WINTER 2023WOODWARD
WOODWARDWINTER 2023DEPARTMENTS03 From the President04 Conversation05 Around Campus18 War Eagle Watch23 In the WorldALUMNI34 Alumni Events41 Class NotesFEATURES28 Game ChangersCover image by Paul Ward
1WINNING COMBINATIONSeventh grader Amelia Mayeske makes a strategic locker stop.BILLY HOWARD
EDITOR Steven AverettCONTRIBUTORS Marla Goncalves Kyana JohnsonAmy Morris Shaumond ScottDESIGN Heather WinkelPUBLISHER Nija Majmudar MeyerMs. Madelyn R. AdamsMr. Gerald R. BenjaminMr. Kenneth L. BlankMr. Ronald M. BrillMrs. Monica Howard DouglasMr. 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 ’61Ms. Tamara R. Jones ’88Mr. Thomas L. Jones ’69Mr. Gregory S. Lewis ’92Mr. C. Brad Marsh ’77Ms. Belinda M.J. MorrisDr. Vicki R. PalmerMrs. Beth H. Paradies Dr. Deepak RaghavanMr. 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 Oce. Contact us at magazine@woodward.edu.Mr. William W. AllisonMr. Robert E. Bowers ’74Dr. Thomas J. Busey Jr. ’49Mr. Clarence Davis ’74Mr. A. Adair Dickerson Jr. ’71Ms. Vicki EscarraDr. Daniel S. Ferguson ’68Mr. W. Philip Gramm ’61Dr. Phillip A. Griths ’56Dr. Nancy Howard Jennings ’84Mr. Waldo S. Kennedy ’57Mr. Ian Lloyd-JonesDr. Thomas L. Lyons ’66Mr. Gene W. Milner Jr. ’71Mr. George S. Morgan Sr. ’69Mrs. Marie L. Nygren ’78Mr. Larry D. ThompsonMr. J. Russell WelchOUR 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. TraylorASSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENT FOR HUMAN RESOURCESChristy BrowneMEMBERSVICE CHAIRMs. Mary S. Moore ’87ADVISORY BOARD2022-23 Academic YearADMINISTRATION
3Instruments of Changedeveloping the social and emotional well-being of every member of our community, and increasing real-world applications in our curriculum and cocurricular activities. We will be unveiling more detailed initiatives as we move forward, but in the meantime I urge you to explore the details of our plan at woodward.edu/strategicplan.Concordantly, in this issue you can read about numerous instances of the Woodward community serving as instruments of positive change in their own lives, in our school, and in the world. I hope you find these examples as inspiring as I do. May we all work hand in hand to steer our beloved school and our world toward a bright future beyond the bounds of our imagination. —F. Stuart Gulley, PresidentThere’s no denying that change is inevitable. The shifting tectonic plates of technology, nature, politics, financial markets, and other forces require us to stay nimble to keep our footing as each transformative tremor rolls beneath us.Even as we set an aspirational course for what we want our school to be, we must respond to the changes creating present challenges for those in our community. Inflation, teacher burnout/anxiety, racial inequities, and deep political divisions are but a few of the real forces aecting the nation and our Woodward family. So even as Woodward acts as a force for change, as an institution, we must continue to adapt to the ebb and flow of change around us.With both truths in mind, we recently unveiled our Strategic Plan for 2022-2025, titled Onward Woodward: An Unparalleled Student Experience. Our Governing Board approved this plan after many months of analysis and discussion. We began in May 2021 by surveying parents, students, and employees. Seven Governing Board sub-committees analyzed the results and developed specific recommendations for the next four years of our work. The first of those centers on community.Our inclusive community is at the core of our identity, and it sets us apart from other independent schools. However, we understand that building a community based on mutual respect and care requires constant, open-hearted attention. In our next four years, we’ll devote time and resources to ensuring that our community continues to be truly Atlanta at its very best. We also will make campus improvements that provide space for nurturing our community. The recently unveiled space in the Middle School called The Nest is dedicated to students’ (and teachers’) mental well-being. We also are beginning the exploration of a multi-use student commons that will double as alumni gathering space.Our Strategic Plan also includes goals centered on building positive student-teacher relationships, FROM THE PRESIDENTKAYLINN GILSTRAP
4WOODWARD WINTER 2023“ I wanted to represent my school doing what I love, and I knew the same was true for other equestrians at Woodward” - Sydney WoodroofCONVERSATIONWhile 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 on posts from social media.Follow Woodward news across social media channels.@WoodwardAcademy #woodwardwaySOCIAL A very special and important occasion in the story of Woodward Academy. Today we honor and demonstrate our gratitude for our veterans.–@woodwardacademy The Middle School volleyball team volunteered in a service project called The Sandwich Project to assist in combating food scarcity in Metro Atlanta. In total, the ladies made more than 500 ham & cheese, turkey & cheese, and peanut butter & jelly sandwiches for children in Metro Atlanta living with food insecurity.–@woodwardacademy Congratulations to @woodwardacademytheatre for three days of performances, packed houses, & standing ovations!Thank you to the phenomenal cast and crew for creating a memorable experience for us all to enjoy!#WoodwardWay #RespectTheWay–@woodwardacademy Tenth grader Sydney Woodruff started an equestrian team at Woodward. She established a team of 8 riders for the Middle School team & 8 for the Upper School team.Last weekend, the team competed in its first show and took home the reserve champions title! Congratulations @wa.equestrian_–@woodwardacademy
AROUND CAMPUSWHAT THE SIGN SAYSThese Woodward North students are happy to oblige.BILLY HOWARD
WOODWARD WINTER 20236opportunity to succeed and make a positive impact in their community. The Horizons program accomplishes this mission through a transformational, tuition-free, summer learning program that helps eliminate critical barriers to success that many children face. The multifaceted program includes a number of impressive benchmarks, including reading proficiently by the end of third grade, achieving eighth grade math competence, building swimming skills and self-confidence, and graduating from high school ready to progress to college and beyond. Can you summarize the elements of Woodward’s Horizons program?The Horizons program runs for six weeks during the summer, with scholars coming to campus Monday through Friday for full days of programming. We have an average of 15 students in each class along with three teachers. This student-to-teacher ratio provides a highly personalized environment and individualized learning experience. We also employ a full-time reading specialist to help any of our struggling readers. Research has shown that students who cannot read on grade level by the end of 3rd grade are four times more likely to drop out of high school than their on grade-level reading peers, so reading proficiency is a vital component of our program.One of the goals of our program is to balance academics, enrichment, and social emotional learning to deliver a holistic education. Daily schedules include reading, math, STEM, art, music, and swim lessons, as well as special classes such as American Sign Language, African Dance, and cooking. All K-8 scholars work on problem-based learning projects and attend weekly field trips. Middle School students engage in service learning, entrepreneurship, and prepare for lifeguard certification. High school students volunteer for the program, complete lifeguard certification, and are Horizons MagicHorizons seeks to level the playing field for students, regardless of socioeconomic background.Horizons Atlanta at Woodward Academy is part of a national, award-winning summer program with a mission to close the opportunity gap for underserved students through high-quality academics in an engaging six-week summer enrichment program on a private school or university campus, at no cost to families.Woodward magazine discussed the program, its mission, and what’s next with the Director of Horizons Program Kristin Jackson.How did the Horizons program get started at Woodward?Dr. Jonathan Merrill [now Upper School Principal] visited the Horizons program at Holy Innocents’, which, at the time, was the only Horizons program in Georgia. Dr. Merrill knew the program was a good fit for Woodward. In the summer of 2012, he established the first Horizons kindergarten class at Woodward, including 15 students from Mt. Olive Elementary in East Point. Since then, the program has grown by adding a new group of 15 kindergarten students every year. I became the program director in 2018, and since 2020, our program has been at capacity, serving 135 scholars in grades K-8 from schools in the Tri-Cities area.What is the mission of Horizons?As an aliate of Horizons National, Horizons Atlanta at Woodward aims to improve the life trajectory of underserved students and their families by instilling in them the joy of learning, skills for success, and inspiration to realize their dreams. We believe that every child in metro Atlanta, regardless of socioeconomic background, should have the Horizons students participate in hands-on enrichment programs.
7employed as lifeguards after the age of 15. Our daily swim lessons serve not only as a lifesaving skill, but also a confidence booster for our students as they progress through the program and achieve their lifeguard certification, which translates into a summer job opportunity for them. Once our oldest students are put in a paid, leadership position, it’s clear how much responsibility, excellence, and self-confidence the program instills in our students. We continue our support during the school year by oering virtual tutoring once a week with Woodward Upper School students along with a weekly virtual STEM Club where scholars receive experiment kits and complete them with guidance over Zoom. We also hold monthly events on campus, oering swim lessons, STEM activities, and community building lunches, and host Halloween, Christmas, and Valentine’s Day parties. Over the past two years, we’ve engaged Woodward students in a Valentine’s swap and Horizons t-shirt sale to raise awareness about the program. During the school year, around 50 Upper School students volunteer as tutors. Over the summer, more than 100 Woodward student volunteers help facilitate our in-person program. What are the biggest challenges Horizons faces?As with any nonprofit, funding is always a challenge! We rely on funds from Horizons Atlanta to cover about 75% of expenses. Even with support from the national organization, we’re left with a yearly fundraising goal of nearly $80,000. Part of these funds come from Woodward’s concession sales and from our Valentine’s spirit shirt sale, but we also rely heavily on individual donors and grants.What’s next for Horizons at Woodward?Our first class of scholars are now high school juniors, so we’re To learn more about Horizons at Woodward, visit woodward.edu/horizons. THE WOODWARD WAYWe asked members of the Class of 2023 to articulate—in a single sentence—what the Woodward Way means to them.“The Woodward Way means acting with integrity and honor.” Ellie Broad“The Woodward Way is being kind to others, no matter what, and going above and beyond to achieve our full potential.”Pearson Dyslin“The Woodward Way means finding the people and things that you care most about in our community and supporting others as they do the same.”Alex Humphrey“The Woodward Way represents what each student lives by as they excel, both academically and athletically, each day on campus.”Caitlin Johnson“The Woodward Way means to lead by example, and respect your teachers, your peers, and yourself.”Trinity Knox“The Woodward Way means creating a place of inclusion and mutual respect for one another.”Gabe Parker“The Woodward Way reminds me to step out of my comfort zone, find my own path, and explore who I am as a person.”Iya Tangsujaritpunt“When I think of the Woodward Way, I simply think of the expectations the community embodies and of how we as students should treat each other, the teachers, faculty, and the community with respect, while keeping an open mind.”Malin Tangsujaritpunt“To me, the Woodward Way means understanding and accepting others’ differences and cultures.”Ava Thompson“The Woodward Way means respecting and listening to each other.”Cameron Thompsonlooking for more ways to engage and support them. Most Horizons programs end in eighth grade, but we are committed to working with our students during high school and beyond. We hope to have several of our Horizons graduates choose to work as teachers or mentors over the summer while they pursue post-secondary education. We also are hiring a math specialist to join the Horizons team this summer to complement the benefits and impact we’ve seen with our reading specialist and STEM coordinator. We want to challenge our scholars to use math in a practical way that makes it easy and intuitive for them.How can Woodward students and adults get involved with and support Horizons?We have opportunities for Upper School students to become virtual tutors and engage with our scholars during special events throughout the year. We can always use concession stand volunteers at any athletic event. In summer, there are positions in the classrooms and pool to work with our students, creating what we call the “Horizons Magic."
