrin Finley ’83

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40WHAT BROUGHT YOU TO WOODWARD AND HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN HERE?In 2001, my husband, Jacob, and I were teaching at an independent school in rural Virginia. While we loved the school and our little town, we decided we wanted to move out of state and have new experiences. Jacob was hoping for California, his birth state, but once I talked with Woodward’s then Headmaster Ron McCollum and Lower School Principal Bill Cobb, I announced, “I think we’re moving to Georgia!” They spoke so fondly of the teachers, students, and families. I will never forget how the teachers I met described Woodward to me: “teacher and student heaven,” “family,” “a place of love and respect,” and “a school where everyone has a place.” My husband is now an art teacher at the Lower School. My daughter, Lorelei, began her learning journey at Woodward in pre-K and is about to begin her ﬁrst year in the Upper School this fall. I cannot say enough about how much Woodward Academy means to our family.WHAT DOES DAVID BROOKS’ DEFINITION OF ILLUMINATORS MEAN TO YOU?David Brooks’ deﬁnition of illuminators is inspiring and what I hope to be. Living life with an open heart and truly listening is a beautiful way to honor someone and to learn more about them, and being a better listener is a goal I continue to work on daily. Curiosity is vital to me. I am ever-curious about other people and relish hearing other people’s perspectives. When I feel a true sense of belonging, I can do wonderful things, and I want other people to know they belong, too. When I visited our sister school in Zambia, Africa, I met Colin Street, who owned a coee farm where he built the Terranova School for the local children. A fond memory of mine is looking out over the Zambezi River and Colin asking, “Carrie, how do you see it?” It was Colin’s beautiful way of asking how I was and what I was thinking. I loved it. I’ve said it o and on ever since. My heart and mind wonder how each person “sees it.” I hope to always be ﬁlled with wonder about others. I hope to grow as an illuminator and reﬂect and recognize when I’m not living up to that goal.HOW DO YOU INCORPORATE YOUR LIFE EXPERIENCE INTO YOUR TEACHING?Incorporating my life experience into my teaching is integral to connecting with my students. I believe it started mattering to me when I was in the fourth grade. I’d always known I wanted to be a teacher, but fourth grade was the time when I started to plan what kind of teacher I would be.The teachers who made the most impact on me were bravely authentic. They were the kind of teachers who were not only passionate about their subject areas but were invested in knowing their students. They were real people who enthusiastically pointed out their mistakes and wanted their students to know they were still a work in progress. In fact, until I had my ﬁrst teacher who was “real” to me, I thought all of the teachers lived at school together. I also thought they didn’t make mistakes, burp, or use the restroom. Until that moment, teachers were like a dierent species to me: perfect people who knew everything.Sharing my experiences with my students not only helps build trust, it imparts lessons I hope they will carry with them. Over the course of a year, my students learn that I struggled with handwriting and telling time, experienced a teacher who had clear favorites, and struggled with my growth mindset. They hear many of my adventures as a big sister to three siblings. Because my brother, Justin, was an explorer with a penchant for bringing home strays and stranded baby animals, he is always a touchpoint for my students. He was unbelievably bright but struggled in school, especially in reading. Justin believed unconditionally in everyone else but found it hard to believe in himself as a learner. My students know I strive to be the kind of teacher who would have cherished and celebrated his forgiving, kind heart and helped him grow as a reader. They know I want to do the same for them. I always want to be the kind of teacher who reminds students of their potential and of their gifts and is willing to admit that I am still a work in progress.IlluminatorsCELEBRATING THEKINDLING THE LIGHT WITHINCarrie Edmison teaches in the Lower School, helping students to see the brightest parts within themselves, and teaching them to foster that light in others.

