Exceptional Academics
Latin Honors
Woodlawn awards Latin Honors to graduating seniors who have shown exceptional achievement in academics,
based on their grade point average.
GPA 3.95 - 4.00
Summa Cum Laude
Zoe Milburn '18
Zoe Milburn '18
Rollins College ’22
Seth Raether '18
UNC-Chapel Hill ’22
Kelsie Milburn '17
Kelsie Milburn '17
Vassar College ’21
Claire Stutzman '17
Claire Stutzman '17
Vassar College ’21
Reilly Milburn '15
Published March 2015
Hello, my name is Reilly Milburn, and I am a senior here at Woodlawn. As I finish my fourth and final year at this school, I look forward to the new opportunities I will experience in college. However, none of them would be possible without the many great experiences I’ve had at Woodlawn. From the close ties with my peers and teachers, to the ability to find my passions in work and life, Woodlawn has played a crucial role in shaping my identity.
One of my favorite things about Woodlawn is the ability to try new things, and at the same time delve deeper into areas and interests that you love. For example, prior to my admittance to Woodlawn, I had never played a school sport. With Woodlawn’s inclusive community, I was quickly welcomed into the world of sports, and have been able to participate in soccer, track, and cross-country. As a member of the cross-country team, I was able to help Woodlawn secure first place in our Conference and State championship meets, moments I will never forget. Aside from sports, Woodlawn has given me the opportunity to explore other interests of mine, such as music, journalism, and physics. When I’m not hard at work, you’ll be sure to catch me rocking out at the monthly open mic nights on my beloved electric guitar. With graduation right around the corner, I am very excited for what lies ahead. While I know that college will be different from my high school years, I am not worried. I know that Woodlawn has prepared me socially and academically for my future.
Reilly is a recent graduate of Haverford College and is currently pursing a Ph.D in Astrophysics at UNC Chapel Hill.
Reilly Milburn '15
Haverford College
Ph.D. student in Astrophysics at UNC Chapel Hill
Meredith Simpson '15
Project Manager at Paypal, San Jose, CA
Published June 2015
Meredith is a recent graduate of Pomona College and is currently employed at PayPal in the Bay Area.
Meredith Simpson '15
Pomona College ’19
Computer Science
Project Manager at Paypal, San Jose, CA
Celeste Campbell '15
Celeste Campbell '15
Gettysburg College ’19
Sydney Bowman '14
Employed at Curology, San Francisco, CA
Published June 2014
Hi Everyone! Sydney here—self-proclaimed original Trailblazer! I'm proud to say I'm one of three that has been here the longest of any Woodlawn student so far. I've spent a decade of my life on this campus, and you get to know a place pretty well after 10 years. One thing’s for sure: Woodlawn’s never boring! I’ve seen a lot of interesting things go down on our 61-acre campus through the years. But without a doubt, Woodlawn Day always registers at the top of my favorite traditions. The rumors are true—it involves square dancing. Each fall we pair up with a new partner and re-learn all of the steps to the do-si-do along with the entire school community! Looking back it’s easy to point out our stages of maturity. We loved it as grade school children, were embarrassed by it as middle school students, and now?
Now it’s an important day. We dance to honor our historic plantation campus, and as seniors, we dance for other reasons too. More than a school tradition, Woodlawn Day has become a rite of passage. We are no longer the timid kids who wonder what they have just signed onto by going to a small school with traditions that date back to the 1800’s. Woodlawn has empowered us to dance the Virginia Reel with our calculus teacher, who always dresses the part with a straw hat and overalls. What teen would voluntarily do such a thing? And yet, we understand now that letting your guard down, having fun in silly ways, is what has enriched our lives the most at Woodlawn.
Woodlawn encouraged us to experiment, evolve, and grow into the people we were meant to be. We are artists, scholars, athletes, and so much more. My years here have changed me in ways I never thought they would.
Sydney, Occidental College '18, recently completed a year in Madrid, Spain on a Fulbright Scholarship and is now employed at Lyft in San Francisco, CA.