WOODWARD WINTER 20238said, ‘You know, you really have some leadership qualities, and I think you’re going to be a great administrator.’" Although initially surprised by the suggestion, Traylor continued to take on more duties and responsibilities over the next eight years, eventually serving as Fine Arts director, director of Student Programming, and AP coordinator. He advanced to the administrative team at the independent school before becoming the associate head of school and principal of Bishop McNamara High School in Forestville, Md.“That was an incredible time,” said Traylor. “I learned a lot about myself as a leader, about education, and about shaping and transforming the hearts and minds of young people.”After five years at Bishop McNamara, Traylor’s mother fell ill and the prospect of regularly commuting from the Washington, A mong the most interesting things about Dr. Nigel A. Traylor are all of the roads not taken on his journey to becoming Woodward’s Vice President for Academic and Student Life. Despite an early background in music, Traylor was accepted to Emory University and awarded scholarships to study pre-med in pursuit of a career in neuroscience. Shortly before embarking on that path, Clayton State University delivered an unsolicited competing oer of a full scholarship to study music, which he ultimately decided was closer to his heart.He studied classical voice and earned a bachelor’s degree in opera before continuing on to the University of Georgia to earn a master’s in music studying voice performance in opera. Traylor intended to pursue a doctorate in music. And then?“The plan was to audition at the Met and go on to be an opera star,” he said.Here again, Traylor zigged where others might zag. After mulling doctoral programs at Juilliard, the Eastman School of Music, the University of Michigan, the University of Kentucky, and schools in New England, the Atlanta native decided he was reluctant to move so far from his family.Instead, he opted to find a job closer to home while he determined next steps. He took a position teaching music at the Independent School (aka Lakeview Academy) in Gainesville, Ga. “I taught some general music classes: music, AP music theory, and music history,” Traylor said. “And it was at that time the head of the school Singing PraisesMeet Dr. Nigel Traylor, Woodward’s new Vice President for Academic and Student Life.D.C., area to Atlanta to be by her side prompted a search for a position closer to home. In the fall of 2019, he became Middle School principal at Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School in Sandy Springs.While in his third year at Holy Innocents’, where he navigated the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, Traylor learned that Marcia Prewitt Spiller, Senior Vice President for Academic and Student Life at Woodward, had announced plans to retire. “A few people called and said, ‘Do you know anybody who might be interested in this role at Woodward?’ And I said, ‘No, I don’t.’ Because, honestly, I was not thinking about it. Only afterward did I realize what they were hinting at,” Traylor laughed.Traylor says his embrace of education as a vocation was gradual, but powerful. “When I started getting responsibilities outside of teaching music, I recognized that Dr. Nigel Traylor
9communicate my commitment to the students, faculty, and families of our community. First and foremost, I believe that everything we do must be rooted in mission. I always ask, ‘Is this critical to our mission? How is this critical to our mission?’ Secondly, I will always do what is in the best interest of our students. We need to ensure that we provide our families with the best educational experience of which they can be proud. We all must be committed to finding a way to help every student reach their highest potential with the compassion and dignity that every human deserves.By way of opportunities, Woodward is a large school, and in large institutions, it is often the case that the right hand doesn’t know what the left hand is doing. It is our challenge and our mission to ensure that both hands are always working in concert. So I think we can be better and more intentional in how we communicate.I also want us to work toward breaking down silos. We often become insulated within our own worlds. And these worlds, in and of themselves, are wonderful. But how much better o would we all be if our disparate worlds were allowed to collide, intertwine, connect, and collaborate?Another opportunity for growth comes from a family perspective. It is my hope that a Woodward family starts in the Primary School or Woodward North and continues on their Woodward journey all the way to the Upper School. And while that experience is unique and expands at each level, there should be some measure of institutional uniformity. We’ve heard from parent and student surveys that Woodward feels like five dierent schools. How then can we establish some sort of thematic throughline to the educational journey for our families so that they don’t feel like they’re starting over as they move from one school to the next?These are but some of the challenges set before us. I often like to say, “This isn’t the landing strip, this is the launching pad.” And if this is where we are starting, what we will accomplish in the years to come will be ineable. There is no place like Woodward Academy. I am honored to have the opportunity to contribute to an institution steeped in rich history and tradition. But I am equally excited about the potential for transformation and the next iteration of our great school. We are influencers, we are thought leaders, and we are the national model. I’m excited to be in a position to help us live up to who we say that we are by remaining mission driven Academy-wide.Peace and Blessings!Dr. Nigel Traylor what we do in terms of the art of pedagogy really has an impact on what students learn, know, and are able to do, and ultimately who they become. Everything that we have learned, we’ve learned from a teacher, whether it’s a teacher in the traditional sense, a family member, a friend, or simply life. And once I started thinking about that impact, I fell in love with education. I thought, ‘I get to have the responsibility of shaping the lives and the paths of people.’ And I just couldn’t see myself doing anything else.” In his new role, Traylor has been focused on assessing Woodward’s strengths and areas for improvement. We asked him to detail, in his own words, what he’s learned so far and what he sees as his mission and his vision for the Academy moving forward.***Woodward Academy is a special place characterized by special people and special programs. Since my arrival, I have spoken with students, parents, faculty, sta, and alumni who love this Academy and have a great sense of pride in being a War Eagle. I can cite our academic excellence and how we graduate students who are well prepared for college and how they earn millions of dollars in scholarships and how we oer an unmatched academic programming that is rigorous, relevant, and globally competitive. I could talk about our triple threat of achievement across academics, the arts, and athletics.But Woodward is more than that.What I have experienced is that Woodward is filled with, and surrounded by, people who genuinely care about this institution and are committed to making sure that we leave this place better than we found it. What attracted me to Woodward is that it is a place where all opportunities abound, where every person can find their place and feel seen, known, loved, served, heard, and connected. My actions will directly BILLY HOWARD
WOODWARD WINTER 202310INNOVATIONWhat are some examples of VR experiences teachers can incorporate out of the box?• Sharecare YOU is a fully immersive, photorealistic simulation of the human body enabling detailed exploration in 360 degrees. Users can travel inside an organ, visualize its natural function, and simulate diseases and treatments.• Anne Frank House VR oers a unique and emotional insight into the two years Anne Frank spent in hiding, enabling full exploration of the Secret Annex and encounters with its inhabitants.• Tilt Brush by Google facilitates painting in 3D space.• Gravity Lab is a physics and electronics puzzle game set in an abandoned moon base.• Ocean Rift is the world’s first VR aquatic safari park, allowing users to learn about and interact with dolphins, sharks, sea turtles, sea snakes, rays, whales, manatees, sea lions, and even prehistoric animals across 14 marine habitats.• Traveling While Black is a historical empathy building experience.What kind of lessons can teachers design on their own?Teachers can use a mix of photo-realistic and computer-generated elements, integrating existing slides and lesson resources, and adding digital assets (IFX) to make learning more hands-on.Moreover, for the first time, teachers can leverage place as the “third teacher” in their classrooms, with a wide variety of locations available to them like a restaurant, the City of Rome, Independence Hall, or a far-flung galaxy.What do you find most compelling about the use of this kind of technology in learning?I think it’s the chance for students to engage all of their senses in experiencing educational ideas and concepts. When students can be transported to Pompeii in 79 AD on the eve of that fateful volcano eruption, they are certainly more engaged in the study of volcanoes, geological events, and the life and times of the ancient Romans. Students can experience a rocket launch together or take a walk on the moon. It is exciting! VR Learning Comes to WoodwardThis fall Woodward took a big step into virtual reality, purchasing enough gear to welcome an entire class into a virtual learning environment. Connie White, Woodward’s Director of Learning Design & Innovation, is overseeing the technology rollout with a priority on making it accessible and practical for faculty and students. We spoke with her about the new technology.Can you briefly summarize the VR technology being made available to Woodward faculty?We have 24 Oculus Quest 2 VR headsets available for faculty use in the Carlos Library. Teachers may check out these resources for use with their 8th-12th grade classes to engage students in an immersive learning experience.We also have purchased a headset management license that serves as an added layer of protection so that teachers can manage the VR apps that students use in their classes. Administrators can purchase and push out teacher-selected apps to all of the headsets as well.Finally, we have purchased the Enterprise platform licenses which will include access to the OptimaEd library of locations and the IFX library. This means teachers can create learning experiences based on their desired learning targets. A biology teacher could discuss the human digestive system while students interact with a complete, life-like, functioning digestive tract. They could label the organs involved in the digestion process and even “hold” each organ in their hands.Another lesson might have students applying pre-algebra concepts to landmarks like the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, Niagara Falls, Mount Rushmore, or the Statue of Liberty.Faculty train with the Oculus Quest 2 VR headsets.
Find Your Way: As a school for the entire family, it’s important for site visitors to understand the range of options we oer at Main Campus in College Park and Woodward North in Johns Creek. This visual pathway explains where a student can start and at what grade level and campus. Schools: Once visitors identify their path, our school pages cover everything from academics to STEAM, cocurriculars to athletics, school-specific FAQs, and more, on pages that feature stunning photography and subtle design elements. Bottom navigation makes it easy for visitors to continue their journey by Exploring Further. Our Stories: These profiles feature students and teachers defining the Woodward experience in their own words. This helps prospective students and their parents to imagine themselves at Woodward. Getting Started: A one-stop resource for prospective families who are exploring private schools, “Getting Started” features important admissions dates and events, information about financial aid and transportation, and calls-to-actions to inquire, visit, or apply. Giving: Learn more about philanthropy in action at Woodward and the many ways you can support the Academy through gifts to The Woodward Fund, The Woodward Alumni Fund, endowment, planned giving, Georgia GOAL, and matching gifts.Alumni: Alumni can explore upcoming events and photo galleries, volunteer opportunities, make a gift to The Woodward Alumni Fund, and explore the Academy’s history page. 11Meet the 2022-23 Parent Community Executive BoardTreasurer Elect Michon MabryExecutive Treasurer Tonya MillerPresident Elect Susan Burnette Dutson ’97Executive Board President Michelle RosenthalParliamentarian Amy AuffantExecutive Secretary Nilam PatelPast President Dawn McDonald(pictured from left to right)As you may have noticed, the new Woodward Academy website launched early this fall. Visitors will notice a more unified design and smoother navigation. We invite you to explore the site firsthand, but in the meantime, here is an overview of some of the new website’s features.Meet the New Woodward.eduVisit woodward.edu to explore the new website.
WOODWARD WINTER 202312If you’re like most people, you’re only consciously aware of the marching band as the soundtrack to football games or pep rallies. A vast library of shows and movies oer nuanced portrayals of the struggles and glory of football players on and o the field. But few are aware of the rigors and rewards of marching band beyond those passing encounters under Friday night lights.The Robert W. Woodru Marching Band is so named because the famous alumnus and former long-running president of the Coca-Cola Company reportedly helped organize and played in Georgia Military Academy’s very first band. This year’s band comprised 54 members: 28 brass and woodwinds, 15 percussion, and 11 color guard. The astronomy-minded program was titled “Galileo” and featured music by Queen, Gustav Holst, and Pink Floyd. On October 29, the band was named Class A Champion (first place) at the 2022 North Georgia Marching Band Championships.Band Director Kenneth Beard and Assistant Director Greg Miller say their goal is to increase the size of the ensemble while maintaining the organization’s high standard of excellence. To that end, Beard said they are always seeking new members—including those who have no experience with traditional marching band instruments: “There is a need for new color guard members every year. Students who are musicians and can read music are invited to contact us to see if they can learn an instrument that will enable them to be in the marching band. We have many pianists, singers, guitarists, and string musicians who join us every year. Many of them have been with us for all four years of their career at Woodward.”We sat down with three of those members for an inside perspective on the marching band experience. The participants were:Genesis Isom ’24, mellophone, Brass LieutenantJeremiah McCoy ’24, trumpet, Brass SergeantWill Varner ’23, clarinet, Woodwind LieutenantWhat drew you to participate in marching band?Genesis: Back in the Lower School, the marching band would come to where the basketball courts were and make an arc and play for us. We got to meet some of the members of I’m With the BandAn inside look at the Robert W. Woodruff Marching Band.THE ARTSThe Robert W. Woodruff Marching Band in action, with Genesis Isom ’24 (center) on mellophone.BILLY HOWARD
13inspiring experience overall. I also was excited to get to meet and know so many new people.Jeremiah: Since we were Silver Division (Class A/AA) Champions at the 2021 Hurricane Classic Marching Band Competition last year, I was ready for the competition this year. Besides that I wanted to see the rookies who joined this year and the returning members.Will: I was really excited about my senior year as a whole. Being my final year, I viewed my band experience from a whole new perspective. What did you like about this year’s band and the show?Genesis: We have this great big family. I like how tight-knit of a group we are. I like how everyone in the band is willing to help each other out, even outside of the band. I like the Wae House outings we have after every home game.Jeremiah: There are some parts of the music that sound really good and give me goosebumps at times.Will: I really liked our show. I thought the music from Queen was super cool, and it was nice for the crowd to hear some popular music.What do you like most about your role in the band?Genesis: My role lets me get to know everyone. I love how I have a relationship with everyone in the band, even the band directors. It is cool to know that I have inspired some people to join the band and to see them enjoy themselves and want to inspire other people.Jeremiah: I get to be a positive influence on the rookies and hope that they do the same for incoming band members.Will: I loved being a leader. It felt great to help all students, from the ninth graders to my senior peers.the band. I had never seen anything like it. It was extra cool because I had just bought my first instrument, which was the flute. I got to see what I could become when I got to their age. I wanted to inspire little kids just like they inspired me. Jeremiah: For me it was 7th and 8th grade Middle School Nights that led me to join the marching band. I met two really cool trumpet players—Jayden Jones ’22 and Matthew Robinson ’22. They said it was an experience of a lifetime, so I joined!Will: I joined the marching band because I wanted to be a part of something bigger than myself—a group of people who all work together to create an awesome halftime show for the school and to hype up our students.How did you choose your instrument?Genesis: I wanted to be heard and to play something dierent after playing the flute for five and a half years, so I switched to mellophone [a brass instrument that looks like a large, flared trumpet and has a sound analogous to a French horn]. I was psyched because playing flute, I was never able to project like I can with the mellophone. Jeremiah: It was my first time at Woodward and I tried out mouthpieces to see what kind of instrument was perfect for me. I was leaning more toward percussion, but when I put the trumpet mouthpiece up to my lips, I knew it was for me.Will: I chose to play the clarinet because one of my best friends who got me into the band played it, and I wanted to follow in his footsteps.What were you most excited about going into this marching season?Genesis: I was excited to play in the stands. In Middle School, we had Middle School Nights, where the Middle School band played with the marching band. They sounded so loud, and it was just an exciting and What’s the one thing you think the general public doesn’t understand about marching band?Genesis: People don’t understand how fun and amazing marching band is. You ultimately become a family, and you get to know so many people you didn’t know before. We work really hard on our show, and we love to see people in the stands cheering us on, especially at away games. Also, marching band is not as easy as it may seem. It’s more than just marching around with an instrument. It’s many hours of blood, sweat, and tears put into practicing for our show…our passion. We are very dedicated to our work, and we are proud of it. Jeremiah: The amount of time and practice that goes into perfecting the show. Many think that we don’t practice, but in reality we stand out in the blazing heat or the freezing cold wind to make sure that the music and drill are perfect.Will: I think they don’t understand the time that we put in. From multiple days during the summer, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., and almost every day during the first semester, the band is working nonstop to make our show the best it can be.What’s the most rewarding part of marching band?Genesis: Getting to see how all of our work paid o during competition. You could see everybody holding their breath after our performance and how happy they were when we got our scores. We may be small, but we are mighty! Jeremiah: We placed first in our division and being able to play every Friday night is rewarding after all of the hard work that we put in.Will: I really love the community. Getting to meet so many unique new people from all over the school is a really amazing benefit of being in a community as big as the band.