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41CONVERSELY, HOW HAVE YOUR EXPERIENCES AS A TEACHER HELPED YOU TO ACT AS AN ILLUMINATOR IN YOUR LIFE OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL?Since I ﬁrst started teaching, I have posted students’ baby photos on a bulletin board labeled “Everyone is Someone’s Baby.” The photos are a resource for my students when they are frustrated with one another. We remind ourselves that each of them represents someone’s whole world. I remind my students that when we hurt each other’s hearts, the ripples go out and hurt everyone who loves that person.Having a class full of people’s precious babies year after year has helped me be a better person outside of the classroom. When I see someone struggling in the world, I see someone’s baby. I want to listen with the same patience and care I give to my students. After having a child of my own, I’m even more sensitive to this. I think about what I’d want someone to do for my baby, and I try to do that for people I meet in the world.ARE THERE ILLUMINATORS TEACHERS, COACHES, OR CLASSMATES WHO INSPIRED YOU OVER THE COURSE OF YOUR LIFE?My fourth grade teacher, Mrs. Smith, was an amazingly special person. It was obvious that she loved all of us, and I remember her almost immediately wiping the slate clean after a student had a challenging moment. She was ﬁrm and fair. Her heart and mind would reset, and she would continue on, giving the student the forgiveness they needed to avoid shame. She loved each of us no matter how loud, strange, or awkward. Because she loved us unconditionally, we were better able to do that for each other as students. WHY DOES OUR WORLD NEED PEOPLE WHO ARE ILLUMINATORS?Our world needs illuminators to help us all see the light inside ourselves even when we aren’t certain it is there. When someone listens to us, invests in us, and values what we feel and believe, it is powerful fuel for our inner light. Illuminators spark more illuminators. When we feel lifted up, we are inspired to do that for others. Our world needs us to invest in each other. PAUL WARD

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WHAT BROUGHT YOU TO WOODWARD AND HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN HERE?This fall I will be starting my fourth full school year at Woodward Academy. I was drawn to Woodward by the possibility of working with students and doing something that I felt made a dierence.WHAT DOES DAVID BROOKS’ DEFINITION OF ILLUMINATORS MEAN TO YOU?It seems to me that it is most important to focus on others and avoid dwelling on yourself. By focusing on and engaging with those around you, you not only learn from their experiences, but you also begin to understand your own life experience in a dierent light.HOW DO YOU INCORPORATE YOUR LIFE EXPERIENCE INTO YOUR TEACHING?I love to share my passions with my students and hope they see that there is value in being a well-rounded human. While they know that I love to play and coach sports, I also want them to know how much I love to play chess, listen to show tunes, and explore our national parks.CONVERSELY, HOW HAVE YOUR EXPERIENCES AS A TEACHER HELPED YOU TO ACT AS AN ILLUMINATOR IN YOUR LIFE OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL?Although teaching Primary School students has not always been a part of my lifelong plan, it has deﬁnitely shaped my life outside of the Academy. I have learned to embrace situations in which I feel uncomfortable and to better understand those around me. Seeing the joy in the people and situations that I encounter has shaped my time at Woodward over the last four years. WHY DO YOU LOVE YOUR WORK?I love coming to work and seeing the joy that our students have each day—it reminds me of the wonder and excitement that should ﬁll each of my days.ARE THERE ILLUMINATORS TEACHERS, COACHES, OR CLASSMATES WHO INSPIRED YOU OVER THE COURSE OF YOUR LIFE?Throughout my life, I have always been encouraged by the teachers and coaches who shared their full selves with me and my peers. My economics teacher and tennis coach, Coach Wiley, taught me about the importance of pursuing my passions while also growing on and o the court. I hope to do the same for my students.WHY DOES OUR WORLD NEED PEOPLE WHO ARE ILLUMINATORS?Our world tends to be ﬁlled with negativity. By seeing the good in those around me, I am encouraged by the positivity that does exist in and around us. I believe that by creating more of this joy and wonder, it can go a long way toward increasing the depth and quality of our lives. Reed Johnson serves as an instructional aide in the Primary School. He also coaches junior varsity and Middle School tennis and Middle School basketball. We talked to him about how he sees himself as an illuminator.YOUNG AT HEARTIlluminatorsCELEBRATING THE42

