RJ Klein '22
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Given to the senior who best embodies the Woodlawn mission. Based on performance throughout Woodlawn upper school career. Chosen by Head of School with input from Upper School faculty.
UNC Chapel Hill ’23
Carleton College ’23
Rollins College ’22
Given to a senior who is a leader in word and in action, who lives with integrity and honor, and who consistently inspires and/or supports his or her fellow students. Nominated by Upper School students and chosen by a faculty committee based on those nominations. Based on performance throughout Woodlawn’s Upper School career.
Published August 2015
Michael Shepherd remembers the day he first experienced Woodlawn School. He had visited as a third grade student considering application for the following year. "Right away I saw how fun the classes were, and that they were learning high-level stuff," he recalls. "They were doing division -- and we weren't doing that in my old school." He knew right then, he says, that he wanted to attend Woodlawn. Since then, he has had a great experience. "I like the teachers a lot," he explains. "I like the projects, and I like the field trips. I always want to get to school early when we're having a field trip!" Some of his favorite memories over the years include a day trip to the Biltmore House, and overnight field trips to Atlanta and Camp Tekoa. He is grateful for the friends he has made at Woodlawn, "and the best part is, there's all types of people at Woodlawn. Some are outgoing, some are not -- but they're still cool -- and some are cool but they can still get down to business when it comes to schoolwork. You can be friends with everyone." Michael's sister Micah, one year younger than he, commutes with him every morning and evening to and from their Charlotte home. "Sometimes it can take 45 minutes," Michael says, "but it's worth it."
Michael is currently a senior at Woodlawn.
Published June 2018
I’m Jack Hager, and I am a senior here at Woodlawn! I came here in third grade alongside my older brother, David, and we immediately fell in love with the school. Over the past ten years, I have been able to watch Woodlawn grow into the incredibly special place that it is today. Woodlawn offers an experience unlike any other school, and I can honestly say that it has shaped me into the person I am today.
In the classroom, the small size of Woodlawn truly shines. Students are able to establish meaningful relationships with faculty, which fosters a supportive and familial environment. I never hesitate to ask a question or attempt a challenging problem, because I know that both my teacher and my classmates always have my back. Without this setting, I doubt I would be nearly as eager to learn as I have been here. Now, as a senior, I feel prepared to go off to college and speak up, a valuable skill that I owe to Woodlawn.
Outside of the classroom, the sky's the limit for what a student can do here. During my time at Woodlawn, I have had the opportunity to explore several of my interests and blaze my own trail. One great example of this came during the winter of my sophomore year, when a couple friends and I wanted to run indoor track. Due to the rules of our conference, Woodlawn is not allowed to have an indoor track team associated with the school. Despite this unfortunate rule, my friends and I were able to establish a club team which allowed us to compete. Since its establishment, our club has run each winter, and it’s just one example of how the opportunities at Woodlawn are endless. I am extremely grateful for the role that Woodlawn has played in my life, and I would encourage anybody with the opportunity to attend this school to take it.
Jack is currently a freshman at Duke University.
Duke University ’23
Published January 2021
My name is Will Hedrick. I am the Founder & CEO of Speek and a Junior studying Entrepreneurship and Social Media Marketing at High Point University. I graduated from Woodlawn in 2018 after having spent 11 years there. While 11 years might sound like a lengthy amount of time, it sure did fly by quickly. I am grateful for various things, but Woodlawn’s ability to shape me into who I am today is what I am most thankful for. Woodlawn grew right alongside me for all of those years. In second grade, I was taking my math class in Stinson. When I graduated, I was finishing the 100m dash across our brand new track facility. The growth from both of us seemed so small at the time. When looking back, the evolution is outstanding.