because of Mr. Greenway’s dedication to developing each student’s inner artist. After earning her B.A. in Fine Arts, Burns understood the instruction at Woodward was comparable to many college-level classes. “This gift to name the gallery honors the legacy of Mr. Greenway and shines a light on his impact on the visual arts at Woodward Academy,” she said. 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. Chris Greenway has been many things—including a soldier and a soccer coach. But, most of all, he is an artist, teacher, husband, and father.Mr. Greenway shaped Woodward Academy’s visual arts program into a powerhouse of creativity comparable to college programs. He retired in 2020 during the pandemic, and now he is being honored for his remarkable work at Woodward with the naming of the Chris Greenway Gallery inside Richardson Hall on the Upper School campus.Greenway grew up on Atlanta’s southside in the Lakewood Heights community. He graduated from Forest Park Senior High School and 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, whom he married in 1969, and to teaching art at Fulton County’s Briarwood High School. In 1981, he came to Woodward Academy as art teacher and head varsity boys soccer coach. He served as head of the Visual Art Department for 35 years, from 1985 until 2020.The Chris Greenway Gallery was made possible by the generous support of the Burns family. Sally Burns ’12 believes she experienced and achieved more academically Chris Greenway’s Legacy Lives OnArt Gallery Named for Retired Visual Arts Head.
On campus, he established and organized 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 keep in touch with him. Even in retirement, he hears from former students almost weekly.An abstract expressionist painter, Greenway believes in process-based art education of discovery, experimenting, risk, curiosity, problem-solving, and exploring materials. He also believes 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. When Greenway started at Woodward, there wasn’t an art program, just art courses such as drawing, art history, and a few students doing photography. He later added ceramics, jewelry design, sculpture, painting, and many other courses. Greenway and I were not only colleagues, we were like family. Naming the gallery after Chris Greenway is a wonderful way of honoring what he has contributed to Woodward Academy and its students.”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 influencing the arts at Woodward by guiding students in pursuing their passion for the performing arts. In his retirement, Greenway spends his time reading, painting, and listening to music. He has created around 40 paintings since March of 2020, works that were on display at an opening of the Greenway Gallery in November and will remain through January 6. “Throughout our campus, we have honored some of the most iconic and legendary teachers and coaches who have had a transformative impact on the life of the Academy,” said Dr. Chris Freer, Vice President for Advancement. “Adding Chris Greenway’s name to our gallery is a true testament to the tremendous influence he has had on the students, the arts curriculum, and facilities at Woodward Academy over the past four decades.” Chris Greenway (left) with his former student, Sally Burns ’12. Generous support from the Burns family enabled the remaking of the gallery in Greenway’s honor.MICHIE TURPIN
16WOODWARD WINTER 2023Ferguson Family Supports Woodward North TrackDONOR PROFILEfor Ryan, and golf for both.) The Fergusons live in Buckhead and enjoy the area’s museums, events, and restaurants. They chose Woodward North for multiple reasons. “We wanted a school with a strong academic environment, with a focus on ethics and morality, and with a diverse student body and culture. Further, we wanted a school that developed all aspects of the student to be good, productive citizens. Woodward does all this in a way no other school does,” Matt Ferguson said. Supporting the track at Woodward North was a way to show appreciation for the school, he added. “The experience has been excellent. Woodward North has met and exceeded our expectations in educating and developing our children so that they can be great, well-rounded people.” Woodward North’s track will be named in honor of siblings Ryan Ferguson ’30 and Reese Ferguson ’32, thanks to a gift from their family. The 1/8-mile-long track primarily is used by P.E. classes. Following study hall in after school care, students utilize the track for a “brain break” and walk the number of laps corresponding to their grade level.“We wanted to support Woodward North and its mission,” said their father, Matt Ferguson, who works in real estate and technology startups. “The school has done such a terrific job educating and developing our children.”Ryan has a strong interest in social studies, math, and science, and Reese enjoys math and ballet as well as playing violin in music class. They’ve both enjoyed horseback riding and athletics at Woodward North (basketball for Reese, soccer Ryan and Reese Ferguson on the track named in their family’s honor.In every category, this year’s fALL IN for WA campaign surpassed last fall’s participation, making it a huge success for the Woodward community. The six-week campaign encourages parents to give to The Woodward Fund, which helps bridge the gap between tuition and the actual cost of a Woodward education. The Parent Community’s Advancement Chairs, Miriam Leake and Amina Greathouse, along with other parent community volunteers, were instrumental to this year’s success.Total fALL IN participation: 57% (6% increase from last year’s campaign)New Parents: 68%Primary School: 84%Lower School: 74%Woodward North: 70%Middle School: 60%Upper School: 47%If you haven’t yet contributed to The Woodward Fund or The Woodward Alumni Fund, it’s not too late. You can give online at woodward.edu/giving or reach out to Naylene Felt, Director of Annual Giving, at naylene.felt@woodward.edu or 404.765.4035.#fALLINforWA 2022 a Resounding Success
17Top: An early Super Goober Day in 1976, complete with Mr. Peanut. Bottom: Students blow off steam at this fall’s edition of Super Goober Day, the 50th anniversary of the beloved event.FROM THE ARCHIVESTHEN AND NOW19762022For more Goober goodness, see page 40.
WOODWARD WINTER 202318WAR EAGLE WATCH
19Sporting a New LookPerhaps you missed it, but several of Woodward’s athletic facilities received upgrades this year. Many of the improvements were in Colquitt Stadium, which installed a vivid new digital scoreboard, a state-of-the-art sound system, and a new visitor’s scoreboard atop the concession stand. Drucker Baseball Field was refurbished and also debuted a new scoreboard. Finally, with help from The Woodward Fund, iPads were installed on equipment in the Athletic Center’s Weight and Conditioning Room, allowing coaches to upload custom routines for each student and track workout data. The room also was reconfigured to create an open lane to allow for speed and agility training. PAUL WARD
WOODWARD WINTER 202320Despite Woodward’s history as a military academy, many in the community may be wholly unaware of the school’s riflery team. Not to be confused with clay target (which also has a team at Woodward), riflery involves shooting air rifle pellets at a target on a range (often indoors). At Woodward, riflery members train in the fall for a competitive season that runs November through February. The team is overseen by Head Coach Kevin Henderson, who joined the team this year, and Coach Paul Boenig, who has been with the team since 2017.Riflery is an intensive, rules-heavy sport. Every component—the clothing, the equipment, the rifles, and the positions—is regulated down to the millimeter. Woodward riflery matches are 3 x 10 in structure, which refers to 10 shots fired in each of three positions: prone, standing, and kneeling, in a timed format that allows approximately 50 seconds per shot. One shot is fired at 10 bull’s-eyes in each position, with each shot having a value of 0 to 10. A perfect score equals 300-30. The center point, or “10,” of the bull’s-eye is approximately the diameter of the head on a straight pin. Shooters are positioned 10 meters (32 feet, 9 inches) away, using open sights without magnification.As with any sport involving firearms, safety is paramount, said Henderson. Numerous precautionary measures are enforced, including locking entrances to the range while practices and competitions are in progress to prevent someone inadvertently entering the line of fire. “Safety first, last, and always is something that I stress to the students each day at practice,” said Henderson. “Even though we are handling air rifles that fire pellets, they can still hurt someone if you are careless.”Good sportsmanship is another area of emphasis. “We try to impart integrity to our athletes and ‘character over comfort’,” said Boenig. “Our sport has myriad rules and regulations. When one of our athletes makes an error during record fire, they know the penalties are catastrophic to their score. Yet each time, I watch them Stay On TargetWoodward’s riflery team champions inclusivity and inner peace while pursuing the perfect bull’s-eye.
21Opposite: Senior Quin Schifilliti shoots in a recent riflery match against Social Circle. Below: Riflery coach Paul Boenig instructs senior Kylie Hallas. PAUL WARDraise their hand, alert the range ocer, and accept the consequences of the ‘hard right’ over the ‘easy wrong’ for the integrity of our sport, our team, and their character.”Quin Schifilliti ’23 joined the team as a freshman. “I am a short, non-athletic person who would rather perish than run, so that eliminated several sports. Riflery seemed like a sport that could work for me. With zero prior shooting experience, I was unsure how it would go, but I fell in love and have stayed ever since.”“As a varsity co-ed sport, riflery is open to everyone,” said Boenig. “We don’t discriminate and we don’t separate. Everyone competes shoulder-to-shoulder at the same time, using the same rule book, in the same relay. That includes athletes with physical challenges. Our rules allow for adapting equipment or positions to accommodate athletes with physical challenges who are unable to compete in a specific course of fire.”Jay Rivera, a Woodward riflery team member in the 2000s, is proof of the sport’s ability to accommodate a wide range of participants. After Woodward, he went on to compete with the U.S. Paralympic Team in the IFC World Championship at Fort Benning and, after successfully petitioning to compete with his prosthesis, made the final eight on the podium.“This sport is about being able to control your body,” said Rivera. “A slight variation can completely throw o your shot. If you get tunnel vision you won’t realize that you’re tensing up or that you’re breathing too quickly. If you take a step back and have fun with the people you are with, not only will you enjoy riflery more, in my opinion, it will make you a better shot.”Indeed, the initial moments of a riflery meet feel distinctly zen as athletes silently still their bodies and go through individualized rituals to physically and mentally prepare themselves to shoot accurately. “The shooting sports require athletes to hone their ‘inner position,’” said Boenig. “That inner position is calibrated through a quiet mind, breath control, balance and body spatial awareness, critical thinking, and mental and emotional control.”“It is one of the few sports that forces you to slow down,” added Schifilliti. “Most sports, no matter how much you may train, are in-the-moment activities where things can turn around in a flash. Riflery is a precision sport where everything matters, from the placement of my gear to actually shooting.”A game changing advance in riflery has been the introduction of the electronic scoring target (EST). This year, WA Riflery installed 12 new ESTs that are used in practice and competition. “EST demands greater precision, perfect position and repetition, and provides immediate results,” said Boenig. “This allows for better audience participation than paper scoring. Further, it makes scoring even more precise; so precise that we score up to 10.9. A 10.9 means the pellet enters the 10 ring in the absolute center of the bull’s-eye and is equally spaced in the circumference of the nine ring.”An athlete who shoots perfectly in a position could score 100-10. That means that an athlete can shoot 10 bull’s-eyes for a score of 100-0, and still lose to their competitor, who fires a 100-01 or better.EST technology opens the door for athletes with hearing impairments. The range commands are now displayed on small screens at the athletes’ positions, and lights indicate verbal start and stop commands, making the sport even more inclusive. Larger screens at the back of the range allow coaches and spectators to track shots and scoring in real time.The new targeting system has allowed the coaches to institute a more aggressive practice and competition format that includes multiple courses of fire, such as 3x10, 3x20, 40 and 60 shot standing, 10 and 24 shot finals. Henderson says a goal of the program, beyond peak performance in competitions, is to provide a complete shooting history for each individual athlete that can function as a resume in the sport should they wish to advance beyond the varsity level.Students and coaches alike expressed love for riflery as a sport that just about anyone can adopt. “Riflery can be an individual pursuit, or can be enjoyed while participating on a team,” said Boenig. “It is a lifelong sport that allows competition well past the age when other sports stop being physical options. It is designed to adjust as we age, so we can continue to compete on equal footing later in life and share the sport with family, friends, and community.”“Riflery is not limited to just the critical or linear thinkers,” said Henderson. “Some of our most successful riflery athletes have been creative artists or dancers. We welcome everyone, without exception.”