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44WOODWARD SUMMER 20241 Event co-chairs Benji Russell ’13 and Liann Freeman ’98 2 Custom-designed sugar cookies by Kristyn Wighton-Tiofack of Bakelanta 3 Jason and Delana Reeves from Delilah’s Everyday Soul 4 Raising a glass to celebrate the 14th annual Big Chill 5 Jeff Pierce ’84, Andrea Pierce, Leslie Cameron, Andy Cameron ’83 6 Shaba Jamal, Katie Boney 7 Kelley Williams, Sarai Williams, Emily Miller, Matthew Hofmeyr, Simone Hofmeyr, Todd Miller 8 The Big Chill event committee: Kate Breslin, Ryn Pollard ’05, Caroline Guest Stancil ’03, Tucker Grifﬁn ’12, Susan Oliver Pratt ’86, Mary Ellen Haid, Julie Davis Couch ’88, Benji Russell ’13, Liann Freeman ’98, Meryl M. Lacy, Leo Falkenstein ’09, Amina Greathouse, Riah Greathouse ’03, Ann Whitten Bourne, and Anne Barr Cruz ’97. Not pictured: Kalen Axam ’10, Matt Brill ’91, Chase Dickerson ’08, Steven Eisenstein ’91, Sara Elliot ’07, Torrance Mosley ’94, Izzy Romero ’17, Suzi Shefﬁeld ’91, Glenn Warren ’0414253687The Big Chill is a Woodward community event hosted by the Alumni Association to beneﬁt need-based student ﬁnancial aid. The 14th annual event was held at The Stave Room on February 23, 2024. The theme was “A Taste of Woodward,” featuring food and beverage tastings provided by alumni, parent, and employee-owned restaurants and businesses. It was a record-breaking event with 600+ guests and $175,000 raised for need-based ﬁnancial aid. In total, the Big Chill has raised more than $900,000 since 2011

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46AFFINITY EVENTSEVENTS & GATHERINGSThe Alumni Oce hosts frequent events for Woodward alumni. For more information, go to woodward.edu/ alumni/events.September 13-14, 2024HomecomingReunion WeekendAll alumni and guests are invited to the Tailgate party on Friday night before the football game and the Alumni Mile run on Saturday morning. The classes of 1974, 1979, 1984, 1989, 1994, 1999, 2004, 2009, 2014, and 2019 will celebrate reunions on Saturday, September 14!November 11, 2024Veterans Day CeremonyPlease join us for the annual Veterans Day Ceremony honoring those who have served and our Academy’s history. December 6, 2024Black Alumni Holiday MixerKick-off the holiday season with your Woodward friends and classmates. February 7, 2025The Big ChillJoin us for the 15th annual Big Chill, beneﬁtting need-based student ﬁnancial aid at Woodward. March 16, 2025Athletic Hall of FameAll are invited to honor the new inductees to the Hall of Fame. To nominate an individual or team, visit woodward.edu/HallOfFame.Let’s Get TogetherAlumni gather for afﬁnity group and regional events.BLACK ALUMNI MIXERAUSTIN REGIONAL EVENTBLACK ALUMNI COLLEGE EXPERIENCECHORUS REUNIONOn December 2, 2023, the annual Black Alumni Holiday Mixer was held at The Wellness Spot in College Park.On April 7, 2024, alumni from the classes of 2008-2023 returned to campus to celebrate the retirement of Suzanne Woodruff ’77, Performing Arts Department Chair and long-time chorus director.On November 14, 2023, more than a dozen Woodward alumni who graduated from the Academy between 2012-2018 met with members of the Black Student Union to talk about their college experience. Emma Gallagher ’19, Asha Gorjala ’19 and Anya Vijayvergiya ’19.

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47Honoring Athletic ExcellenceATHLETIC HALL OF FAME1425367Six individuals and one team were inducted into the 10th class of the Woodward Academy|GMA Athletic Hall of Fame on March 17, 2024. Congratulations to Kathleen Cook ’14, Kevin Crist ’89, Jack Davis ’62, Kim Lawrence ’00, Chad Pyke ’13, Nefertiti Walker ’01, and the 1969 Wrestling Team! Would you like to nominate an individual or a team for the Hall of Fame? Visit woodward.edu/halloffame to nominate.1 Jeannine Hoshino, accepting on behalf of her daughter Kathleen Cook ’14 2 Kevin Crist ’89 3 Jack Davis ’62 4 Kim Lawrence ’00 5 Chad Pyke ’13 6 Nefertiti Walker ’01 7 1969 Wrestling Team, members in attendance were Ray Paris ’69, Dan Cathy ’71, Bubba Cathy ’72, Phil Bowen ’69, Chop Evans ’69, John Fedack ’70, Dale Robertson ’69, and Robbie Young ’00 accepting on behalf of his late father Lane Young ’69  ALUMNI ASSOCIATION BOARD OF DIRECTORSEXECUTIVE COMMITTEEPRESIDENT Robin Beck Stokes ’06VICE PRESIDENT Todd Williamson ’01OFFICERS AT LARGE Leigh Shattles Cardwell ’98 Adam Carll ’08 Benji Russell ’13DIRECTORSKaraz Axam ’13Lauren Crim Barclay ’08Danny Bernstein ’03Matt Brill ’91Andy Cameron ’83Barrett Cornelius ’09Liann Freeman ’98Torrance Mosley ’94Ryn Pollard '05Susan Oliver Pratt ’86Rick Sinkﬁeld ’87Special thank you to Riah Greathouse ’03 our Board Member who completed his service this year.PARENTS OF ALUMNIIf this issue of the magazine is addressed to your child who no longer maintains a permanent address at your home, please get in touch to update their mailing address at alumni@woodward.edu.