Having been separated from the school for almost three years, it may be difficult to see how it has affected the creation of Speek; however, the impression is larger than I expected. Many months ago, when I knew that I wanted to start my real estate brokerage, there was never a second thought as to whether I could or could not. My view was primarily due to my entrepreneurial past – which started as a senior project at Woodlawn. Capstone is a year-long investigative project based around a question the senior develops. Mine was “What Creates a Successful Entrepreneur?”. After a few weeks of research, there was one common theme that stuck out to me, the ability to start. Realizing that starting is what set the successful apart from the rest, I decided to give it a shot. A few months later, I started my first company with my brother, Drew Hedrick (’16). Hedrick Custom Designs was a custom furniture business surrounding the themes of rustic and live edge furniture. We even created a few installments around campus you use today. I used all of the experience from Hedrick Custom Designs to weed out 2.5 years of mistakes. This irreplaceable experience helped me profoundly with the launch and creation of Speek.
Given to a junior who has excelled in the areas of math and science. Based on performance throughout Woodlawn upper school career. Chosen by math/science Upper School teachers.
UNC Chapel Hill ’23
Rollins College ’22
Zach is currently a junior at the US Air Force Academy.
US Air Force Academy ’21
Given to a junior who has excelled in the areas of English, Spanish, and history. Based on performance throughout Woodlawn’s Upper School career. Chosen by English/Spanish/History Upper School teachers.
Carleton College ’23
Given to the female Upper School student who has most impacted Woodlawn’s athletic programs and who embodies the Woodlawn ideals of commitment, hard work, sportsmanship, and team and school pride. Based on performance over the current year. Chosen by Athletic Director.
University of Georgia ’23
Vassar College ’21
Dartmouth College ’20
Earth Science and Studio Art
Given to the male Upper School student who has most impacted Woodlawn’s athletic programs and who embodies the Woodlawn ideals of commitment, hard work, sportsmanship, and team and school pride. Based on performance over the current year. Chosen by Athletic Director.
Zach is currently a junior at the US Air Force Academy.
US Air Force Academy ’21
Given to the Upper School student who demonstrated the greatest passion for learning about a service issue and a commitment to serving the community/ies impacted by the issue. Based on performance over the current year. Chosen by Upper School service teachers.
UNC Chapel Hill ’23
Virginia Tech ’23
Published January 2016
I'm sitting in a 9th grade biology class when suddenly a senior from the AP biology class runs into the classroom and interrupts our lesson.
“We have a problem,” she says. And just like that, our entire class rushes outside to see a staged murder.
The ninth-grade students are learning about DNA forensics, and the AP biology class wants to help us with a lab. The AP students, much like the rest of Woodlawn’s students, are creative and engaged learners. They take the lesson into their hands and guide us. We complete the lab by interviewing “witnesses,” as well as collecting and testing DNA samples, just as a real forensic scientist would.
Academic adventures like this make the Woodlawn School experience unique.
This is my sixth year attending Woodlawn. I’ve experienced more hands-on learning than I could’ve expected. The academics at Woodlawn School challenge the learner beyond just mastering the materials. The teachers here work hard to connect their classes to other classes and to events in the real world.
I’m a junior now, and I’m researching colleges. I’m thinking about studying ecology or environmental biology. This being said, understanding, as well as being in nature, will help me tremendously in preparing for this path. Nature and the outdoors are large parts of Woodlawn’s philosophy, and that’s one of the many reasons why Woodlawn is such a good fit for me. The various ecosystems on Woodlawn’s campus allow teachers to take their classes down to the wetlands or up to the gardens for hands-on learning experiences.
We occasionally have class, like Spanish, outside on the patio. One time, we were learning about informal tú commands, and our Profe made us play “Simón Dice,” the Spanish version of “Simon Says.” She taught us how to form the commands, then we participated in an activity that required us to think while having fun.
I’ve had the opportunity to engage in many extracurricular activities. This is my fifth year playing for Woodlawn’s volleyball team and will be my second year running track for the upper school. I began playing volleyball in seventh grade at Woodlawn. My coaches taught me the fundamentals of the sport, all while encouraging fair play and sportsmanship. During my sophomore volleyball season, we played one entire game only speaking in Spanish, and we won! It challenged us to use some vocabulary we learned in the classroom and to actually speak the language. The athletics and extracurriculars at Woodlawn are more examples of where learning takes place outside of the classroom.
A gym or track may not be the most conventional classroom, but what I’ve learned from all the different sports teams, clubs, and groups has helped me become a contributing member of society. Woodlawn is a friendly environment, and the determination of the teachers will help you achieve your goals. Challenging yourself outside of the classroom helps you learn who you are.
