The Scullys row toward romance
By ADAM YAO ’26
ARTS & LEISURE EDITOR
When Will Scully, instructor of science, had to make a lineup change for Hill’s crew team during one of their regattas, he never expected that that helping hand would come with a side of love. For Sam Wonderlin, it was just another weekend on the job for USRowing, setting up the races and making sure everything was running smoothly.
But when one handsome stranger came up to her, she felt as though she was on the cusp of something magical. She followed through on that feeling, deciding to make the first move by finding out the school of that man who had only come for a lineup change. When Will saw the girl he talked to earlier heading towards Hill’s boat trailer, he thought he was in trouble, since that’s usually the reason anyone from compliance would come to the boat trailers. To Will’s surprise, she gave him her number and asked him to text her.
Even on their first date at a rec bar, they started to lose doubt of whether they were “the one” for each other. They found each other to be exceptionally compatible as both showed off their friendly competitive sides through a game of foosball. Wonderlin had bragged about her skills even before their game, listing her history of playing in college. Yet, Scully beat her every single time. This pattern got to a point where Wonderlin began to ask to play doubles with another couple just to avoid suffering another loss.
More dates followed, and those went just as well, if not better. For Scully, the thing that
drew him to Wonderlin` was her affectionate personality.
“Sam is outgoing and always a ray of sunshine, and she will be a bright spot in your days,” Scully said. “She loves to talk to people and get to know people, and she is kind and caring to everyone. Even when shopping, she’s always thinking of things to buy for other people.”
For Wonderlin, it is Scully’s mix of being both well put together and the ability to joke and have fun.
“Love is a verb. You won’t wake up every day with the world perfect and happy, but despite all of that, you still choose to love.”
—Sam Wonderlin
“He has a balance of both characteristics, both put together and adventurous and goofy,” Wonderlin said.
As we all know, it is impossible to not be busy at Hill, but each faculty couple manages to balance their relationship and their work in their own way. For the Scully’s,
their method of keeping the magic alive has always been travelling and exploring the world. In the time they have been together, Scully and Wonderlin have visited a variety of countries. Their personal favorite location is Jordan, for both its gorgeous and historically significant Petra ruins, as well as its breathtaking deserts and delicious food.
Despite the busyness of living at Hill, the Scullys love it.
Wonderlin said that she “loves how she can see Will interact with high school students and how they look up to him, go to him for life advice.”
“It shows how good of a parent he’ll be one day,” Wonderlin said.
There is one more member of their family, one that truly completes their dynamic: their Australian shepherd, Cortado. She is a regular on the quad or fields playing with her herding ball, and she is always a ray of sunshine to be around. Scully and Wonderlin decided on naming her Cortado after seeing her fur. The cortado, a type of coffee with equal parts milk and espresso has always been Scully’s favorite drink, and Cortado’s brown and white fur looks nearly identical.
For any aspiring couples at the Hill, Scully, Wonderlin (and Cortado!) have some advice to share.
“Love is a verb,” Wonderlin said. “You won’t wake up every day with the world perfect and happy, but despite all of that, you still choose to love.” That advice has panned out well for both, in which “every day is another Valentine’s Day.”
What does Hill want this Valentine’s Day?
ILLUSTRATIONS
By EMERSON LEGER ’25 & KIERN LIM ’25 EDITORS-IN-CHIEF
PHOTO COURTESY OF WILL SCULLY
BY TAYLOR TIMBROOK ’26
Newlyweds Will Scully and Sam Wonderlin pose with their dog Cortado.
Hill welcomes a baby boom, bringing both joy and challenges
By ELVA CHENG ’26 & KIERN LIM ’25 STAFF WRITER & EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
In the past few months, there has been a significant increase in the number of faculty babies, a phenomenon affectionately known as the “Baby Boom of Hill.” From baby announcements to sights of little extra babies around campus. Hill is entering into a season of babies, and the community could not be more excited.
One of the most recent additions to the Hill family arrived on Jan. 10, when Catriona Miller ’08 and her husband Steve Peck welcomed her their baby boy, Cillian David Peck. Their love story stems, when they met in Madison Wisconsin in July 2019, through a dating app. After two years of marriage, the couple was eager to start a family of their own. “We were very excited, and ready to start a family. So, the baby was not a surprise,” Miller shared.