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49The Classroom Experience (Then and Now)GMA MEMORIESGeorgia Military Academy alumni Bob Schorr ’56 and Bob Weinstein ’63 visited Main Campus in April to attend Founders Day and take a tour of Upper School classrooms. The experience led them to reﬂect on the transformational changes to the classroom experience since their days as cadets. The most obvious dierence? Technology. In GMA days, students used the same textbooks from freshman to senior year, Mr. Weinstein said. There was no Internet, no computers, and certainly no VR headsets. Mr. Weinstein noted that even the way students enter classrooms has changed. At GMA, all the cadets stood for roll call and only after that were able to sit down. “It was a strict and structured process,” he said. “Today it’s a very casual atmosphere when the students walk into class. They are talking and joking with one another and with their teachers.”At GMA, students were not allowed to speak to classmates during class, Dr. Schorr said. “This would have resulted in disciplinary measures. They could hit us with a ruler or give us demerits that meant we had to walk around the bullring (today’s Memorial Plaza) or work in the cafeteria,” he said. “Today, the students speak to each other during class to share ideas, perspectives, and jokes. This is a striking dierence.” But the biggest change, Mr. Weinstein said, has been the dynamic between students and teachers. Today’s student-teacher relationships are closer, while GMA cadets were expected to maintain more formal relationships with their teachers. “The student-teacher relationships are incredible now,” he said. “They communicate warmly and openly with each other. The learning that takes place is greatly enhanced because of these relationships and mutual respect, and this creates an atmosphere where true learning can happen. The teachers respect the students as individuals, and the students can soak up the knowledge from their teachers.” Although much has changed, some things remain the same, Dr. Schorr said, adding that he graduated having learned eective study habits, attention to detail, responsibility, eective communication, and how to engage with dierent cultures. Woodward students still learn these fundamentals and carry them into the world beyond the Academy.“Today, Woodward students are graduating with conﬁdence, prepared for their futures in college and careers and understanding how to interact in group settings with classmates, teachers (and visitors),” Mr. Weinstein said. Have a GMA memory to share? Email us at magazine@woodward.edu.

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50WOODWARD SUMMER 20241999 On November 14, 2023, Natalie Plowden Tyler-Martin, director of real estate at the Veritiv Corporation, received the 2023 John Williams Community Improvement District (CID) Leadership Award. This award is given to a CID leader who has volunteered their time, usually as part of its board of directors. Natalie served 10 years as board chair of the Airport West CID from 2014 to 2023, where she played an integral role in its formation and eorts to build economic value for residents and businesses surrounding the “economic engine” of Hartsﬁeld-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Under her leadership, Airport West CID has been a driving force for growth in the south metro region. During her tenure as chair, Tyler-Martin prioritized increasing property values to fund the CIDs, leading to more than $16 million collected, and leveraged the beautiﬁcation, public safety, and transportation projects.2001Jennifer Blake-Mahmud, assistant professor of biology at Hope College in Holland, Mich., was awarded a National Science Foundation grant to support her research into the genetic underpinnings of sex-switching in wild organisms.WEDDINGS page 51 EAGLETS page 53 PASSAGES page 54CLASS NOTES1971£ After graduating from Woodward Academy, Chess Harris went on to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, and served 26 years as an infantryman. He married his grade school sweetheart, Karen, and they are celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary. They live on Chesapeake Bay in Virginia and enjoy sailing, riding horses, and spending time with their grandchildren.1983£ Pete Fritts helped coach the Woodward girls wrestling team to a 2nd place ﬁnish in the state tournament team standings and the ﬁrst ever individual State Champion, Aneri Patel ’24. Three other female wrestlers ﬁnished in the top ﬁve.1990Bethany Browning’s book “Sasquatch, Baby!” won the 2023 Best Indie Book Award (BIBA) in the ﬁction category. Her other published work includes “Shimmerﬁsh,” “Dead Spread: A House of Cards Mystery,” and “Men Going Mad: Two Twisty Tales.” You can learn more at bethanybrowning.com.1993Hassan Zakaria. M.D., M.P.H., was recently awarded a U.S. Patent for a pharmaceutical packaging system that allows prescribers to monitor medication compliance. Originally intended to combat the opioid crisis, the design’s applicability continues to expand across the pharmaceutical industry and in a number of other applications. Without the need for electronics, complex design, or intrusive instructions, it is a low-cost, easily manufactured, and readily adaptable system that promotes health by its basic design.SHARE YOUR NEWSSubmit your big news at woodward connect.com or email alumni@woodward.edu.

