WOODLAWN ALUMNI

Hi, I’m April Feldman, class of 2013. I’ve been attending Woodlawn School for six years now (wow, does time fly!) and I have to say that one of my favorite parts about the school is the campus. The first thing you notice about a school is its appearance, and Woodlawn blows me away. The campus is set up as a quad - four corners based around the soccer field. We have a gym that looks like a great red barn (which is where our theater group, the Red Barn Players, got their name) and a stone clock tower. One of the best parts is the number of trees. I simply can’t stand a campus without trees! And on nice days you see plenty of classes outside in the shade or on the patio, learning and enjoying the fresh air.

If you’ve been to Woodlawn you've most definitely noticed the old plantation house, Stinson Hall, located at the front of campus. As a girl with a love of history, this old fashioned aspect of campus is amazing. Speaking of a  love for history, Woodlawn is all about independent life long learners, so they give you a lot of freedom in deciding what you want to study. For my senior project I’m looking at Victorian dresses (I’m even going to attempt to make one!). One of my closest friends is studying the art of singing and songwriting, and another is basing her project on baking! Woodlawn instills in you the urge to learn and explore your interests. This year, I’m taking an introduction course to Japanese. The lesson plan is designed entirely by me! I worked with the upper school coordinator to find the right resources and create a schedule, and now I’m close to knowing over 100 different Japanese characters. All in all, Woodlawn is a really great place where the atmosphere is excellent and stimulating, while the workload is stuff that you want to do. Goodbye boring, cement school rooms and hello Woodlawn!

April is a recent graduate of UNC Wilmington.

Hello! My name is David Keener and this is my eighth year at Woodlawn. I've stayed at Woodlawn all these years because it offers opportunities that cannot be found elsewhere.

One of the greatest things about Woodlawn is the focus on both national and international travel; there are international trips every year and week long class trips for every grade to places like Washington DC, Atlanta GA, and Saint Augustine FL. My favorite trip was a spring break school trip to Greece a couple years ago; I ate the best food of my life and had an amazing time learning about ancient Greek architecture.

Woodlawn allows students, especially juniors and seniors, to enjoy some unusual freedoms. For example, I really enjoy teaching middle school electives because I can focus on my interests in the classes I teach and expose middle schools students to different ideas. I co-taught a Sports 101 elective last year that focused on more obscure sports like Futsol and Parkour. This year I am co-teaching Intro to Prototyping, which involves designing and building a radio-controlled vehicle. Teaching Intro to Prototyping also lets me apply concepts that I have learned through my self-study, Intro to Engineering.

I also like that many classes at Woodlawn are fairly low-key about test taking and instead emphasize the learning process. It is really evident in my senior class: I am a National Merit Commended Scholar and every student in the Class of 2013 has received the designation of AP Scholar.

Hey, I’m Forrest Daugherty, a senior at Woodlawn. I’ve been at Woodlawn since the 4th grade, so I’d say I know a thing or two about it! My favorite part about Woodlawn is definitely the opportunities. I know that sounds boring, but believe me, it’s not! At Woodlawn I’ve traveled the world—I’ve been to Greece and Colombia, where I stayed with my Spanish teacher’s family. Only one person spoke any English! The teachers at Woodlawn will work with you and do whatever they can to help you out, even if it’s giving you access to the kitchen every Monday morning to make breakfast. Thanks Breakfast Club!

More personally, Woodlawn has given me the opportunity to pursue my passion. About a year ago I was introduced to rowing and have been working hard at it ever since. The school gave me space to keep my rowing machine and has been nothing but supportive ever since. Now I’m being recruited to row in college, largely due to the training I was able to do at Woodlawn.

While I can’t wait to row in college, I’ll definitely be making the most of my senior year here at Woodlawn!

Forrest, Princeton University '17, currently lives in San Francisco, CA and is employed at Credit Suisse Bank.