However, the gender of the baby was a surprise. It was not until during the birth that the couple found out they were about to welcome a baby boy into their family. Cillian was born at nine pounds and his first cry became a cherished memory for his parents.
“Hearing him cry for the first time was a very special moment,” recalled Miller.
Now as a new mother, Miller has embraced the learning curve that comes with parenthood, learning new things and obtaining advice along the way. Miller advices other expecting mothers to take in all the information you can about having a baby, and being prepared for things to not go according to plan.
While Miller met her one true love through a dating app, Ernest Higginbotham met his in college. During their time in college, the Higginbothams crossed paths through mutual friends, though their interactions remained limited in their early years of college. It was not until their senior year that they truly connected, marking the beginning of their journey together.
Their shared love of food has played a significant role in their relationship, leading to many cherished dining experiences. However, one dinner in particular stands out far beyond the rest for the couple. “We have been to many great dinners, but I surprised her with a dinner the night we got engaged. That one was special,” Higginbotham recalls.
For the couple, the moment they found out they were expecting was both exciting and nerve-wracking. After returning from a basketball tournament, he sensed “something was up”
when his wife insisted he come home immediately instead of watching the Mercer Invitational. “When I saw her I immediately knew what she was about to say. I was so excited and a bit scared when it really sank in that she told me we were expecting a baby,” Higginbotham commented.
Since learning they were expecting, their lives have undergone many changes. They moved into a new home on campus, set up a nursery, and adapted to a lifestyle that now requires more coordination than ever before, even leading to them creating a joint calendar.
Looking back, Higginbotham wishes he could relive the last 24 hours before their son was born. “It was hectic and amazing and even though I was exhausted, it was very a special time,” Higginbotham fondly remembers.
Now, he eagerly looks forward to the summer, knowing that his role as a teacher will allow him to spend more time with his son and create new memories together.
One of the most meaningful moments so far has been bringing their baby home. “It’s been a short amount of time that we’ve had him with us. But, I think my favorite memory is bringing him home for the first time. He spent a short stay in the NICU after being born and we had to wait several days before we could bring him home. On the way home we stopped for lunch and ate in Valley Forge park which happened to be where we had gotten married only a little less than a year ago. It was nice to be there together as a family,” Higginbotham said.
For those embarking on similar journeys, his advice is simple: take it all in. Whether it’s getting married or welcoming a child, these are once-in-a-lifetime experiences. “Take inventory and remember how you felt,” he advises. “Lean on that memory when things get tough. They will get tough.”
Looking ahead, the campus is eagerly anticipating the arrival of another faculty baby set to arrive in the summer. Assistant Director of Athletics and the Strength coach Elle O’Brien together with her wife Laura O‘Brien are expecting a baby girl in June of 2025, just a few weeks following graduation. The couple has been married for almost four years, but their story began in 2015. They first met in August 2015 in an elevator at Roanoke College. Lauren first noticed Elle’s beauty and their connection only grew through spending time together on both the soccer and softball team.
Over the past 10 years, the O’Briens have built a relationship filled with love and ad-
venture. However, Elle recalls her favourite memory being shared on her wedding day when they shared a private dance at the end of their wedding after all their guests had left. Their journey to parenthood has not been without challenge. The O’Brien’s had gone through four rounds of IVF before finally having a successful pregnancy.
“It’s hard in IVF to be unexpected, everything is meticulously planned out and on a schedule. However, we were not expecting to have to do four rounds of IVF as a young healthy woman with no fertility issues,” she explained.
As the O’Briens prepare for the arrival of their daughter in the summer, they look forward to the adventures that await that as a family. They cannot wait to have share new experiences with their daughter and bring her along their adventures too, introducing to the world around her.
Also, set to welcome a new addition to their family is Ari Baum and his wife Jenni. Their love story began in an unexpected way: through a dating app during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite typically being outside each other’s search radius, fate intervened when Jenni travelled to Philadelphia. “We never would have come up on each other’s feed,” Baum recalled. “But because she happened to be in Philadelphia instead of York, we connected.”
Their journey together has since been filled with many unforgettable experiences, with Baum saying that “pretty much all of it is my favorite.” However, their honeymoon stands out as a particularly cherished memory. The couple embarked on a global adventure, visiting Singapore, Bali, the Maldives, and Dubai. Shortly after returning home, they received the most amazing news—Jenni was pregnant with their first child. “We found out just a couple of days after we got back,” Ari shared. “It was very exciting.”