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512011Mustafa Abubaker accepted an oer as a technical writer-editor with the Army Tank-Automotive and Armament Command (TACOM) in Natick, Mass. He resides in Wayland, Mass., with his wife Warisha and infant son, Musa.2015Reeves Henderson graduated from Emory University with a B.S.N. and M.S.N. after previously graduating from the University of Georgia. She works as a nurse practitioner specializing in orthopedics in several clinics across the Atlanta area. Recently engaged, she lives with her ﬁancé and their dog, Duck, in Atlanta.2018Abby Henderson completed the George Washington University Post-Bacc Pre-Medicine program following her graduation from the University of Georgia. She is working at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine as a research assistant and project associate. Abby is preparing for the MCAT and plans to apply to medical school this upcoming cycle.Alex Henderson graduated from Barnard and has been working as a research assistant at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York. She is in the process of applying to Masters of Public Health programs to study topics such as environmental contaminants/exposures and women’s health disparities. The Rev. Dr. Taylor Driskill Paord graduated with her Doctorate Degree in Theology and the Arts from Wesley Theological Seminary, Washington D.C., in May 2023. Her dissertation was entitled “Making the Word Flesh: Bringing the Biblical Narrative to Life Through Drama.” Taylor currently serves as Lower and Middle School religion teacher at St. Martin’s Episcopal School in Atlanta.2004After graduating from Georgia Tech in 2008, Daphne Mitchell continued to play professional women’s basketball overseas for several years. She transitioned into a career of coaching Division I collegiate women’s basketball for more than 13 years. Her achievements include two NCAA National Championships as assistant coach at LSU in 2023 and at Baylor University as coordinator of Recruiting & Operations in 2019.2010Riane N. Sharp, Esq. was promoted to corporate counsel at Starbucks Coee Company. Riane contributes to the success of the business by providing legal counsel and guidance to Global Supply Chain Operations and Global Sourcing, primarily in the areas of food, packaging and print, indirect services, corporate facilities, and beverage.WEDDINGS11 Chelsea Korski ’10 married Brent Ducote on April 29, 2023, at The Greystone in Atlanta’s Piedmont Park. Chelsea is a registered nurse with the Veterans Administration Healthcare System. They reside in Charleston, S.C. 2 Nicholas Robertson ’11 married Sarah Kirschbaum Robertson ’12 on November 4, 2023, at the Ritz Carlton Reynolds in Lake Oconee, Ga. Also in attendance were Woodward Academy alumni Lisa Upchurch Pitman ’77, Angela Morris Edwards ’78, Ivy Robertson Lowrey ’97, Richard Goldstein ’01, Will Go ’10, Brook Ptacek West ’10, Andrew West ’11, Adair Dickerson ’11, Hisham Araim ’11, Lucas Pappas ’11, Jack Clark ’11, Clay Rossetti ’11, Garrett Gainey ’11, William Lore ’11, Jason Piper ’11, Grin Robertson ’12, Meg Taylor ’12, Molly Johnson Rubin ’12, Kendall Kruszewski ’12, and Addison Davis ’18.2

