From The Headmaster: Philanthropy Focused on the Boys

Dear Woodberry alumni, parents, and friends,

When the class of 2022’s prefect board gathered at their retreat, the boys spoke about making the 2021–2022 school year one of renewal. We were all eager to return to a more normal Woodberry experience after the changes forced by the COVID-19 pandemic, and the prefects recognized that only their class — and even then only some of them — had been through a full, (and therefore) “normal” year at Woodberry.

I’m pleased to report the boys and faculty were able to deliver on that programmatic renewal, with the resumption of critical pieces of our campus life such as seated meals and all-school chapel. We weathered the pandemic as well as we did thanks to the deep bonds of trust between students, faculty, staff, families, and alumni. We also benefited from the incredible generosity of each one of you. Whether you made a gift to the Amici Fund, pledged your support to the Campaign for the Boys, or joined the Walker Society to leave a lasting legacy at Woodberry, you have given us the resources needed to respond to the challenges of the pandemic. We have been able to resume our traditional programming, not just for the students, but also with the three wonderful Reunion gatherings we held in July 2021 and April 2022. And thanks to your generosity, we have been able to launch new initiatives for the boys, such as the all-school Expedition Week, held for the first time in September 2021.

As we reflect back on the past year, I am particularly grateful for the board of trustees and the former trustees who have challenged our entire community to finish the Campaign for the Boys and endow tuition assistance for the boys here now and those yet to come. We made outstanding progress during the past fiscal year and are ready to finish strong.

Woodberry is a special community, one that knits together students, faculty, staff, alumni, and families. Once you have joined the Tiger Nation, you are a part of our community for life. The enduring power of Woodberry Forest has been revealed through the way we have banded together and delivered the best possible education for our students through some of the most challenging times in American education.