The news brought a mix of emotions. While Baum was not necessarily surprised, he was struck by Jenni’s reaction. “She’s incredibly sharp and always on top of things, so to see her truly surprised was unusual,” he reflected. The months that followed brought gradual changes as they prepared for parenthood. With Jenni taking the lead on scheduling the appointments and setting up the baby’s room, Baum has embraced his role as a supportive partner. “I have helped, but I’m definitely doing what she says,” he commented.
As they near the arrival of their son, the couple have been trying to savour every moment. “This is the only time we will ever be expecting
our first child,” he said. “If we have more kids, it will be different, but this experience is one-ofa-kind.” He and Jenni have grown even closer during this time, especially in the final weeks of pregnancy, when their lives have slowed down. His advice to others in a similar position is to resist the urge to constantly look ahead. “Time takes the same amount of time if you look ahead, so just focus on the moment,” he explained. “The part that I have appreciated the most about our pregnancy to this point is that we have really just appreciated every day and every hour and every minute. And live that hour and minute without getting lost in what it is going to be like in two months or five months or seven months?” It is a lesson Baum hopes to pass on to his son as well. Despite his worries about the challenges of parenthood, Baum takes comfort in the reassurance he has received from loved ones and those around him. “People have told me, ‘Ari, you work harder on the things you care about than anyone I’ve ever met. If you care about this child, which I know you will, you’ll work just as hard at being his father.’” That sentiment has stayed with him, along with a piece of wisdom from his own mother that no matter how much time passes, she will always be his mother. “Not a lot of things in life are forever,” he reflected. “But this is one of them, I will be that child’s father and Jenni will be that child’s mother forever. That’s something I find to be sacred, deep and precious.”
SATIRE: Hill makes preparations for Valentine’s Day
By GRIFFIN HOPPER ’26
STAFF WRITER
In a move that has some students mortified, and others enticed, Sodexo’s dining staff have elevated their Valentine’s Day excitement to unprecedented heights by decorating every known student rendezvous location on campus. This has delighted and ashamed students. Dubbed “Operation Cupid,” the program has virtually destroyed all possibilities for covert romantic meetings here at Hill.
“We just wanted to spread the love,” one Sodexo employee said as she carefully hung heart-shaped fairy lights in the infamous area behind the chapel. “Nothing says ‘young love’ quite like rose petals and an-
gel cutouts seeing your every move.”
Well-traveled gathering locations have become what students call “a Pinterest-board nightmare” due to the decorating frenzy. The space behind the library is now home to an entire picnic arrangement, complete with a “LOVE IS IN THE AIR” banner and a battery-powered diffuser (candles and lighters are strictly prohibited on campus).
“I was planning to finally tell [redacted] how I felt about her,” said one saddened student who wanted to go unnamed, “but how can I have some meaningful moment when there’s a six-foot cardboard teddy bear giving me a thumbs up?”
According to reports, the SGA
has also received several complaints about the excessive use of glitter, which one faculty member said “spreads faster than campus gossip.”
Glitter can now be found everywhere, illuminating every campus crevice in a festive sparkle. For next year, the Hill Sustainability Club recommended substituting biodegradable glitter.
When asked for comment, the Deans’ Office released a brief statement: “While we here at Hill can appreciate the enthusiasm for fostering a positive Valentine’s atmosphere, we remind students that PDA policies remain unchanged, regardless of the presence of mood lighting and romantic background music.”
Despite the widespread festive
decorations, the infamous athletics complex remains eerily untouched. Even as students search for private places to confess their undying devotion (or, more likely, eat an entire heart-shaped box of chocolates in peace), no one dares enter. “There are some places love cannot reach,” whispered an anonymous 6th former before swiftly exiting the conversation.
The amount of effort behind the decorations left students wondering about other holidays. When questioned about future décor ideas, a dining hall staff member simply winked and said something about “Easter bunnies with night vision goggles.”