One thing that concerned me initially was the size of Woodlawn’s student body. Yes, Woodlawn is a very small school, but to me, that’s one of its best features. The current junior class has 17 students. I’ve gone to school with many of them my entire time at Woodlawn. I’ve never bonded more with any group of people in my whole life. They’re like my second family.
The teachers at Woodlawn strongly encourage students from all grades to mix. Students participate in events that range from a game of Quidditch to a round of trivia. These events promote a close-knit community.
Woodlawn’s student body is one of the most friendly, diverse, and accepting groups of people that I know. I’m very lucky to go to school where this much interaction takes place, inside and outside of the classroom.
Amelia is currently a junior at UNC Chapel Hill.
UNC Chapel Hill ’21
Given to the Upper School student who has most impacted Woodlawn’s visual and/or performing arts programs and who embodies Woodlawn’s ideas of commitment, creativity, leadership, and initiative.
UNC Chapel Hill ’23
Virginia Tech ’23
Published January 2016
I'm sitting in a 9th grade biology class when suddenly a senior from the AP biology class runs into the classroom and interrupts our lesson.
“We have a problem,” she says. And just like that, our entire class rushes outside to see a staged murder.
The ninth-grade students are learning about DNA forensics, and the AP biology class wants to help us with a lab. The AP students, much like the rest of Woodlawn’s students, are creative and engaged learners. They take the lesson into their hands and guide us. We complete the lab by interviewing “witnesses,” as well as collecting and testing DNA samples, just as a real forensic scientist would.
Academic adventures like this make the Woodlawn School experience unique.
This is my sixth year attending Woodlawn. I’ve experienced more hands-on learning than I could’ve expected. The academics at Woodlawn School challenge the learner beyond just mastering the materials. The teachers here work hard to connect their classes to other classes and to events in the real world.
I’m a junior now, and I’m researching colleges. I’m thinking about studying ecology or environmental biology. This being said, understanding, as well as being in nature, will help me tremendously in preparing for this path. Nature and the outdoors are large parts of Woodlawn’s philosophy, and that’s one of the many reasons why Woodlawn is such a good fit for me. The various ecosystems on Woodlawn’s campus allow teachers to take their classes down to the wetlands or up to the gardens for hands-on learning experiences.
We occasionally have class, like Spanish, outside on the patio. One time, we were learning about informal tú commands, and our Profe made us play “Simón Dice,” the Spanish version of “Simon Says.” She taught us how to form the commands, then we participated in an activity that required us to think while having fun.
I’ve had the opportunity to engage in many extracurricular activities. This is my fifth year playing for Woodlawn’s volleyball team and will be my second year running track for the upper school. I began playing volleyball in seventh grade at Woodlawn. My coaches taught me the fundamentals of the sport, all while encouraging fair play and sportsmanship. During my sophomore volleyball season, we played one entire game only speaking in Spanish, and we won! It challenged us to use some vocabulary we learned in the classroom and to actually speak the language. The athletics and extracurriculars at Woodlawn are more examples of where learning takes place outside of the classroom.
A gym or track may not be the most conventional classroom, but what I’ve learned from all the different sports teams, clubs, and groups has helped me become a contributing member of society. Woodlawn is a friendly environment, and the determination of the teachers will help you achieve your goals. Challenging yourself outside of the classroom helps you learn who you are.
One thing that concerned me initially was the size of Woodlawn’s student body. Yes, Woodlawn is a very small school, but to me, that’s one of its best features. The current junior class has 17 students. I’ve gone to school with many of them my entire time at Woodlawn. I’ve never bonded more with any group of people in my whole life. They’re like my second family.
The teachers at Woodlawn strongly encourage students from all grades to mix. Students participate in events that range from a game of Quidditch to a round of trivia. These events promote a close-knit community.
Woodlawn’s student body is one of the most friendly, diverse, and accepting groups of people that I know. I’m very lucky to go to school where this much interaction takes place, inside and outside of the classroom.
Amelia is currently a junior at UNC Chapel Hill.
UNC Chapel Hill ’21