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52WOODWARD SUMMER 20243 After meeting at WA in 2006, Hattie Pearson ’09 and Wesley Kenney ’08 tied the knot on October 6, 2023. The couple live and work in Atlanta. 4 David Andriate ’13 married Laura Glennie on April 19, 2024, in San Diego. Woodward alumni in attendance were Ben Barnhart ’13, Matthew Stack ’13, Kyle Hawkins ’13, Steven Smith ’13, Shayl Patel ’13, Stefan Vereen ’13, Seas Patton-Miller ’13, Cameron Haldin ’13, and Ozzie Bunbury ’13.5 Spencer Clapes ’13 married Ashley Brondeel on April 6, 2024, at Chateau de la Rocq in Senee, Belgium. Woodward alumni Andrew Gehrhardt ’13, Jared Ross ’13, Jackson Ritchey ’13, Susana Morphis Ritchey ’13, Wilson Morgan ’13, Grady Bastor ’13, Kelsey Eastman ’11, Julie Davis Couch ’88, Carley Clapes ’16, and Becky Clapes Sweet ’10 were there to celebrate with the couple.6 Marcus Sanders ’02 married Joseph Pace on February 24, 2024, in Brooklyn, N.Y. Woodward alumni Rachael Rothman Armitage ’02, Amber Michael McConnel ’02, Jada Greer ’02, Laura Thwaite Searcy ’02, and Kari Velazco ’02 were all there to celebrate.GETTING HITCHED? Send us a note and photo and we’ll include the happy news in the next issue of Woodward magazine. EMAILalumni@woodward.eduONLINE woodward connect.com3456WEDDINGS

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53EAGLETS1 2 3541 Nancy Tribble Ralston ’07, husband Harris, and big sister Janie, welcomed Elizabeth “Liza” Tribble Ralston on October 10, 2023. 2 Lauren McClelland Darden ’07, her husband, Tad, and proud big sister Annie welcomed Haisten Williams Darden on September 14, 2023.3 Kate Skelton Gilbert ’11 and Perrin Gilbert ’11 welcomed their ﬁrst child, Harper. They recently celebrated her coming home from a four-month stay in the NICU.4 On December 28, 2022, Anthony Webb ’99 and his wife Rachel welcomed their second child, Elizabeth Rose, aectionately known as “Rosie.” She eagerly anticipates being part of the WA Class of 2041.5 Lauren Leighton Brittsan ’06, her husband Matthew, and big sister Charlotte Hess Brittsan welcomed Georgia Gallagher Brittsan into the world on September 14, 2023. 6 Justin C. Perlman ’98 and Crystal Perlman welcomed their ﬁrst child, Liam Bennett, on January 20, 2024.NEW ADDITION? We’d love to share the great news with the Woodward community. Send us the announcement and a photo, and we’ll include it in the next edition of Woodward magazine.EMAILalumni@woodward.eduONLINE woodwardconnect.com6

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54WOODWARD SUMMER 2024Roland Smith ’46November 6, 2023Watson Ten Eick Jr. ’48November 19, 2023United States Air ForceWilliam Fillmore ’49December 23, 2023William Trimble ’53Ronald Akins ’55March 9, 2024United States MarinesRobert Tucker ’55August 7, 2023United States Air ForceJohn McCown ’56March 7, 2024United States ArmyBill Thomas ’57November 25, 2023United States ArmyGeorge Cauthen ’59February 29, 2024United States NavyParent of Alfred Cauthen ’93Donald Arnold ’62 August 11, 2023William Alford ’63April 5, 2024United States ArmyDavid LeCraw ’67February 19, 2024United States ArmyTerry Nelson ’67November 11, 2023Howell Watkins ’70February 21, 2024Clay Arnall ’74February 11, 2024Clay Grant ’74December 2023Brother of Keith Grant ’73Bill Peterson ’90March 24, 2024Josh Wallace ’02October 31, 2023Son of former faculty/sta Toni Wallace and brother of Nathan Wallace ’07OTHER PASSAGESSandra CauseyMarch 24, 2024 Wife of Bo Causey, mother of Jason Causey ’88 and Brandon Causey ’89Brenda McDowell-VarnerApril 5, 2024Retired StaMary MillerMarch 31, 2024Retired FacultyWhile we mourn those whom we have lost, we also remember and celebrate their lives, the people they were, and the work they did to leave a better world behind them. Obituaries can be found online at woodward.edu/passages.PASSAGESRelationships within the Woodward community are noted. Please notify alumni@woodward.edu of any discrepancies.WA CONNECT1,000 Alumni Ready to Connect!Build Your Professional NetworkMentor Young Alumni and Current StudentsConnect with Alumni on your College CampusFind Alumni-Owned Businesses Near YouJoin an Afﬁnity GroupTo get started, scan the QR code or visit waconnect.com