PHOTO COURTESY OF ERNEST HIGGINBOTHAM
PHOTO COURTESY OF ARI BAUM
PHOTO COURTESY OF ELLE O’BRIEN
PHOTO COURTESY OF CATRIONA MILLER
Your guide to the perfect Hill Valentine’s Day date
Short on time with no clue what to do with your special someone this Valentine’s Day? Here are a few ideas to show your appreciation for a loved one:
By LEXI LUBCZENKO ’25 SPORTS EDITOR
Catch a movie at Upland
Square’s AMC
Pottsgrove AMC 12 is a local destination, only about a ten-minute drive away from Hill’s campus. On Valentine’s Day, as well as the days following, you will be able to choose from tons of new movies. There is truly a movie for everyone and for every couple to decide. For those Marvel fans, such as the ones that scored great at all school trivia a couple weeks ago, go see the new Captain America movie. For those wanting to smile, sit back and feel the love, go see Paddington in Peru or the Valentine’s Day movies Heart Eyes and Love Hurts. Finally, if you are yearning for some childlike nostalgia, go see Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets in theaters. It’d be a flashback in time to when it first came out in theaters. Enjoy!
Take a walk to The Blue Elephant for celebratory Asian-fusion cuisine
Walk down King Street to one of Pottstown’s best restaurants, the Blue Elephant. Popular for its upscale vibe and excellent food, this is a go-to for any occasion - especially Valentine’s Day! It’s a little fancy, so academic casual dress is a must. For those of you that do not know, The Blue Elephant have an excellent Sunday brunch, so if you are looking to extend the holiday, take your beau or gal pals out during the weekend. Can’t go wrong, even if elephants aren’t blue.
Bring some blankets and food to the Class of ’71 Garden
Although it’s cold, snuggle up with your bae at the Class of ‘71 Garden, where you can watch movies surrounded by nature and a cute fireplace, accompanied by a spectacular
view. This is the ultimate last-minute date because since a majority live here on campus, the Class of ‘71 Garden is a literal two-minute walking distance from any dorm. Once in the garden, a feeling of serenity will envelope you and your date, forgetting that you are on school grounds. But don’t forget too much- don’t want to end up talking to the Dean’s on this holiday- ha!
Take an Uber to King of Prussia mall
Take a few hours this weekend for a day leave to the mall with your partner and show them just how much you care about them with your credit card! The mall has clothing stores, from Gucci to J. Crew to Dick’s Sporting Goods, you can spend as much or as little as you’d like. There’s is also endless food choices, from health food shots to Chinese to the classic burger, fries, and shakes from Shake Shack. Indulge with your part-
Dear Blue: Is 2025 your year for love?
By ANONYMOUS
Another Valentine’s Day has approached us and with that I am back to offer my thoughts. This school year has been a whirlwind, and 2025 seems to be flying by right under our feet. But on this day, let us slow down and appreciate the ones we love.
Whether you have a significant other on this love glorified winter day or are wandering the halls alone, remember that there are different kinds of love. Think of the love from your friends, when they know something is wrong and are with you when you need them most. Think of the love from your parents, who raised you and who, yes, might annoy you, but who overall want the best for you.
Valentine’s Day is so much more than your partner or sporting your red and pink outfits. It is about the gifts. I’m kidding. It is about that for one day, other than the Holiday Season, there seems to be an inner peace in the world. Especially with all the events January gave us, from the LA wildfires to fatal plane crashes, the world is screaming for love at the moment. These events should show us that our lives are limited, but love is limitless. It is our ultimate savior, for love pieces us back together after disasters, and the love we have for loved ones stays with us long after
high and they look for the good over the bad. For a moment we forget the tragedies and remember the comedies. Don’t stress about that test, that grade, college decisions, or upcoming Winter Exams. Just enjoy this moment, this day, and this love that is all around you. That is around everyone. Valentine’s Day starts to mark the end of winter, when spring starts to creep in, and the winter depression slowly boxes up into the back of our minds. The end of the school year is in sight, so do not dwell on the small things, and cherish the remaining moments of the special things. There is a certain feeling on Valentine’s Day that cannot be described but it is what I love most about this holiday. My advice for you is to go look for it today, whatever that means to you. The feeling of smiling, of laughing, the feeling when someone takes the time to give you a Valentine. For Sixth Formers, it is their last one at Hill, so maybe cherish and relish this fact. Next year will be new beginnings, new challenges, and new memories. Take it all in, because tomorrow will be Feb. 15, just another wintery day as we wait for the springy sunshine. This day is about love after all, so draw those hearts, hold those hands, and hang with those whom you care most about. Happy Valentine’s day everyone!
Signing off,
ner and eat up this time together.
Gym Date!
