Tiger Tales September 2015

Student Life at Woodberry Forest School • september 2015 The Woodberry Cup The Woodberry Cup is a new tradition that challenges teams of both students and faculty to a year of competition in athletics, academics, arts, and service. The winning team claims the cup.

In the first challenge, teams competed to pack the most meals for Stop Hunger Now, a humanitarian charity.

Woodberry’s Newest Building Opens

The next day, the Woodberry Cup Field Day included tugof-war, dizzy bat races, and a water balloon toss.

Tradition Meets the Future in the Math, Computer Science, and Dining Building

It’s a fresh, new building with a familiar feel. Woodberry’s Math, Computer Science, and Dining Building opened this fall as the school’s 127th academic session launched, greeting students with traditional interiors and state-of-the-art classroom technology.

The facility’s upper two levels house the computer lab, the math department, and a beautiful lecture hall paneled in tiger maple and boasting the latest in projection technology. The Class of 2015 Lobby, student lounge space, and seminar rooms complete the academic floors.

Diners gather in Terry Dining Hall surrounded by locally made furnishings. The new space recalls the Walker Building’s Reynolds Family Dining Room, where community members gathered for meals for over a hundred years. The Rapidan River Dining Terrace provides outdoor seating. And improvements to the kitchen and serving lines mean Woodberry’s chefs can serve up even more delicious options.

As much as they might look forward to trying some new recipes in a modernized kitchen, the members of Woodberry’s food service staff will keep the boys’ perennial favorites on the weekly menu. Asked for their #1 Woodberry dish, here’s how boys responded.

from the headmaster

“Here you will be cared for, here we will look out for you, here we will know you for who you are, and here we will invest emotionally in you until you graduate — and then continue to do so in the world beyond as you make your way forward as alumni of Woodberry Forest.” byron hulsey ’86

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Beyond Our Borders Woodberry abroad takes boys around the globe

The boundary around Woodberry Forest’s 1,200-acre campus doesn’t set a limit on learning. Many students ventured into the world beyond this summer when they joined one of our study abroad programs to Britain, the Galapagos Islands, Nicaragua, Scotland, or Spain. Whether they served a community in need, became fluent in a foreign language, earned some history credit, or observed exotic animal species, boys enjoyed having Woodberry teachers and friends along on their exciting journey.

Here are a few of the ways boys experienced the world with Woodberry this summer: • Ziplined through the rainforest canopy, sandboarded down a volcano, and rode ATVs up to a famous landmark in Nicaragua.

• Bicycled along the River Thames and through the English countryside.

• Enjoyed the company of girls on a coed jaunt through Scotland.

Faculty feature

Scott Schamberger As Woodberry’s new assistant headmaster for admissions and college counseling, Scott Schamberger is ready to help boys prepare for their future. He works with prospective students, and once they’re admitted, he helps them navigate the college search process to find their perfect school. Scott, a career educator, earned a BS from Emory University and an MEd from the University of Georgia, and is on track to earn his PhD from Georgia State University. He most recently worked at Randolph School in Huntsville, Alabama. Scott and his wife, Tracy, have a fifteenmonth-old daughter, Mackenzie, and a newborn son, Caleb.

Why did you come to Woodberry Forest?

When I worked in college admissions, I noticed that girls were, in general, more competitive than boys in the applicant pool at selective colleges and universities. Boys need different educational experiences, and I am inspired to be part of a school that is grappling with this challenge.

Why are you responsible for both admissions and college counseling?

It’s part of Woodberry’s commitment to ensure that every boy is known, challenged, and loved.

At many schools, the admissions staff gets to know students and their families. But when those students arrive on campus, the staff moves on to the next group — instead of nurturing the relationships they’ve developed. The better we know our boys, the better we can help them realize their fullest potential.

What’s impressive about Woodberry?

The love and admiration that everyone I meet has for this place is intoxicating. For my wife and me, this is the ideal community in which to raise our children.

• Snorkeled side-by-side with penguins in the waters off Española Island in the Galapagos.

• Learned to make tapas and paella with a Spanish chef.

Scotland

Spain

Honoring a Mentor len mills wins adviser award

Science teacher, coach, and adviser Len Mills had no way of knowing that one of the five boys in his advisory group would nominate him for Woodberry’s Distinguished Adviser Award for Outstanding Service.

The boy wrote: “Mr. Mills has become a mentor and has watched out for all of his advisees, including me. His generosity and fun-loving attitude Len Mills (center) with advisees, Evan Backer ’16 have allowed all of his advisees to feel and Michael Warren ’17 relaxed around him. Whether it is birthday parties for the advisees or having an advisory screening of the College Football Championship, he is the perfect role model of a Woodberry adviser who not only cares for his advisees, but enjoys life at Woodberry.”

Those words helped Mr. Mills, who is also a talented chemistry and biology teacher, win the Distinguished Adviser Award at graduation in May. This year he’s teaching Biology: An Ecological Approach. “We hold many of our labs on various parts of the Woodberry campus, including the fields, forest, Robertson Lake, and the Rapidan River,” he says.

Len is in his second year as head varsity soccer coach and hopes to build on last year’s success. “Last year, we finished 12-3 overall, second in the Prep League and State.” He is also head coach of the JV indoor track team. A scholar and an athlete, he graduated from Denison University, where he played varsity soccer and baseball.