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55Chris Greenway, the architect of Woodward Academy Upper School’s outstanding Visual Arts Department, passed away on March 14, 2024.Mr. Greenway shaped Woodward Academy’s visual arts program into a powerhouse of creativity comparable to college programs. He taught at Woodward from 1981 until his retirement in 2020, shaping many students’ lives and inspiring some to pursue the arts as a career. The Chris Greenway Gallery inside Richardson Hall on the Upper School campus was named in his honor.Greenway grew up on Atlanta’s southside in the Lakewood Heights community. After attending Forest Park Senior High School he studied art at Georgia Southern University, graduating in 1968. After working brieﬂy as an art teacher at Hapeville High School, he was drafted into the U.S. Army in August 1968, serving in military intelligence during the Vietnam War. In 1970, he returned home to his wife, Shirley Tolbert Greenway, and to teaching art at Fulton County’s Briarwood High School. In 1981, he came to Woodward as an art teacher and head varsity boys soccer coach. He served as head of the Visual Art Department from 1985 until 2020.During his tenure at Woodward, Greenway received honors as Georgia Athletic Coaches Association 1984 Coach of the Year and was nominated at the national level. He was one of only 20 teachers in the nation to receive a scholarship to Rhode Island School of Design for a summer program for outstanding art educators. On campus, he established the much beloved Experience the Arts Day, an annual spring festival of the visual and performing arts on the Upper School campus, and started biannual trips for visual art students to New York City and New Mexico. Over the years, Greenway’s students won achievements in state and national Scholastic Art Awards, the Atlanta Arts Festival, the Georgia High School Art Exhibit, and the Georgia High School Photography Competition, among others. His students have gone on to pursue careers as professional artists and educators, and many of them kept in touch with him. An abstract expressionist painter, Greenway believed in process-based art education of discovery, experimenting, risk, curiosity, problem-solving, and exploring materials. He also believed in building a student community of artists and a safe place for students. Those values continue to shape the visual arts program at Woodward, and students continue to thrive under the leadership of Visual Arts Department head Andy Cunningham, who worked alongside Greenway building the program for 35 years.Cunningham recalls coming to Woodward to interview for a teaching job during the 1984-1985 school year. “When I entered the art room looking for Greenway, I passed several students working on ceramics, drawings, paintings, and jewelry design. There were rolls of ﬁlm hanging from clothes lines along with prints and batiks. I asked a couple of students where Mr. Greenway was and someone pointed him out. I went over to introduce myself; he looked up and said, ‘Hey bud you must be Andy.’ The rest is history; he hired me for the position, and from that point on, we worked together for 35 years, building the art program at Woodward. Greenway and I were not only colleagues, we were like family.”Greenway epitomized the child-centered philosophy of education that Col. John C. Woodward espoused when he founded Woodward Academy 125 years ago, said Christopher M. Freer, vice president for advancement. “Mr. Greenway, or ‘G-way’ as the kids called him, always preached ‘process over product,’ pushing his students to use art as a way to develop the skills they would need throughout life. Art was the vehicle through which he helped his students discover their passions and explore their identities. Mr. Greenway was one of those rare, legendary teachers who connected with generations of students. They revered him because they knew he loved them.”“For four decades Chris Greenway promoted discovery, new ways of thinking, and a process of investigation built on relationships of trust,” said Jennifer Knox ’95, Director of Character Education and the Ron M. Brill Chair of Ethical Leadership. “Those of us fortunate enough to have known him were forever changed and have ‘art in our blood’!”Greenway was married to his wife, Shirley, for ﬁve decades, until she passed away in 2019 after an 11-year battle with Alzheimer’s. Their daughter, Erin Greenway ’00, is now Woodward’s director of theatre, and she continues her father’s legacy of guiding students in pursuing their passion for the performing arts. “My Dad was not just an inspiration and mentor to the many students who he taught at Woodward, but also to me,” Ms. Greenway said. “He taught me to take risks, understand the world, be brave, how to be compassionate, and encouraged me to follow my dreams. I’m so lucky he was my teacher, but mostly because he was my Dad. When in doubt, he used to say ‘Just paint,’ and ‘Add a little orange.’” Chris Greenway“For four decades Chris Greenway promoted discovery, new ways of thinking, and a process of investigation built on relationships of trust.”