Sydney Bowman '14
Occidental College ’18 (Phi Beta Kappa)
BA in Diplomacy & World Affairs, Fulbright Scholar (Madrid, Spain)
Employed at Curology, San Francisco, CA
Paulina Campbell '12
Stage Manager and Theatre Technician, New York, NY
Paulina Campbell '12
Grinnell College ’16
BA in Theater
Stage Manager and Theatre Technician, New York, NY
GPA 3.75 - 3.94
Magna Cum Laude
Andrew Sneed '21
Gabe Miller '20
Megan McElroy '19
Dickinson College ’23
Megan Dailey '19
UNC Chapel Hill ’23
Anne Cunningham '19
University of Virginia ’23
Henry Sneed '19
NC State ’23
Kaeden Lutz '18
PrattMWP College of Art and Design ’22
Brina Tasker '18
UNC-Chapel Hill ’22
Madison Shrader '18
UNC-Wilmington ’22
GPA 3.50 - 3.74
Cum Laude
Rachel Coutinho '15
Belmont Abbey College ’19
Mackenzie Lorch '14
Virginia Tech ’18
Jules Winkle '14
Transformation Associate at Getir, New York, NY
Published November 2012
Hi, everybody! My name’s Jules Winkle and I’m a Junior here at Woodlawn. If you’re considering coming to school here, I know exactly how you feel because I just transferred to Woodlawn this past year. After visiting Woodlawn’s beautiful campus and meeting a few of the students and teachers, I knew it was the right school for me.
Before coming to Woodlawn, I spent most of my free time dreading the next time I had to go to school. Now that I’m at Woodlawn, that feeling has completely disappeared. Everybody, (students, teachers, and staff), is excited and happy to be here! Most importantly, the teachers love their subjects and their enthusiasm rubs off on the students. The opportunities and experiences at Woodlawn are truly rare and unique.
In just a few short months at Woodlawn I have had the most exciting volleyball experience of my life, scaled a mountain during our annual Upper School hike, hosted a Romanian orphan to speak at our school, and am currently hosting a Guatemalan exchange student. I have also learned how to square dance and have met some truly unique and wonderful people. I highly recommend you take a look at Woodlawn School; It’s one of the best choices I ever made!
Jules is a recent graduate of Belmont University in Nashville, TN.
Jules Winkle '14
Belmont University
Music Management
Transformation Associate at Getir, New York, NY
Mary Rood Cunningham '14
Associate Director at The Block, New York, NY
Published September 2013
Hey, everyone! I’m Mary Rood Cunningham, and this is my sixth and final year at Woodlawn. That’s right, I’m a senior! I don’t know where I want to go to college yet, but I am so excited to make the most of my senior year at Woodlawn. One of the best parts of Woodlawn is all of the fun things we do here. I mean, where else would you square dance to celebrate the school’s history or have your class pet be a komodo dragon?
Of course, there are many other advantages of going to Woodlawn – too many to count - but one in particular is the faculty. The relationships that students are able to build with their teachers are remarkable. I remember comparing my favorite Greek yogurt flavors with my history teacher and participating in the Gatsby dance contest against my teachers, while in 1920s costume. I know that if I am ever confused about anything, I can go to any of the faculty with a question and get immediate help.
Whether running up and down the soccer field, singing in the a cappella group or digging deeply into a novel for English, Woodlawn has really made me who I am. I know I am going to be so sad to leave my second family here at Woodlawn in the spring, but I can’t wait to see what the future holds!
Mary Rood is a recent graduate of Davidson College.
Mary Rood Cunningham '14
Davidson College ’18
BA History
Associate Director at The Block, New York, NY
Sarah MacDonald '13
UNC Asheville ’17
Chemistry
Serena Barringer '13
Serena Barringer '13
Meredith College ’17
UNC Charlotte ’18
English and Music
Ryan Childers '13
UNC Charlotte
Mechanical Engineering
Emma Haupt '12
Middle School Teacher, STRIVE Prep, Denver, CO
Published May 2018
Hey! I'm Emma Haupt. In just a few short weeks I'll be graduating and completing my eighth and final year at Woodlawn and starting my freshman year at St. Olaf College. I plan to study Organ Performance and Sacred Music. I started playing the pipe organ two years ago and haven't stopped playing since!
Though I'm excited to be heading off to St. Olaf in the fall, I'll be sad seeing Woodlawn in my rearview. Ever since I started at Woodlawn as a fifth grader I have had experiences beyond my imagination. I remember the first time my class went on an overnight field trip to the Columbia Zoo and we had the chance to learn about elephants by touring the enclosure with a zoo keeper. In eighth grade I traveled with a group of Woodlawn students to the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico where we explored the Mayan ruins of Chichen Itza!
After graduation who knows how far the world will take me, but one thing I know for sure: I'll always be a Woodlawn Trailblazer, blazing my own path through life.
Emma is Director of Music Ministries in Buffalo, New York and also teaches ESL at the high school level.
Emma Haupt '12
St. Olaf College ’16
Church Music
Middle School Teacher, STRIVE Prep, Denver, CO
PLANNING AHEAD
COLLEGE COUNSELING
Woodlawn’s college guidance services include the use of the Scoir online college and career readiness platform, which helps connect our students’ academic achievement to their post-secondary goals.