Wilmington Friends School

“I think that the experiential leadership experience, trying all these new things, was very, very helpful for me. I knew I felt ready going to a liberal arts college after this experience [at WFS] because of that…but then I think the most important thing to me, and this is where I think it’s foundationally and morally changed who I am, is just leading with empathy.”

Emily David Hershman ’09, who currently serves as the Interim Co-Chair of the Delaware Literacy Alliance and is a Strategic Communications Consultant, joined the Quaker Matters Podcast shortly after her five-year tenure in the Governor’s Office last year. In this episode, Emily discusses the following: her time at WFS and how it helped develop her leadership skills; what it was like serving as a Press Intern for the White House; serving the State of Delaware as the Director of Communications for John Carney; and the power of reading.

Click on the link below to listen: https://rss.com/podcasts/wilmingtonfriendsschool/3047066/

Today's throwback features Adam Levin '81, captivated by one of the early computers at Wilmington Friends—a snapshot of a moment when technology was just beginning to transform the way our students learn.

This fall, the Class of 1981 will celebrate its 45th Reunion during Homecoming Weekend, October 23–24, 2026. We hope to welcome as many classmates as possible back to campus to reconnect, reminisce, and celebrate together (and maybe check out some of our more recent technology!)

Click here to register for Homecoming 2026: wilmingtonfriends.org/alumni/homecoming

Colton Loeffler ’29 participated in the Ulster Project Delaware this summer, a month-long program in July where American teenagers host Northern Irish teenagers while participating in team-building activities, embarking on exciting day trips, and creating lasting friendships- all while fostering peace.

Colton hosted two peers from Northern Ireland, Aidan and Finn. Together, they volunteered in the community, visited local landmarks and places of worship, and explored major cities such as Philadelphia, New York City, and Washington, D.C. These experiences allowed them to see the world through each other’s perspectives, while also building a lasting friendship and creating lifelong memories.

At the end of the project, Colton earned the Karen Keegan Award, which celebrates Karen's vision and ideals and honors two teens for their month-long display of friendship, their exploration of peace and tolerance, leadership development, and discovery of self and community responsibility.

Did you know the Wilmington Friends Class of 1961 girls' basketball team finished the season with a perfect 12–0 record...all while playing in skirts?

This remarkable group will celebrate its 65th Reunion during Homecoming Weekend, October 23–24, 2026, and we'd love to welcome as many classmates back to campus as possible.

Here's to unforgettable memories, lifelong friendships, and coming home to Friends. We hope to see the Class of 1961 this October!

Drew Milford '00 (left) and Josh Galperin '00 (center) recently returned to campus for a tour with their classmate and Head of Lower School, Chris Loeffler '00! They got to revisit some familiar spaces while also exploring the many areas that have been renovated since their time at WFS, including the Friends Theater.

Want to see what's new for yourself? Join us during Homecoming Weekend, October 23-24, when we'll be offering tours of the Theater and other exciting campus spaces. Click here to register: wilmingtonfriends.org/alumni/homecoming

We hope to see you there!

We’re making exciting improvements all across campus this summer! This September, WFS families and students can look forward to:

• A brand new Da-Lite projector screen in the Friends Theater
• Fresh surfaces for our upper tennis courts
• Mondo Advance flooring in the Neff Gym
• A refurbished locker room for the middle school girls
• Fresh paint in the East and West Gyms, many classrooms, and several spaces
• Safety updates including upgrades to selected interior and exterior lighting and security cameras
• Completion of the new lower school play spaces
• Repaved lower school parking lot

Today’s throwback features four members from the Class of 2016, who helped make school history as they led the Wilmington Friends School Mock Trial team to its first State Championship! With their victory, the Quakers earned the right to represent Delaware at the National Mock Trial event in Idaho.

Jodi Lessner ’16 (co-captain) won a total of six best lawyer gavels—five in five rounds of competition, plus the overall best lawyer award; Katy Shannon ’17 went two-for-two in best witness gavels, and Jason Saville ’18 earned one best witness gavel. Other members of the championship team included: Joslyn Gardner ’16 (co-captain), Emilio Ergueta ’16, Chloe Hudson ’16, Allie Fulginiti ’17, Nick Gauthier ’17, Simone Veale ’17, Mary Agne ’18, Fiona Saunders ’18, and Danny Nakamura ’19.

The Class of 2016 will celebrate its 10th Reunion during Homecoming Weekend, October 23-24, 2026. We hope to welcome as many classmates as possible back to campus to reconnect, reminisce, and celebrate this meaningful occasion together. Click here to register for Homecoming 2026: wilmingtonfriends.org/alumni/homecoming

See you in October!

A recent family gathering honored Elizabeth Burr Papastravos '49 on her 95th birthday! Seated at the center is Elizabeth, with her daughter, Christina Papastravos Fay '76, to her left. Also pictured are Christina's daughters, Hannah Fay Waguespack (third from the right) and Kelly Fay (fourth from the left), who each attended Wilmington Friends for a year following Hurricane Katrina. Today, Hannah holds a Ph.D. in neuroscience and Kelly is an interior designer in Atlanta. Christina recently retired after a career practicing law and is enjoying her six grandsons! We're honored to have been a small part of this family's story across three generations.

Please join us in wishing Elizabeth a very happy 95th birthday!

Phil Crock ’23 (far left), along with two other Alvernia University mechanical engineering students, secured a provisional patent and first place in the collegiate division of the 24th Annual tecBridge Business Plan Competition. The team members earned $10,000 and $100,000 in in-kind services to continue growing their business, Learn2Inject.

Phil and his teammates launched Learn2Inject to develop the first reusable safety needle designed specifically for nursing education, called Smart Stick. The technology allows nursing students to repeatedly practice the complete injection process using the same training needle, reducing costs and plastic waste, while enhancing clinical skill development.

Unlike traditional disposable safety needles that permanently lock after a single use, the Smart Stick features a resettable locking mechanism that enables students to safely practice the full injection sequence more than 100 times with a single device. By addressing a longstanding challenge in nursing education, the team's innovation is projected to reduce training costs by an estimated 96% and plastic waste by 99%. They estimate the technology could benefit more than 700,000 nursing students enrolled in approximately 3,500 nursing programs across the United States.

Great work, Phil!