Mr. Mills knows that it’s important to be a good adviser. “I make myself readily available to my advisees, so they always have somebody to talk to. I enjoy getting to know them in academic, athletic, and residential settings. I do my best to make them feel special.”

2 • september 2015 • Tiger Tales

Woodberry Forest School

• Spent a day doing art, reading, and talking with students in an elementary school for at-risk children in Oxford.

Joe Raymond; The University of Notre Dame

• Looked out over London from the roof of Westminster Abbey.

Britain

• Cruised the Loch Ness.

• Delivered baseballs, cleats, and catcher’s pads to a Nicaraguan Little League team and played against them in a losing effort.

• Ventured into the Amazon Basin via boat and plane.

• Tried their hands at bullfighting after a lesson with a professional bullfighter at a cortijo in Andalusia.

alumni spotlight

Trips are offered to all boys and financial aid is available.

Nicaragua

CJ Prosise ’12 The Galapagos Islands

Summer Learning Woodberry supports summer internships and enrichment

Time off from school didn’t mean time off from learning for boys who completed summer internships and experiences with the help of Woodberry’s grants.

Wyant Wharton ’17

Wyant Wharton ’17 won funding from Woodberry’s Summer Expedition Program. He took a thirty-day backpacking trek in Wyoming with the National Outdoor Leadership School. “I really learned a lot about myself,” Wyant wrote after the trek that challenged him to carry seventy pounds and breathe thin mountain air.

Backed by the Noland Fellowship, which aims to give students life-changing experiences, Caleb Rogers ’16 visited Cuba where his family has roots. He not only visited his grandmother’s former home, but also volunteered with the Episcopal Church of Cuba, interviewed private business owners, and shared the benefits of a water-purifying device.

The Grills Fellowship supports summer work in government and history. Andrew Holmes ’16 interned for Scott Kipp, the vice chairman of the Blackfeet Tribal Business Council in Browning, Montana. Richard Madden ’16 worked in the office of New York Congressman Charles Rangel and at a public defense law firm. William von Hassell ’16 did archeological and interpretive work at Andrew Holmes ’16 Montpelier, the home of James Madison. And William Hunt ’16 worked with Virginia Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam and at the Museum of the White House of the Confederacy.

Their summer work ranged from outdoor challenges to community service, from politics to family heritage. As varied as their projects were, each shared in the common goal of enriching their own lives and those of others.

In his senior year at Woodberry, CJ Prosise earned All-Prep and All-State honors in football and indoor track and All-State honors in outdoor track — and he captained all three teams. At graduation, the Petersburg, Virginia, native received the William B. Mason Memorial Medal as the best all-around athlete in his class. Currently in his senior year at the University of Notre Dame, he’s made a name for himself on the gridiron, where he wears #20 as the starting running back for the Fighting Irish.

What was your favorite Woodberry class?

My favorite class was Mr. Hale’s Mythology and Modern Literature. I really enjoyed being able to be creative with my writing; it was a fun class that had a lot of my good friends in it.

What was your favorite Woodberry moment?

I felt like I was really a part of the school when I played my first game on the varsity basketball team as a freshman.

How did Woodberry prepare you for Notre Dame?

Woodberry taught me how to create a routine of study and practice that has helped me as a studentathlete at Notre Dame.

Notre Dame is ranked fourth in pre-season polls, and Coach Kelly speaks highly of your athletic abilities.

What are your goals for the season?

I’m looking to contribute as much as possible on offense and I want to become the best player I can be for my team.

What are your post-college plans?

Right now, I’m pursuing my dream of playing in the NFL. My major in management consulting will Three former Tigers currently play prepare me for a for Notre Dame: Greer Martini ’14, Doug Randolph ’13 and CJ business career.

Woodberry Forest School Tiger Tales • september 2015 • 3

Presorted First Class U.S. Postage PAID Orange, VA Permit No. 97

Woodberry Forest School Office of Admissions 898 Woodberry Forest Road Woodberry Forest, VA 22989-9989

September 2015 Tiger Tales

Come visit the Forest!

Overnight visits are available on Thursdays, Fridays, and Sundays.

When you visit Woodberry, you'll take a tour led by a student like DeTrea Smith ’17 from Gulfport, Mississippi.

“The most wonderful thing about Woodberry is the brotherhood.

The people you meet here will be some of your best friends for the rest of your life.” detrea smith ’17

Why are you a student ambassador?

I like to meet prospective parents and students. And if they choose Woodberry, they’ll already know someone when they arrive.

Where do you like to take prospects on your tours?

The Manning Family Science Building, for sure. I enjoy showing them the DNA helix and the spiral staircase. Also, the view from the building is amazing!

Sometimes boys who visit are nervous. How do you help?

I keep a smile on my face and converse with them. The more I talk, the more they open up. I've found that showing genuine interest in a prospective student's interests goes a long way.

We may be coming to a town near you! Visit woodberry.org/travel to see our upcoming admissions receptions.

WOODBERRY.ORG | wfs.admissions@woodberry.org | 888-798-9371 facebook.com/woodberryforestschool | instagram.com/woodberryforestschool | twitter.com/WoodberryForest Woodberry Forest admits students of any race, color, sexual orientation, disability, and national or ethnic origin to all of the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sexual orientation, disability, or national or ethnic origin in the administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic or other school-administered programs.

This school is authorized under federal law to enroll nonimmigrant students.