22WOODWARD WINTER 2023Raise the FlagWoodward made the decision two years ago to transition away from 11-on-11 tackle football in the Lower School in favor of flag football. We talked to Director of Athletics Jose Fernandez about the change.What were some of the key factors that led to the transition from tackle to flag football in the Lower School? What are the benefits of the change?The two primary factors that led to the change were the safety concerns associated with tackle football and concussions for students in the Lower School and the decreasing number of students participating in tackle football.Since moving to flag football, our participation numbers have increased. More students have the opportunity to participate in games, especially on the oensive side of the ball. We’ve also seen a decrease in the number of injuries associated with tackle football.What has been the reaction from students and parents?Parents have shared that they are happy with the change to flag football. Students are pleased because they have an opportunity to participate more on the oensive side of the ball, and they are learning the game without the risk of injury. Additionally, there is less stress involved in learning football at such an early stage in their development when tackling is taken out of the equation.For players who continue to play football when they reach Middle School, how do they adjust from flag to tackle?Our Middle School football coaches do a wonderful job teaching students the basics of tackle football, including the proper way to tackle. They stress the appropriate safety techniques that will allow students to be successful at the Middle and Upper School levels. Lower School teams switch to flag football.The football team completed another outstanding season, capturing the Region Championship and advancing to the AAAAAA State Quarterfinals. Woodward opened the season with three non-region games, going 2-1. The War Eagles earned wins over 2021 A Private State Champion Trinity Christian, as well as the always strong Marist squad. In their one early season loss, Woodward traveled to Chattanooga, Tenn., to face three-time state champion McCallie. In a defensive battle, the War Eagles fell to the Blue Tornadoes 17-13, marking the only loss of their season. Following three non-region games, the War Eagles finished with a perfect 7-0 record, securing the Region Championship for the second year in a row. As region champs, the War Eagles opened the AAAAAA State Playos at home against Riverwood and cruised to a 41-13 win. Round two brought #7 ranked Lee County High School to Colquitt Stadium. With a dominant defensive performance, and some key plays on oense, the War Eagles earned a 23-7 win and a trip to the State Quarterfinals. The War Eagles traveled to #1 ranked Langston Hughes for the Elite Eight round. A back-and-forth first half resulted in a 21-21 deadlock at halftime, but Langston surged ahead in the second half to win 56-28. Woodward finished the 2022 season with an 11-2 overall record, 7-0 in Region 3-AAAAAA, and likely a top 10 ranking in AAAAAA. Oensively, the War Eagles were led by senior quarterback Jalen Woods and junior wide receiver Ben Grice. On defense, juniors Myles Graham and London Merritt led the charge with help from senior defensive end AJ Hoer, senior linebacker Spence Snipes, and senior defensive back CJ Heard. Junior place kicker Hudson Hanges was 50 of 51 on extra points and hit 9 out of 15 field goals including four field goals of 47-yards. Friday Night HighlightsBEN HERSHEY
23IN THE WORLDHe majored in business, and after graduation, spent a year in Portland, Oregon, working in healthcare consulting. After moving back to Atlanta, he started a company with an Emory professor, but the dot-com bubble of the late 1990s prevented that business from taking o. He worked for a consulting firm before enrolling at Harvard for his M.B.A. in 2003. He did internships in Lagos, Nigeria, and London, working in international private equity and international real estate. Returning to Atlanta after Harvard, Deshpande worked for Bain & Co. and, in 2010, started his own company, SmartPath, which provides financial guidance for more than 500,000 low and middle income employees of client firms. “It’s nice to have a core mission that I think is helpful to the world,” he said. “It has been a strong thread in my life. I’m a big social justice, economic justice advocate so this is just an extension of that in my professional life.” His belief in the Woodward mission is the reason he became active in the Alumni Association after his friend, Simon Arpiarian ’94, reached out to ask him to get involved in 2017. Deshpande served as Alumni Board president during the COVID-19 pandemic, a challenging year. He and his wife, Nina, are parents to Deven, a member of the Class of 2024. Deven runs cross country and track and has been happy at Woodward as well.Desphande says he’ll continue to get involved as much as he can with the Alumni Association. “People give back to things that were valuable in their life and they want to see continuity to it,” he said. “I look at what the school has done over the years, especially with respect to diversity. We’re making real progress here for society. Woodward is a beacon of progress.” Alok Deshpande’s Woodward journey started in 1990, when he entered the Academy as an Upper School freshman. After graduation, he earned a degree from Emory University and later an M.B.A. from Harvard. Now, he’s the parent of a Woodward Upper School student and the recipient of the 2022 Alumni Service Award.At Woodward, Deshpande played soccer, volunteered with the Jesse Draper Boys & Girls Club, and was inducted into the National Honor Society. He says his Woodward education prepared him for college and his career. “My foundation in writing and math served me well throughout my career in so many dierent ways,” he said. “I learned how to communicate with dierent types of people in helpful, constructive ways. Those skills primarily came from Woodward.” Teachers who made a big impression included 10th grade English teacher Cleo Hudson and BC Calculus instructor Paul Myers, who clearly cared about his progress and helped him excel in “one of the most academically challenging classes to date.”During senior year, he and some Woodward friends started a band, playing original songs and covers of bands like Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Red Hot Chili Peppers in venues around Georgia Tech. As time passed, his Woodward friends continued to be central to his life, and nearly three decades on, Deshpande still keeps in close touch with them. “I have friends across all dierent backgrounds. That diversity in my life in the people who surround me has been really important to me,” he said. At Emory, Deshpande started out as a pre-med major. During junior year, he was diagnosed with cancer and took a year o to undergo chemo and radiation. “That was a pretty monumental experience from a standpoint of maturity and growth,” he said. “While I was interested in healthcare, that experience solidified for me that I didn’t want to become a doctor. I didn’t like hospitals.”Alumni Service Award Winner Alok Deshpande ’94 on Woodward.Alok Deshpande ’94 with his wife Nina.‘A Beacon of Progress’SERVICE EFFORTS
WOODWARD WINTER 202324Last year Jack Pilger ’23 shook o his COVID isolation in a big way—by spending his junior year studying in Rennes, France. We talked with him about the experience.What led you to want to study abroad?After five years of taking French, I felt that I needed a new linguistic challenge to expand my speaking and listening skills while experiencing a unique environment far from home. What were you most excited about ahead of the trip? What made you most apprehensive?I was excited to make new friends, to become close with my host Rennes-aissance ManJack Pilger ’23 made the most of his year studying in Rennes, France.family, and to participate in cultural exchange across the many regions and cultures in France. I did feel poorly equipped to handle less formal conversations, and worried about coming o as awkward to my teachers, host family, or fellow students.What was your host family like?While my relationship with my host family was initially fairly tense, I quickly became immersed in the language and was able to better express myself and feel more relaxed around them without draining my “battery.” As I got better at the language, my relationship became more casual and personal, and I found myself spending more time with them.Were there any notable cultural differences that became apparent when you arrived in Rennes? What is the town like?The first thing I noticed in Rennes was the layout of the city. Without skyscrapers, the tallest buildings were churches, and small roads weaved around blocks of buildings stretching throughout the city. Even the larger roads were populated more by bikes and buses than cars, if not entirely allocated for pedestrians. Despite the smaller size of the city, the large avenues felt grand and unique. The weather was usually humid and colder, but otherwise it was clear skies except for a few months in late winter.What differences/commonalities in schooling did you notice?School in France was incredibly dierent, and the way students reacted was equally unique. School began at 7 a.m. and ended at 5 p.m. with two hours for lunch, except for half-days on Wednesday. Grading was out of 20 instead of 100. Grades of 50-70% were considered good, despite involving at least two hours of homework per night. Conversely, nights without homework were like mini-holidays. Practically the entire grade would go out on Wednesday and Thursday nights, when no homework was common.What did you like most about attending school in France?I really liked the teachers and the sense of commonality among the students. My teachers would teach thoroughly, were incredibly patient, and would help me with advanced vocabulary. The students would all help each other, and very few students felt disconnected from the others.
25What did you like to do in your free time there?In my free time, I would play badminton on a team with my host brother and I would casually play other sports like rugby and soccer with my classmates. I also joined the French Boy Scouts—Scout d’Europe—and learned songs, games, and rituals while camping in the French countryside.What was the hardest part of the exchange experience? What did you find most rewarding?The exchange experience was very dicult at times, particularly during months of consistent work like December and April, which over time compromised my sleep schedule, diet, and mental and physical health. Each class was AP level and demanded constant attention, especially during weeks before the winter and summer breaks. The sheer amount of work was hard to cope with, and I relied on coee, sugar, and energy drinks to keep me going. However, working through this challenging stretch with good friends made it much GLOBAL CONNECTIONS Woodward’s global reach includes travel opportunities for students, study abroad, and hosting international students. Learn more at woodward.edu/global.home, but it also can be isolating and I would be irresponsible to forget the 19 Americans out of a class of 67 who could not finish their time in Rennes due to stress and other challenges. Many days you will need to work from the moment you get home to the moment you go to sleep. But you will spend just as long traveling around the countryside without a care in the world.My junior year abroad was similar to many of my classmates’ here at Woodward. But without an open mind, a sense of humor, and a determination to excel, I am unsure whether I would have returned with an overall positive perspective on the year. A school year in France could be right for you, but you also need to be right for a school year in France. more bearable, and the celebration afterward felt well-earned.Will your family be hosting an exchange student as well?Yes, my family and I are planning on hosting a French student in the spring. I’m working on my mini-essays for the pairing as we speak.Would you recommend the study abroad experience to others?I would recommend the study abroad experience to a very specific type of student: a student who can work very hard while still appreciating the little things and the little dierences between French and American life. In many ways you are a representation of America’s impact in French culture, and vice versa, and the responsibility of potentially being someone’s only personal experience of an American should be taken seriously. Spending my junior year in France was not a constant slog, but wasn’t a vacation either.Likewise, being in an foreign environment can be exhilarating and give a new perspective on your own Opposite: Jack Pilger ’23 (center in black shirt) at home with his host family in Rennes, France. Above: Jack’s photo of the Church of Saint-Germain in front of the Mordelaise Tower in Rennes. Right: Jack gets a surprise visit from Woodward’s former Director of International and Global Connections, Stéphane Allagnon.