Consider yourselves an athletic couple? Have a fun date playing squash, basketball, or lifting weights right here on Hill’s campus! Maybe one of you can teach the other a sport. Was one of your new year resolutions to exercise more? Well today is the perfect day! Have someone you care about help you achieve your goals. Good exercise and good company? Nothing can be better. Get your sweat on this Valentine’s Day
Poetry Corner: Untitled
By KIMBERLY CHEN GUEST CONTRIBUTOR
Editor’s Note By ADAM YAO ’26
ARTS & LEISURE EDITOR
Kimberly Chen’s poem focuses on the afterimage of love. The description of eyes leads into a beautiful cascade of memory as remnants of this boy are presented in fragments. While some might find it odd to feature a poem about the loss of love during the Valentine’s Day Issue, I propose that this melancholy and incredibly soft poem celebrates the memory of love. It urges us to appreciate this fleeting but gorgeous emotion more than ever.
Someone once said,
The human eye is God’s loneliest creation. Everything passes through it, Yet it can hold nothing.
I saw your smile,
The delicate curve of your nose, The origami cranes and paper butterflies, Letters tied with purple ribbon, marked with faint pencil lines, And the faint scent of your soap, That pulled me back to summers we thought were endless.
But my eyes could not keep them.
Like sunlight slipping through trembling leaves, They all fell away, Leaving nothing there.
Yet sometimes, I wonder–
Do I still shine there?
A glimmer in the sea of faces? Would you pause, just for a moment to look for me
Like you once did in the bustling Shibuya streets, Where my azure blue kimono was your beacon?
Like you did at the christmas market, where your gaze found me amid the whirl of lights?
Like you did on that first day of school, When your gaze met mine as if to say,
“It’s good to see you.”
If I could still be seen, If I could still matter in that quiet way, Maybe then– just maybe–We could meet again.
Unburdened by the weight of what we’ve lost.
And see each other anew,
As though love had never slipped away.
ILLUSTRATION BY CAYLIE ZIGNER ’25
Love on repeat: Caylie’s Valentine’s Day picks
By CAYLIE ZIGNER ’25 VISUAL MANAGING EDITOR
“Valentine” by Laufey
Perfect for our jazz lovers, Laufey expertly combines modern romance with a vintage-feeling sound and style
“Love Songs” by Clairo
The soft guitar and vocals on this track feel sweet and poetic, perfect for Valentine’s Day!
“the perfect pair” by beabadoobee
This song shows the ups and downs of romance using beabadoobee’s amazing lyricism and a bossa nova beat.
“I Know You” by Faye Webster
This song is a little bit more melancholy, nostalgically and sincerely describing Faye Webster’s experience in love.
“Kiss Me” by Sixpence None The Richer
A classic love song we all love, “Kiss Me” feels warm and straight out of a rom-com!
“Iris” by The Goo Goo Dolls
The song every hopeless romantic loves, “Iris” by the Goo Goo Dolls explores intimate and all-consuming love in this alt-rock ballad.
VALENTINE’S DAY COMIC
By ANAIKA BANDI ’27
STAFF ILLUSTRATOR
Poetry Corner: Unconstrained
By ABIGAIL RICE ’26 SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER
It is the time of year where the snow falls. Light As my heart blows adrift by the winter winds. Mine flutters at the sight of the man of kings. His eyes burn like stars in the darkest nights. Soon, though, spring will arrive and bring birds to flight, And our time conjoined will be left behind.
Summer and autumn will be carried on the air of the northern winds.
Our skin will sag; chests will drag, our love finite.
Our love must be reformed from the transcendence of time, With lips dipped in the potency of immortality. We shall see kingdoms fall during wartime, But we will rise in the shadows of fatality. Our love is not constrained by each mountain we climb, Above the bounds of changing trees and reach eternal vitality.
Cheng ’26, Griffin Hopper ’26, Anaika Bandi ’27, Richard Liu ’26
Faculty Advisers Alec Swartz, Nancy Body
Content Policy
The Hill News is the student-run newspaper of The Hill School. Content is determined by and reflects the views of the student editorial board and staff and not school officials or the School itself. The Hill News acts as an open forum for student expression where they have complete control over the content produced.
klim25@thehill.org eleger25@thehill.org
ILLUSTRATIONS BY CAYLIE ZIGNER ’25 & TAYLOR TIMBROOK ’26