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56WOODWARD SUMMER 2024Longtime Woodward College Counseling Director Ann Marie “Missy” Sanchez, 79, passed away peacefully on January 19, 2024, at home, after a life spent helping people ﬁnd their way in the world.Missy is survived by her son J. Scott Sanchez ’91, daughter-in-law Christin Sanchez, grandchildren Ryan and Riley Kate Sanchez ’33, and her daughter Suzanna Sanchez Doyle ’00 and son-in-law Ryan Doyle.Missy was born December 12, 1944, in Little Rock, Ark. She graduated from the University of Arkansas, where she was a Razorback cheerleader and president of her sorority. These experiences foreshadowed a life spent cheering on and helping people to maximize their potential. She married Lorenzo “Larry” Sanchez on August 16, 1969, in Little Rock and, after a brief stint in Puerto Rico, they settled in Atlanta to build their lives together.Missy spent all 34 years of her career at Woodward Academy, building the Academy’s College Counseling department from the ground up into a model admired nationally. She passionately believed that every student had potential and she worked tirelessly to help each and every student realize their post-graduation opportunities.“One of my favorite memories of Mom is calling home to talk to her when I was in college only to have her get on the phone and say, ‘I’m sorry Honey, I can’t talk right now. I’ve got to take care of my kids.’ Of course, she meant her Woodward kids, so it was quite funny,” said her daughter.Missy loved her work, loved to travel, and loved theatre and the arts. But it was the people around her that mattered most and helped her to live life to the fullest. She was married to her beloved husband Larry for 50 years, until his passing in 2019. Her colleagues at Woodward became lifelong friends. In her later years, she loved weekly family dinners, laughing and playing games with her children and grandchildren, immersing herself in her loving Lenbrook community, and long chats with friends who dropped by.“Mom cared the most about helping people ﬁnd their ﬁt in life,” said Scott her son. “And she felt like she played a small part in helping students ﬁnd the right ﬁt for college as they left Woodward. She was the ultimate deﬁnition of a ‘people person,’ who got to know everyone and helped however she could.”In honor of Missy’s life’s work, the family suggests making a donation to Woodward Academy at woodward.edu/giving/missysanchez. Ann Marie “Missy” Sanchez“She was the ultimate deﬁnition of a ‘people person,’ who got to know everyone she could and help however she could.”Angela Jean Stephenson, a cherished member of the Woodward faculty, passed away on May 8, 2024, after a brief but courageous battle with cancer. Angela’s legacy is one of dedication, love, and unwavering commitment to education.Born in Granite Falls, N.C., Angela’s adventurous spirit and diverse talents were evident from a young age. She was a tree-climbing tomboy, a drum majorette, a basketball player, and a beauty queen with a talent for tap dancing, achieving second runner-up at Miss North Carolina. She graduated from Granite Falls High School and pursued special education at the University of Western Carolina.Angela’s teaching career began at Highlands Elementary School, where she discovered her true calling: to champion the lives of children through education and unconditional love. In 1978, she moved to Laramie, Wyoming, where she taught high school and led the high school women’s Nordic ski team to state championships.Angela’s remarkable journey at Woodward Academy began in 1985 when she moved to Georgia. Over her 39-year tenure, she served as an English teacher, Individual Student Program leader, and most recently, as a Learning Support Program teacher. Angela’s impact on her students was profound; she helped thousands discover their unique learning styles and build the self-esteem necessary to navigate life. One former student reﬂected, “I wouldn’t be the person I am today without you. You are the reason why I survived high school academically and physically and you also allowed me to have conﬁdence in being the learner and person that I am.”Angela found peace and joy through her relationship with John Cox. They recently celebrated their second wedding anniversary, sharing a deep passion for golf and traveling from Scotland to Pebble Beach to enjoy the game.Angela is survived by her husband, John; her daughter, Ashley Stephenson Pincott ’96; son-in-law, Ed; and her grandchildren, Carys and Maxwell Pincott. Her legacy will live on in the hearts of the countless lives she touched.The family requests donations be made to the Winship Cancer Institute (winshipcancer. emory.edu), Woodward Academy (woodward.edu), or Holy Innocents’ Episcopal Church (holyinnocents.org). Angela Jean Stephenson

Summer 2024

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