WOODWARD WINTER 202326MAKING THEIR MARKthis time in isolation also allowed me to focus on finding ways to help myself and others become more resilient and heal the trauma that we face in our past and present. I saw the connection between those two issues and understood that any resource for one may have a positive impact on the other. Curating resources for literacy helps create equitable job opportunities, ensures informed decision making in daily tasks, decreases crime rates, and fosters self-worth. For these reasons, I formed my small business, Lead & Ink, LLC. which houses my Brown Girl Resilience book collections. Erasing illiteracy and healing trauma are my missions!Middle School literature teacher Charell Coleman has authored The Brown Girl Resilience book collection, including the recently released title, “I Have A Mayor Named Keisha!” Coleman’s book was included in the 2022 Essence Festival and was selected to represent the Day of Service. Prior to her most recent publication, Coleman authored “I Have A Mayor Named LaToya,” about the mayor of New Orleans.Coleman’s series pays homage to the struggles of People of Color (Black and brown) while sharing their stories of trials and resilience. She writes and speaks about her two core passions: erasing illiteracy and healing trauma from the inside out.She spoke to us about the inspiration behind the collection and her plans going forward.What led to the creation of The Brown Girl Resilience book collection? This collection was born 33 years ago when I was 12 years old. Journaling was an outlet for my trauma-filled childhood, and an act I still rely on in my present-day life. Journal writing has always provided me with safety and sanity.Those same journals are the anchor to my stories in the Brown Girl Resilience book collection. Seeing my little brother struggle in school while we were growing up in a home with layers of trauma caused me heartache. It is partly what led me to become an educator. During the pandemic, I had time to reflect and read about many issues of social injustice in our world. What stood out for me was the crisis of literacy in our country. Having Of Reading and ResilienceChildren’s book series by Middle School teacher Charrell Coleman celebrates People of Color.Charell Coleman
27What impact do you hope these books will have?I hope they teach readers that we are resilient, redeemable, and deserve equal representation and opportunities in our world. Everyone should know: YOU ARE ENOUGH!What was the hardest part about writing and publishing your first book?The most challenging part was learning how to get my book out into the world through the publishing process. I used a publishing company for my first book. Near the end of that process, I met with the company and told them I wanted to purchase the rights to all of my material. I had seen enough of the process that I figured, with time, I could self-publish. Today I self-publish all of my books and have established a publishing service that helps others write and publish their own books. How has writing influenced your work in the classroom and vice versa?As an educator, when I look into the eyes of students, I see our future. As an author, I research literacy and resilience. Through that research I found myself wanting my students to understand how interdependent we are in the world. So I have become more intentional about helping them to think beyond themselves to gain a global perspective.My role as an educator has influenced my writing in many ways. Luckily, I have had the privilege of teaching across poverty-stricken communities, middle class environments, and auent areas. Even in these vastly dierent settings, I have seen lagging literacy and the need for resiliency skills in every student population. It confirms that there is work to be done in all communities and that we share more in common than one might suspect.Without giving too much away, do you have any future books in development?Have you ever heard of “Ain’t No Stopping Us Now” by McFadden and Whitehead? Well, that is my answer. Once I put my pencil to paper, I literally can’t stop. I have a series of books I am working on for dyslexic students, teen journals, and so much more. Every story born inside of me will make its way to print and that will be MY story! Welcoming the WorldThis fall Woodward Academy hosted three exchange students from our partner schools around the world. Each student was on campus for about three weeks to foster cultural exchange, staying with a Woodward family and attending school during their time here. Our guests included Lachlan from Australia, Aaliyah from Germany, and Clara from France.
WOODWARD WINTER 202328Fifty years ago, the U.S. enacted Title IX as part of the Education Amendments of 1972, prohibiting sex-based discrimination in schools or other education programs that receive federal funding. Though the provision was intended broadly as a civil rights anti-discrimination measure and made no explicit mention of sports, its most commonly recognized impact is on high school and collegiate athletics.There’s no argument that since Title IX’s adoption, athletic opportunities for women and girls have flourished. Nevertheless, many argue we’re still a long way from true parity.At Woodward, female students have a broad range of women’s and co-ed individual and team sports to choose from. And some sports that have not traditionally been co-ed are becoming so.GRIDIRON GIRLSRecently the previously all-male Middle School football teams saw two girls join their rosters. Eighth-grader Ysabel Sullivan played her second football season this year, while seventh-grader Emma Companiotte played organized football for the first time.Emma said she loves football so much that in fourth grade she joined cheerleading just to get on the field. “I have played football at recess since the fourth grade. Most of the boys were happy to let me join, but a few said, ‘Girls can’t play football.’ I was determined to prove them wrong. By sixth grade, I was playing with the boys at recess every day. Then I learned that I could join the seventh grade team this year.”By contrast, Ysabel had never played a down of football when she became the first girl to join the seventh grade team last year. “I was looking for another sport to play because I had tried almost everything else,” she said.Both girls said they experienced some initial trepidation walking onto the field with 42 boys. But both also say the coaches were immediately welcoming and most of the players were, too. And the teammates who evinced initial skepticism quickly came around as Emma and Ysabel proved their determination on the field.“I was not sure what to expect, but everyone was great,” Emma said. “Nobody tried to discourage me. Ysabel had played on the seventh grade team last year, so I wasn’t the first. The coaches treated me like everybody else—I had the same gear, the same workouts, and the same expectations. All I wanted to do was play, and they made it possible.”The girls played a number of positions. Emma primarily played running back, defensive back, and linebacker. “The coaches tried us out in some other positions as well,” she said. “It really helped me learn the game. They were really good teachers.”“I was a wide receiver, a corner, and I was on kicko. I enjoyed playing on special teams the most,” said Ysabel.“They showed toughness, flexibility, and resilience in a sport where girls don’t normally participate,” said 8th Grade Head Football Coach and Program Coordinator Ty McCard.McCard noted that a number of girls also play on Woodward’s Lower School football squads, which recently switched to flag football exclusively (see pg. 22). This suggests there will be a steady pipeline of girls with an interest in playing at the junior varsity and varsity levels.Emma said she definitely plans to suit up again as a War Eagle in eighth grade.“I have been thinking about continuing football in the Upper School and discussed it with my coaches during the season,” Ysabel said. “Should I decide to continue, I am confident that I would have both my coaches’ and teammates’ support.”Title IX at 50While athletic opportunities for girls abound, there’s still room for improvement.
29ON THE MATWrestling is one of the fastest growing U.S. sports and is another arena where girls are competing at high levels, sometimes toe-to-toe with boys. Woodward’s girls wrestling program has grown from a roster of eight Middle School girls three years ago to 32 wrestlers today across the Middle and Upper Schools, making it one of the biggest programs not only in Georgia but in the entire Southeast.“We have had a core group of juniors this year who have been with us from the very beginning,” said coach Pete Fritts ’83. “Last year one of our girls, Aneri Patel ’24, placed 3rd in the state with a record of 22-2. She is the first female wrestling state place winner at Woodward. We had four girls last year with more than 15 wins.”Fritts attributes the program’s rapid growth to internal recruiting. “Our core girls have been really good recruiters. We now have 12 Middle School girls in the program despite having only two seniors. Our numbers will continue to grow. It’s new, it’s fun, and it’s the next big thing on campus. The girls wear wrestling as a badge of honor that sets them apart.”This year wrestling became a gender equity sport, Fritts noted, meaning the girls can wrestle just as many matches as the boys. “Most of our girls will wrestle between 50-60 matches this year. That is huge when you are talking about advancing girls’ presence in the sport.”Fritts says despite the program’s growth, the goal of a team state championship as well as claiming the school’s first female individual championship remain.“We want to set the standard and have everyone else adjust to us. We want the competition to say, ‘Uh oh. Woodward is here!’ Then we have created an advantage.”HEROES OF THE HARDWOODWhen considering athletic excellence at Woodward, the girls basketball team is certainly one of the first things that springs to mind. The team currently reigns as back-to-back state champions (2021 and 2022) and is a staggering 42-0 in region play over the last three years. They are undefeated at home (37-0) in the past three seasons, and claim two regional titles along with a national championship appearance. Their roster in recent years includes three 1,000-point scorers, the Gatorade Player of the Year, the Ms. Georgia Player of the Year, and seven players signed to play basketball at the college and professional level.Kim Lawrence ’00, who has coached the team for 15 years (11 as head coach), attributes the team’s success to Clockwise from top left: The Woodward girls basketball team after winning the 2022 State Championship; Eighth grader Ysabel Sullivan (left) and seventh grader Emma Companiotte played on this year’s Middle School football teams; Girls wrestling has exploded in popularity at Woodward in the last three years.
WOODWARD WINTER 202330You’re probably not aware of it, but Woodward alumnus Robert Frederick ’91 shaped daily life for you and pretty much everyone else in the 21st century. One of the architects of the human interaction technology behind Amazon, Frederick was honored for his achievements with the Academy’s 2022 Distinguished Alumni Award. From his base in Seattle, Frederick now runs Sirqul (pronounced “circle”), a technology platform that allows Fortune 500 companies, startups, and individual entrepreneurs to leverage patent-pending social, mobile, location, and analytics solutions developed for cross-platform applications and devices, including iOS, Android, Kindle, Windows Phone, Mac, PC, Facebook, and the web.He’s been pursuing his passion for science and technology for his entire life and got a jump start when, as a senior at Woodward, he was accepted to a joint enrollment program at Georgia Tech that allowed him to take a full year of calculus, chemistry, and physics. As a sophomore at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, he was invited to join the MIT Media Lab’s Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program to work on an Internet-based interactive cinema project. “It was a mashup of a private social network, Netflix mystery, and video game puzzler where you needed to use clues to unlock additional video. Creating the engine for this experience and having it run on the Internet was monumental to my career trajectory,” Frederick said. In 1999, Je Bezos acquired Frederick’s startup, Convergence Corporation. “Our mission was to make it possible for anyone, anywhere, at any time, to be able to access any Amazon feature or service from any device,” he said. “It’s been 23 years and I still remember that first set of meetings in Seattle like they were yesterday.”Frederick’s interest in technology began with his father, an engineer and leader in rapid transit systems. The family moved to Georgia from Maryland in the late 1970s so his father could work for the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA). His mother worked for Emory University Hospital and later founded one of the city’s first home and occupational healthcare agencies. “Besides teaching me a love for soccer that I have passed on to my kids, I remember bonding with my father by putting together kits from Heathkit and Radio Shack at a very young age,” he said. After his parents bought an Apple II computer, he learned the Basic computer language. ”I began to explore my passion for switches, signals, Behind the Scenes of the Digital RevolutionRobert Frederick ’91 Named Distinguished Alumnus.buy-in from the players, a strong support system from the parents and administration, and the coaching sta that surrounds her. She said the team still has lofty goals, including a “three-peat” as state champions and an even greater number of players signed to college and professional teams.But even a team as successful as Woodward’s faces challenges maintaining a full roster of players, Lawrence said. “I think one year we had a total of six players on varsity.” She notes that many girls play on the Middle School teams, “but we lose a lot between the 8th and 9th grades.”That issue aligns with a troubling national trend in women’s athletics. According to the Women’s Sports Foundation, by age 14, girls in many parts of the country are dropping out of sports at two times the rate of boys. Woodward’s Director of Athletics Jose Fernandez confirmed that Georgia is one of the states with the highest rates of attrition by female athletes. There are a range of factors that may be contributing to this trend—some related to lingering inequality between boys and girls athletics and perceptions thereof, some relating to personal choice, and changing priorities for girls themselves.Most agree that continued work leveling the playing field for girls is crucial and will help alleviate the phenomenon of girls abandoning sports in their teens.Why are these equal opportunities so critical? “So that little girls don’t grow up to be women who view themselves as less than,” said Lawrence.“Why would we not want parity?” added Fritts. “I have a daughter who plays college golf and a son who wrestles here at Woodward. I want equal opportunities for both.”Ysabel Sullivan perhaps sums it up best: “I don’t believe that access to sports should be determined by whether you are a boy or a girl, but by whether or not you’re willing to compete, work hard, and be a part of a team.”
31sensors, and how they could be used to augment human behavior. I am still on the same path, still figuring out ways to improve human experiences.”Frederick’s parents sacrificed to send him and his brother to Woodward. “Being a student at Woodward was not always easy, but it was the best place for me to achieve my goals,” he said. “Given the fact that I was the first one in my family born in the USA, there was always tension between being too American and trying to fit in.” Frederick’s mother is from Jamaica, while his father is from Trinidad and Tobago. He cites both as role models.He admired and was inspired by George Dietz, former science teacher and assistant Middle School principal, who drove him to and from school every day for his first two years. Former art department chair Chris Greenway was one of his favorite Upper School teachers (for more on Greenway, see pg. 14). “He allowed a kid who couldn’t draw stick figures to pick up a camera and want to follow in the footsteps of Gordon Parks.” Frederick grew close to soccer coach and math teacher Steve Reed, whose son Tyler Reed ’91 was a teammate and friend. Other influential teachers and mentors included Helen Shean, Joy Fulton, Lucy Klein, and Dean Russell Slider ’75.Frederick credits Woodward with much of his success. “I was taught discipline and ethical responsibility via the Honor Council. I appreciated the uniforms, as I would not have been able to fit in without them. I learned what it meant to be ranked and how that could open/close doors years later. This understanding meant that I had to take every assignment, every test, and every interaction that I had with teachers seriously as the culmination of all of these moments and results continue to impact opportunities later in life. It is a never ending set of decisions, sacrifices, and celebrations.” MORE MILESTONES IN FREDERICK’S CAREER• Named by MIT’s Technology Review Magazine as one of the world’s top Innovators under 35 for his work on mobile commerce and web services in 2004. • Managed the Amazon Anywhere initiative, which launched a voice-recognition service that made it possible for anyone with the correct phone number to use their voice to shop, find, and discover any item available within Amazon’s product catalog. • Worked on an early iteration of the technology that later became known worldwide as Alexa. • Mentors startups all over the U.S., including at the Russell Innovation Center for Entrepreneurs in Atlanta.• With his brother Jason Frederick ’88, runs a family nonprofit to oer scholarships, tutoring, and promote STEM for at-risk children in the Atlanta area.FAMILY LIFE Frederick and his wife, Kimberly, have two children, Remy and Gabby. Remy studies computer science at Seattle University, and Gabby is a high school freshman. Both played high school and club soccer, and Gabby placed third in the nation this summer in Riding Equitation for 14 year olds. Frederick enjoys playing pickup soccer on weekends, writing, and learning about what it takes to be an executive producer of films and music.ADVICE FOR STUDENTS“My advice is based on a famous scene in the movie ‘Better O Dead.’ John Cusack’s character is facing the impossible task of skiing the K12. His friend says that if something gets in his way, turn. It may sound like a simple concept, but it is so true. When faced with an obstacle, don’t stop. Don’t worry. Just adapt to the situation and go around or over the obstacle such that you get closer and closer to achieving a goal that may be slightly dierent or completed in a way that you might not have planned. This can be a financial, academic, or personal obstacle. It doesn’t matter. Just keep going and pushing forward and it will work out in the end, if you let it."Robert Frederick ’91 pioneered some key technologies we now take for granted.
32WOODWARD WINTER 2023Ammirah Uwhubetine ’24 is one of four girls, including her older sister Azzarrée and their friends Eline and Sedinam Asase who, upon recognizing a profound need for literacy support for young children in Africa, launched the Child2Child Book Foundation to combat the issue. Ammirah took time to tell us more about the foundation and its work.How did you and your collaborators become aware of the challenge of child literacy in Africa?We all grew up in Lagos, Nigeria, and attended a private French school there. Even as young girls, we were very passionate about reading but found it dicult to easily access a variety of books. We continually outsourced French and English books from family members in the United States and Europe or purchased them whenever we went abroad. This eort from my parents to make sure we were provided with a decent number of books paid o with our love for literature.When we moved to the United States in 2016, there was a remarkable dierence. Books were easily within reach, with a Barnes & Noble seemingly on every corner as well as massive libraries available for us to use. This disparity in access to books led us to the idea for the Child2Child Book Foundation, with a vision to improve literacy by providing a plethora of books to children in disadvantaged communities in Africa.What roles do each of you play in the foundation?In school in Nigeria, my older sister, Azzarrée, started a book club in order to encourage reading and sharing books amongst our peers. We were all members and became close friends. We have equal roles and responsibilities in our organization as co-founders. We work together to fundraise for our projects, develop our website and GoFundMe pages, write newsletters, and distribute the books shipped to Africa. Eline and I spreadhead the new creative arts component of our campaign, which includes designing bracelets and origami art, among other initiatives. What was the hardest part of establishing the organization?The hardest part of starting any nonprofit organization is raising funds. During the summer of 2020, in the middle of the COVID crisis, we decided to convene in Atlanta and spent time refining our vision for the organization. We also worked on our pitch to potential donors and had the opportunity to present to more than 15 individuals via a series of Zoom calls. This early stage in our journey was hard but taught us the importance of working as a team to achieve a goal. Our family and friends were our main supporters and donors. Going forward, in addition to that close-knit support, we are working on attracting grants from institutions. Another dicult task was identifying potential schools: Did they have a library or other space to hold the books? Were they genuinely in need? Would they actually use the books or would the books be sold for money?Schools were dicult to identify because they often lacked simple technology like a website or even contact details. To alleviate this problem, we partnered with local nonprofits and had them vet the schools and provide us with potential candidates that would benefit most from the books. The local nonprofits take on the responsibility of making sure the books are used appropriately for the most impact after our donation and literacy campaign. What are you most proud of since establishing the foundation?The original goal for Child2Child Book Foundation was to donate books to Nigeria and Ghana, our countries of origin. As of 2022, that goal has been completed; we shipped 36,000 books to Nigeria and 20,000 books to Ghana. The best part of our experience is working in these countries over the summer to deliver the books to the students themselves. We worked in schools and communities, handing out books and commissioning libraries. We were blessed to see the joy and eagerness in the eyes of the young children we helped.Reading the RoomAmmirah Uwhubetine ’24 joined with friends to take on child literacy in Africa.
33The experience has been so impactful that we are expanding our reach to West Africa. We are currently exploring a donation to a francophone West African country next summer where we also will make good use of our fluency in French.What is the most important thing you would like people to know about your cause?There are a lot of misconceptions about Africa—especially when it comes to education—as a direct result of how the media portrays the continent and its people. Our literacy campaigns have sent us to remote parts of the countries we have visited, and I am always so inspired by the tenacity of the underprivileged children we help. With the limited resources available to them, most of them are truly eager to improve their circumstances and typically are hungry for knowledge and so appreciate the books we give them. Many of the families are barely able to provide for their basic needs and very often do not have the resources for the leisure reading books and textbooks we donate. At Child2Child, we believe that education is the key to improving the lives of the children, their families, and eventually their communities.Are there plans to grow the foundation? What would you like to see it accomplish going forward?While we continue to support our projects in Nigeria and Ghana, we are really excited to expand into francophone West Africa this summer. We are exploring partnership opportunities in both Senegal and Togo. As fluent French speakers, we are looking forward to the impact we will have on these communities. Going forward, we expect Child2Child Book Foundation to grow with us as we move on to college and beyond. We hope to continue to identify other problems that our platform can solve in Africa and also wherever we may find ourselves. How can people get involved?You can donate slightly used books to Books for Africa, the nonprofit organization that supplies our foundation with books and ships them to our destinations. They are located in Atlanta, and you also can volunteer at their warehouse sorting and boxing books. You can find other ways to contribute on our website and Instagram. And simply spreading word of our foundation to other nonprofit organizations, friends, and family would be greatly appreciated. Ammirah Uwhubetine ’24 helps get books into the hands of children in Africa.child2childbookfoundation.org@child2childbookfoundation
34WOODWARD WINTER 2023Homecoming & Reunion WeekendWe were thrilled to welcome home our War Eagle alumni for a gorgeous fall weekend on October 14-15.Reunion Years1977198219871992199720 02200720122017ALUMNI EVENTSHomecoming & Reunion Weekend1 Class of 1977 2 Izzy Romero ’17 (from left), Charlotte Nichols ’17, Illana Jamison ’17, and Mary Grace Lesesne ’17 3 Jeremiah Stafford (from left), Julia McAllister Stafford ’02, Kim Collins Buck ’02, and Chris Harper ’022 31
35To view more photos, visit woodward.edu/alumni/events4 Heather Stewart Hingson ’87 (from left), Kathy Ouderkirk Qualey, Kristin Harper ’87, Julie Jones ’87, and Christy Goodman Daniel ’87 5 LaTanya Tripp Simmons ’92 (from left), Michael Sorrow Jr. ’92, April Ripley ’92, and Meredith Greene Sorrow ’91 6 Lee Crowe ’77 (from left), Brad Marsh ’77, and Allyson Harris ’77 7 Lynne Turman Rankin ’92 (left) and Ashley Erbesfield Battleson ’92 8 Ryan Newth (from left), Jessica Ziegler Newth ’97, and Spencer Walker ’97 9 The Class of 1997EVENTS & GATHERINGSThe Alumni Oce hosts frequent virtual and in-person events for Woodward alumni. Upcoming events are listed, with sign-up available, at woodward.edu/alumni/events.January 31NYC Alumni EventPorchlight Restaurant and BarFebruary 10The Big ChillJoin us at the Delta Flight Museum for our 13th annual Big Chill event, benefitting need-based student financial aid!April 21-22Founder’s Day and Golden War Eagle WeekendAll Woodward/GMA alumni who have reached their 50th reunion and beyond are invited to honor the Class of 1973 and their induction to the Golden War Eagle Club.April 261 Day for WAPlan to rally together with fellow Woodward Academy alumni in this annual tradition of reconnecting with classmates while supporting The Woodward Alumni Fund.576849
WOODWARD WINTER 202336ALUMNI NEWSSarah Dodge ’04 believes there is magic in good ingredients and old school baking methods, magic that can make us healthier and happier. A baker, pastry chef, and teacher, Dodge operates the local delivery and wholesale bakery Bread is Good, and she’s set to open a brick and mortar location, Colette Bread, in the Poncey-Highland neighborhood of Atlanta. After graduating from the University of Georgia with a psychology degree, Dodge started graduate school for mental health counseling. She had been baking in her spare time, and while a grad student, got a job in a bakery. “I became energized by the potential of looking at the correlation between mental health and nutrition,” she said. She decided to leave graduate school and focus on baking full-time. “From there I worked for dierent bakeries and amazing chefs and bakers, just learning and growing,” she said. After working for some of Atlanta’s best chefs and bakeries, including Holeman & Finch Bread and Little Tart Bakeshop, she began experimenting on her own at Octopus Bar, Preserving Place, and other pop ups in the city and around the country. In 2018, she started Bread is Good LLC, out of a commercial kitchen in Inman Park, for wholesale and retail pastry and bread sales. At the time of this writing, she was working toward the late 2022 opening of Colette Bread, her first production kitchen and cooking school, in Otto’s Apartment Hotel (formerly Highland Inn). The business is named for her favorite author, the 20th century French writer Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette.Dodge and guest chefs will oer culinary classes on everything from baking to knife skills and cocktails, and she hopes to open to the public occasionally to oer baked breads and pastries. She’s interested in creating innovative recipes using quality ingredients and traditional techniques to improve our health through nutrition, and she’s building her business in a nontraditional way, using crowdfunding rather than traditional bank loans. “I felt pretty belittled and disrespected during a few of my meetings with traditional banks and realized it wasn’t who I wanted to be financially beholden to,” she said. “I think there are still a lot of obstacles for women and minorities when it comes to funding and raising capital, and it’s unfortunately why we don’t see a lot of diversity in small business.” Dodge has received helpful advice from her fellow Woodward alumni in the Hsu family, Howard Hsu ’95, Anita Hsu Wilson ’98, and Ronald Hsu ’00, the Atlanta restaurateurs behind Lazy Betty and Sweet Auburn BBQ. “I’ve loved getting to know and watch the Hsu family. Their business growth has been inspiring, and I’ve appreciated their kindness toward me as I grow mine,” Dodge said.She values community, so she wants to oer some "pay as you can" classes in addition to regularly priced culinary classes. These last few months, she’s been busy The Magic of Good BreadSarah Dodge ’04Sarah Dodge ’04 expands her innovative baking business.“I had a great Woodward experience. I loved my friends and teachers, and I had a diverse and rich experience. I loved playing soccer and later on came back to coach the Middle School girls soccer team, which gave me a lot of fulfillment. Coach Tonia Webb inspired me. She always pushed us to get out and play tough. Looking back, it feels important to have had a strong female coaching us at that time in life.”with the permitting and funding necessary to get Colette Bread o the ground, but she hopes for some calm in the next few years to travel and spend time with family. “Beyond that, for my next business venture, I’m hoping to build a bed and breakfast/destination cooking school and farm out toward Athens,” she said. ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
37 ALUMNI ASSOCIATION BOARD OF DIRECTORSEXECUTIVE COMMITTEEPRESIDENT Matt Brill ’91PRESIDENT-ELECT Riah Greathouse ’03TREASURER Torrance Mosley ’94SECRETARY Ryn Pollard ’05PAST PRESIDENT Suzanna Sanchez ’00DIRECTORSDanny Bernstein ’03Andy Cameron ’83Adam Carll ’08Barrett Cornelius ’09Julie Davis Couch ’88 Alok Deshpande ’94Liann Freeman ’98Benji Russell ’13Robin Beck Stokes ’06Todd Williamson ’01Woodward Welcomes New Alumni TeamThe new team members in the Alumni Oce are excited to get to know our alumni and explore new ways of connecting them back to Woodward.Kate Breslin joined the Advancement Oce team in August as director of alumni engagement. Kate graduated from the Terry College of Business at The University of Georgia and spent the majority of her career at Arthur Andersen, Deloitte Consulting, and The Coca-Cola Company. She and her family returned home to Atlanta in July 2022 after living in Singapore for five years. Kate and her husband, Dave, have two daughters who started at Woodward this year: Avery is Class of 2026, and Jane is Class of 2028. “We chose Woodward for our girls because of the school’s focus on diversity and its global perspective. We’ve been blown away by the welcoming and supportive community we’ve found here at Woodward. We are grateful to be part of it,” Kate said. Ann Whitten Bourne joined Kate in September as the new alumni engagement coordinator. Ann Whitten is a native Atlantan who graduated from the College of Charleston. She and her husband Tom Bourne ’94 have two children: a daughter, Lea Bourne ’22, and a son, Walker, a member of the Class of 2026. “Woodward has always meant so much to our family. My father, Jim Potts ’64, graduated from GMA and my husband graduated from Woodward, so when our children started at Woodward we already knew it was a special place,” she said. “We moved to College Park in 2019, and our house became a softball locker room, a Friday night tailgate spot, and just somewhere for people to hang out. The energy from the school is incredible, and we feel it in our home. We are so lucky to be a part of this amazing community.” In their first months, Kate and Ann Whitten have worked to introduce Upper School students to alumni who are willing to share their professional experience and perspectives, welcomed back alumni who are considering Woodward for their own children, spent time with GMA alumni hearing their stories, and celebrated the best of Woodward during Homecoming weekend. “I absolutely love my job and it’s a great privilege to help our 12,000+ alumni connect with each other and back with the Academy,” Kate said. “I’m looking forward to building many more relationships across the alumni community.” Alumni Engagement Coordinator Ann Whitten Bourne (left) and Director of Alumni Engagement Kate Breslin joined the Alumni Office at the beginning of this school year.The team invites you to reach out with suestions for making alumni experiences more meaningful, or simply to say hello, at kate.breslin@woodward.edu and 404-765-4035, or annwhitten.bourne@woodward.edu and 404-765-4038. 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.
38WOODWARD WINTER 2023Embrace the ChallengesSta Sgt. Jarrad Turner Sr., U.S. Army (Retired), spoke to an audience of students, alumni, faculty, and sta at Woodward Academy’s Veterans Day program on November 11, 2022. Turner served two tours of duty in Iraq as a healthcare specialist for the 3rd Infantry Division, based out of Fort Stewart, Ga. In 2008, he was injured during an enemy attack and treated for multiple injuries, including head trauma.After his initial recovery, Turner served for two more years training soldiers to become medics at Fort Sam in Houston, Texas, before being medically discharged because of residual eects from his head injury. In 2012, he was admitted to the Shepherd Center’s SHARE Military Initiative for treatment of traumatic brain injury and completed the intensive program in four months. He has since dedicated himself to improving quality and access to resources for veterans, working at the Atlanta Veterans Aairs (VA) Medical Center, Atlanta VA Regional Oce, and the Wounded Warrior Project. He’s currently the Director of Strategic Partnerships at The Warrior Alliance and serves on the board at the Shepherd Center. We are grateful to Rusty Gore ’93 for introducing us to Mr. Turner.Speaking to Woodward’s senior class, Turner said he never imagined he would join the military at their age. Growing up in Long Island, N.Y., Turner played lacrosse and football and performed in the choir and theatre programs at St. Dominic High School. He played football as a walk-on and sang in the gospel choir at Alabama State University, graduating in 1999 with a degree in business management before taking a position at the Southern Poverty Law Center in Montgomery, Ala. It was there, influenced by important mentors, that he made the decision to enlist in the Army in March 2000. After 9/11, he was deployed. “I was called to do what I was trained to do, which was take care of my brothers and sisters in arms.”Turner said his story was really about his fellow soldiers. “I needed them just like all of us need our community. We’re a lot stronger Veterans Day Speaker shares words of wisdom.1 Staff Sgt. Jarrad Turner Sr., U.S. Army (Retired) gives the keynote address with help from members of the varsity lacrosse teams, including Hoya Saab ’23 (from left), Shifa Salim ’23, Thomas Kaufman ’23, and Liza Mobley ’23. 2 Turner at the wreath laying ceremony with Sally Brown (from left) Madeline Brown ’27, Brent Brown ’90, Carey Brown, and Natalie Brown. 3 Turner with President F. Stuart Gulley, Ph.D.HONORING OUR VETERANSwhen we’re together.” During his many years of service, he held seven fellow soldiers in his arms as they passed away and had the privilege and responsibility of sharing these experiences with their families. Turner was then in his 20s. “I wasn’t ready for that but that’s a reality of putting on the uniform,” he told students. “All of you are going to be leaders, whether in uniform or out of uniform. All of you are going to encounter situations you may feel you’re not ready for. Embrace those.”Following Turner’s speech, the Veterans Day program continued with the traditional wreath-laying ceremony and moment of silence at the monuments to fallen alumni in Memorial Plaza. The annual program is supported by the Tyler H. Brown ’96 Leadership Speaker Series Endowment Fund. First Lt. Brown died fighting for his country on September 14, 2004, at age 26, when his Army unit was attacked in Ramadi, Iraq. Since the Academy’s inception in 1900, many Georgia Military Academy and Woodward Academy graduates have gone on to serve our country in wars and conflicts, including 117 alumni who made the ultimate sacrifice. 2 31
391 The Woodward Academy Honor Guard led presentation and retirement of the colors. 2 Hayden Fritts ’23 performed the traditional wreath laying at Memorial Plaza. 3 Trumpeter Val Johnson ’23 played the national anthem and taps.WA CONNECTJoin Our Alumni Directory and Networking Platform!Connect with fellow graduatesExpand your professional networkGive back by mentoring young alumniAccess job opportunities from other alumniTo get started, scan the QR code or visit waconnect.com123
WOODWARD WINTER 202340GMA Junior School house mother Beverly Sanderson reads a story to some of the first and second graders. (Photo courtesy of Denny Sanderson ’62)Dawn of the GooberGMA MEMORIESThe word “goober” or “goober pea” is a Southern term from days gone by that is one of several name variations for peanut. When applied to a person it can have a harsh meaning, such as naïve or foolish. But it has a softer side as well. It can be used in a fond way for a gooall, or a silly but lovable person.GMA had a Junior School when I first entered in the sixth grade, which oered classes from the first through seventh grades. The Junior School building was filled with boarding students who lived there during the course of the school year. My mother, Beverly Sanderson, was one of several house mothers who watched over the little cadets on each floor. There also were Senior School students who lived and worked in the Junior School to help watch over, organize, and act as big brothers to the young cadets for all daily activities, including military formations. These Senior School guys living in the Junior School were very protective of the younger kids.The Junior School was where the GMA/Woodward goober name and tradition began. My guess is the Senior School floor commanders started calling their young charges goobers. I was called by that name during my first year at GMA. Eventually, most Upper School cadets started calling it the “Goober School.”As a young GMA cadet, we looked up to those Senior School floor commanders. We knew they must be obeyed, but we also knew they would always have our back. “Goober” was a gru military term of aection being directed at all of us silly, young gooalls. We were all designated goobers, so being a goober was who we were. It was never a bad thing. —Denny Sanderson ’62(See pg. 17 for a look at Super Goober Day past and present.)Have a GMA memory to share? Email us at magazine@woodward.edu.A GMA alumnus offers insight into the origins of the term that lives on in the form of Super Goober Day.Volunteer with the Alumni OfficeOur alumni volunteers are the driving force to help alumni remain connected and encourage participation in The Woodward Alumni Fund. Reunion Committee—As a reunion volunteer you will play an important role in making Homecoming & Reunion Weekend fun and memorable for your class. We are looking to you to help encourage your classmates to return to Woodward, reconnect, and make Homecoming & Reunion Weekend a success. We are currently seeking volunteers for Classes ending in 3s and 8s, i.e. 1993, 2008, and 2013, who will celebrate their reunions in fall 2023.Alumni Ambassador—You will serve as the link between the Alumni Oce and members of your graduating class by providing updates on alumni news and events and rallying your classmates during 1 Day for WA. Engage with Students—Join us on campus or virtually to speak to a student club or class assembly to share your college and career experiences.If you are interested in volunteering with the Alumni Office, please contact alumni@woodward.edu or 404.765.4038.
41WEDDINGS page 45 EAGLETS page 47 PASSAGES page 48CLASS NOTES1950*Frank Holden has been working in commercial real estate for more than 60 years.195 4*Dr. Bud (C.T.B.) Harris, grandson of Col. Woodward and a regimental commander in postgraduate year 1955, has been practicing in the field of Jungian psychology for more than 40 years. He has authored numerous books and lectured widely. He oversees a longstanding practice based in Asheville, N.C.1959*£ On July 21, 2021, Col. (Ret.) Leonard “Lucky” Ekman received one of the highest honors an Air Force Academy graduate can receive, the Distinguished Graduate Award. The United States Air Force Academy and the Association of Graduates present the award to alumni who have set themselves apart by making a lifetime of significant contributions to the nation, their alma mater, and their communities.1970John McGuire and his wife Maggie moved to Rome, Ga., to be closer to their grandchildren.£ In May 2022, Willie Calloway was awarded The Order of the Palmetto, the State of South Carolina’s highest civilian honor presented in recognition of a lifetime of extraordinary achievement, service, and contributions on a national or statewide scale. 1971Lynn Clemmons Nilson lives in Tallahassee, Fla., with her husband, Cli. They have two adult sons: Jonathan, a doctor in Port St. Lucie, Fla., and William, a lawyer in Austin, Texas. Lynn teaches piano lessons and Cli is director of purchasing at the Florida Department of Management Services. They are grateful for all of God’s blessings.1973£ Debbie Eaton Wilbrink and her husband Evert uprooted from Nashville and moved to “Weird” Asheville, N.C. They also are spending a lot of time in their modest second home in El Prat del Llobregat, Spain, a village on the edge of a delta nature park, the Mediterranean Sea, and Barcelona, where their son Thijs lives. 19 74Richard Wilkins is now Pastor Richard Wilkins and, along with his wife, operates an online church and music ministry. They have a new CD of original Christian music called “Second Time Around,” weekly online Sunday worship, and sermons called The Faith Believers.1975Eugene “Gene” Jernigan retired in 2018 from Miller/Coors Brewing company after 39 years. He also received a kidney transplant from Piedmont Hospital in October 2020. Currently, he is serving as the president of the Scottish Rite Foundation of Georgia.Helen “Lou” Lacy Brackett is semi-retired and living in Pine Mountain, Ga. She teaches American history online part-time for Clayton State University and volunteers with the local historical society. She and husband Robert have a 2-year-old granddaughter whom they adore.1976Steve Justice retired in 2020 as executive director of the Centers of Innovation at the Georgia Department of Economic Development. He then managed the X-60A hypersonic rocket program at Generation Orbit and is now the chief innovation ocer at The Ginn Group in Peachtree City. He serves on the national Board of Trustees of the American Institute *Denotes alumni of Georgia Military Academy
42WOODWARD WINTER 2023meticulously researched. Daniel is delighted with the positive reviews he’s getting, but sad that his mom, legendary Woodward Academy Upper School English teacher Cleo Hudson, didn’t live long enough to see it published.1978William “Bill” Longino is living on Lake Lanier in Buford and enjoys mountain biking. He is approaching 40 years of marriage to his wife, Leigh. Their children are grown, ages 33, 31, and 30.1981Scott Schreiber accepted a job oer to become the system administrator for the United States Senate Small Business Committee.1982£ Gerri Wright tested, passed, and received her fourth degree “Master” black belt in Taekwondo at Moohan Martial arts in McDonough, Ga., at the great age of 57. She continues to take and teach classes six days a week. It is a wonderful exercise for of Aeronautics & Astronautics as well as on the boards/committees of several other organizations. Steve still swims as much as possible.1977James Suddath led his fifth Biblical studies tour of the Holy Land in June 2022. There were 43 students, faculty, and parents in the group from two schools: The McCallie School (where he is a faculty member) and Fellowship Christian School from north Atlanta. The geography, archeology, and topography of Israel really make the Bible come alive.Lee Crowe has been living in Savannah and teaching at Savannah College of Art and Design for two years. She teaches traditional hand-drawn animation specializing in eects (water, smoke, fire, pixie dust, etc.) and character animation. She also teaches animation history and a senior film class. Students were happy to learn in a recent animation history class that Sterling Holloway (Class of 1920), the voice of classic of classic Disney characters Winnie the Pooh, Kaa the Python, and the Cheshire Cat, was a GMA alumnus! Lee recently became a member of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, and is a voting member and sometimes judge of the Emmys.Daniel Hudson published his first novel, “Till The Stars Burn Out Above You.” The novel, set in New Orleans in 1952-1953, is the first in a three-volume set entitled “We May Never Pass This Way Again.” The collection has a modern day Romeo and Juliet plot, but the young gentleman and young lady don’t die. Every detail in this epic story, even the voodoo, was everyone (even older ladies). She encourages everyone to find an exercise they love and do it as many days as you can.1983In August 2022, Clark Spratlin was named general manager-director for golf at Sea Palms Resort in St. Simons Island, Ga.1984£ Debbie Landaiche Iwinski and her husband Phil traveled to Costa Rica last summer to show their nine kids and one son-in-law where they met 35 years ago. She has been successfully instilling the arts into the family through the years, and is always thankful for the influence of Woodward’s exceptional art department.Since founding construction law firm Hudson Lambert 10 years ago, Kevin Hudson is pleased to report they now have oces in Atlanta; Greenville, S.C.; Charleston, S.C.; and Orlando, Fla. 1987In Fall 2021, Tracie Finley Potts ended 30 years in broadcast journalism, mostly as an aliate correspondent with NBC News, to embark on an exciting second career in education. Tracie
43is executive director of the Eisenhower Institute at Gettysburg College. She manages public policy programs connecting students with experts and decision makers in Pennsylvania and Washington.1988Meredith Pugh completed coursework and a practicum for her Massachusetts’ Reading Specialist license/certification. She is the literacy coordinator and a reading specialist at the Applewild School in Fitchburg, Mass.1989Tracy Rye accepted a promotion to assistant city manager for the City of Norcross after serving nearly five years as the city’s Community Development and Planning director. In this new role, Tracy looks forward to expanding on the city’s current Platinum Green Community designation from the Atlanta Regional Commission by increasing sustainability eorts with respect to electric fleet vehicles, new recycling, and tree planting programs. Tracy lives in Sugar Hill with her family.1996Nicole Newsome Cole, M.D. was awarded the Service Core Value award for her radiology practice, Radiology Partners Georgia. This award is given to three individuals each year out of 5,000 radiologists and sta. She serves as practice president of her local practice, which is celebrating nine years this year.1999Amy Crouse Glass joined Target’s leadership team as senior director of communications, overseeing executive communication for merchandising and food and beverage.Sean Foster is the business operations director for Miller Children’s and Women’s Hospital Outpatient Specialty Clinics in Long Beach, Calif.2000Nick Lynton was appointed chief legal and privacy ocer at Cardlytics, Inc.After an extended break due to the COVID pandemic, Andrew H. Labovitz is working as a director of VIP accounts for FanDuel Sportsbook, and oversees VIP accounts in seven states along with Ontario, Canada.2002£ After more than 15 years as an HR business partner, Shayna Priluck Bergman is excited to announce the launch of her new executive and leadership coaching practice, Shayna Bergman Coaching, LLC. As a certified executive coach she specializes in partnering with parents who want to achieve more success with less stress, helping them uncover their true potential as they learn to balance their personal lives while making an impact that matters. 2004 Glenn Warren, Max Stein, Andy Watkins, and Josh Lieppe visited Wrigley Field to cheer on the Atlanta Braves as they played the Cubs. These classmates hope to make it an annual trip! After living in Kuwait and working for the USO for five years, Bonnie Brackett relocated to Statesboro, Ga., and began working for Georgia Southern University as an assistant director in University Housing.2009Ashish R. Gandhi completed his residency in internal medicine at the University of Chicago and currently serves as one of the program’s chief residents. He plans to pursue a career in academic hospital medicine.2010While deployed to Andersen Air Force Base as a member of the Nebraska Air National Guard, Captain Jack Dodson played a critical role in saving five fishermen lost at sea for three days o the coast of Guam. As co-pilot of the KC-135 Stratotanker, Jack and the crew on board located the missing boat after several hours of flying a search-and-rescue-mission over the Pacific Ocean at 2,000 feet. After Captain Dodson returned from Guam, he was promoted to aircraft commander on the KC-135. Also worth noting: when he was not flying, Jack made his first hole-in-one on the golf course in Guam.
44WOODWARD WINTER 202320 14James Austyn Williamson will be studying at Brown University and Trinity Repertory Theatre Company’s Master of Fine Arts Program for Acting. This is a three-year conservatory where he will be studying acting, directing, and playwriting.2015Anthony T. Clavo accepted a position with the Michigan State Football Program as a recruiting and scouting assistant in February 2022. He focuses on recruiting prospective student-athletes, scouting film at the high school and collegiate level, and assisting coaches with their recruiting needs. Before accepting this position, he worked in the player personnel department for the LSU Football program as a student worker from 2018-2021 and was promoted as a player personnel intern for the 2020 season.20 17Taylor E’lan Brandon graduated from Boston University with honors in May 2021, with a bachelor’s degree in psychology. While attending Boston University, she worked closely with Dr. Amanda Smith, a neuroscientist at the University of Pittsburgh conducting research on Parkinson’s Disease. Taylor co-authored an article with Dr. Smith entitled, “Blueberry juice augments exercise-induced neuroprotection in a Parkinson’s disease model through modulation of GDNF levels,” which was published in the IBRO Neuroscience Report. Taylor began graduate school at New York University studying clinical psychology in fall 2021.Kia Jie Jacobs signed a one-year contract to play professional fùtbol in North Macedonia. Kia played soccer at Woodward as a forward under the guidance of Coach Tonia Webb. She was awarded “Best Hustle” and “Most Goals” several years throughout her soccer career at Woodward. She went on to play Division I and II in college.Sam Eichel is pursuing his Ph.D. in physics at The University of Alabama in Huntsville.2018£ Bridget Silvert graduated from Mercer University in May 2022. In August 2022, she started a Ph.D. program at the University of Georgia in educational psychology with a concentration in school psychology.2019Tessa Levy was named co-president of The University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s chapter of Lambda Pi Eta, a national communication studies honors fraternity.2020Jessica Lofton won college nationals for the second year in a row with her competitive cheer team at Georgia Southern University.2021Simi Awujo made her debut playing soccer for the Canadian National Team in September in Brisbane, Australia. She also is a member of the Under 20 Canadian Team and played in the Under 20 World Cup in Costa Rica this fall. Simi attends the University of Southern California.
451 Mackenzie Tylka ’15 married Ryan Ponder on May 21, 2022, at The Grand Bohemian Hotel in Asheville, N.C. The wedding party included groomsman Nicholas Thomson ’17, and bridesmaids Riley Thomson ’19, Alli Gordon ’15, Grace Grindell ’15, Ellie Pryor ’15, and Maddie McCool ’15. The couple met while attending Clemson University. They reside in Asheville with their dog, Miller.2 Allison Woodward ’09 married Paul Hannot on March 25, 2022, at Roswell United Methodist Church in Roswell, Ga. Allie is a marketing director at PDI Software in Frankfurt, Germany, and also manages her own creative consulting business, Gold Lee Designs. Robert Woodward ’11, Allie’s brother and groomsman, Brittany Hickcox ’09, the matron of honor, and Alec Hornecker ’11 were in attendance. Carey and Sally Brown, parents of Lt. Tyler Brown ’96, also attended. The couple resides in Ennigerloh, Germany.3 Aidan “Zee” Zigler ’20 is excited to announce his marriage to his lovely wife, Anna Kate. Zee is working in the movie industry.132WEDDINGS
46WOODWARD WINTER 2023RECENTLY MARRIED? Send us a note and photo and we’ll include the happy news in the next issue of Woodward magazine. EMAILalumni@woodward.edu4 564 High school sweethearts Nick Nardy ’06 and Grayson Capers ’06 were married in Boulder, Colo. The couple resides in Atlanta.5 Adam Burgess ’12 and his wife Daniela were married in Athens, Ga., on March 26, 2022. They attended The University of Georgia and met during college while working as summer camp counselors for individuals with special needs. They live in Pittsburgh.6 Jacquelyn Alford ’06 and Corey Smith exchanged vows and celebrated their matrimony with close friends and family on May 20, 2022, in Turks and Caicos. They reside in Kennesaw, Ga.WEDDINGS
47EAGLETS1 Lana Lopez-Meisen ’00 and her husband, Jeremy, welcomed their son, Logan, on June 23, 2022.2 Jasmine Johnson-Wakeel ’11 and her husband, Muhasibi Wakeel, welcomed their first child, Caleb Wakeel, into the world on June 7, 2022.3 Lindsay Rohrer Barnhill ’13 and her husband, Whitcomb, joyfully welcomed a daughter, Adeline “Adley” Iris Barnhill, on February 24, 2022.4 Katie O’Brien Murray ’03and Stephen Murray welcomed their son, Robert, on July 6, 2022, in Madison, Wis.5 Deanna Wahl Woolfolk ’07 and her husband, Alvestera, welcomed a beautiful baby girl, Nova Diane Woolfolk, on May 7, 2022.6 Margaret Parham Holt Loyd ’06 and her husband, Jay, welcomed a baby girl, Sallie “Holt” Loyd, on April 3, 2022.7 Robin Beck Stokes ’06 and her husband, Cecil Stokes Jr., welcomed a girl, Avery Elise, to the world on June 9, 2022.8 Lauren Hendrix Walker ’03, her husband, Matt, and their daughter, Claire (age 2), welcomed Charles Bennett Walker to the family on May 11, 2022.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.edu27538614
48WOODWARD WINTER 2023Donald Mackerer ’42March 11, 2022United States ArmyGeorge Leventis ’50March 30, 2022United States NavyJohn Folmar ’52December 17, 2021Jack Mclaughlin Sr. ’52April 8, 2022United States NavyEarle Lasseter ’53April 29, 2022United States ArmyLeslie Troolin ’54December 1, 2021Charlie Moore ’55Larry Jackson ’56August 31, 2022United States NavyFather of Jeerson Jackson ’90 and Lee Jackson ’93Arch Bynum ’57October 10, 2022Guy Johnston ’58May 21, 2022Frank “Beau” Hudson ’59May 6, 2022United States ArmyThomas Earl Davis ’59March 31, 2022Aaron Carnes ’62January 17, 2021John Lawrence Jr. ’62June 26, 2022 United States ArmyPhilip Otwell ’65July 8, 2022Robert Archer ’65August 26, 2022United States ArmyRichard Inman Jr. ’69 August 7, 2022 Tracy Clute ’70October 21, 2021United States Air ForceKeith Harris ’71March 25, 2022Husband of Cricket Justice Harris ’73Stepfather of Brittany Carlton Lamb ’03 and James Carlton ’00Gregory Hulsey ’73September 9, 2021Patrick Clark ’73July 23, 2022Adam Slagle ’83December 31, 2021United States Air ForceScott Sekulow ’84August 12, 2021Page Pate ’85Sept. 11, 2022Son of Robert Pate ’63Thomas Roddy Jr. ’86August 30, 2022Wendy Barber ’90March 30, 2022Jeremy Rosenberg ’91September 26, 2022Blake Hudson ’08August 8, 2022Brother of Walter Hudson ’06Charles Kimbell III ’09March 31, 2022Son of Angela Kimbell, Current FacultyKathryn Schrader ’112022Sister of Russell Schrader ’09Hailey Lightner ’19September 5, 2022Sister of Kayla Lightner ’14 and Ayden Lightner ’22OTHER PASSAGESDavid BrandenbergerCurrent ParentAugust 15, 2022Father of Eric Brandenberger ’25Ernest BrantleyRetired FacultyJune 14, 2022United States Army, United States NavyCalvin L. BriscoeCurrent StaNovember 23, 2022Page Tindle FrittsRetired FacultyAugust 5, 2022Mother of Peter Fritts ’83, Current Faculty; Grandmother of Teagan Fritts ’19 and Hayden Fritts ’23John HoodRetired FacultyApril 14, 2022Walter Jenkins Jr.Current StaMay 11, 2022James PonderCurrent StaSeptember 18, 2022Husband of Jennifer Fite, Current StaGlennda Maria Wash-HallCurrent ParentJune 10, 2022Mother of Christopher Hall ’23While 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.
The Academy relies upon everyone in our community joining together in support of The Woodward Fund. Together, we can bridge the gap between tuition and the actual cost of a Woodward education to provide unparalleled opportunities for our students—students who go on to become alumni who make our world a better place.Give online at woodward.edu/giving to The Woodward Fund, which encompasses The Woodward Alumni Fund and The GMA Alumni Fund, or reach out to us at giving@woodward.edu.GIVE TO AN AREA THAT’S MEANINGFUL FOR YOUAthletics, Arts, Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion, Faculty Support, Financial Aid, Health & Safety, Student Experience, the Transition Program, or Where Woodward Needs It MostCHANGING THE WORLD STARTS HERE“There has never been a greater need for what we do at Woodward. Our world continues to confront many challenges, but I have faith in our ability to overcome any obstacles. When you give to The Woodward Fund, you help us fulfill our mission of educating caring and compassionate global citizens who are a microcosm of what the world should be.” President F. Stuart Gulley, Ph.D.
WEIGHT AND SEECharles Bryant ’25 gets ready for his next workout.