Bowman Benge ’13

“Be comfortable with silence. Weekly meetings for worship, surrounded by my classmates and teachers, taught me the importance of not only embracing silence, but finding confidence in it. I try to replicate that sentiment in my daily life whether it's by practicing mediation or taking a few breaths before responding to opposing counsel in a law school competition.” 

“If I did not attend WFS for high school, I do not think I would be where I am now - I was a shy freshman when I started at WFS and I had zero confidence in myself, especially academically. All the faculty at WFS taught me to believe in myself and to not give it up. I find myself teaching my students the same things some of my teachers taught me at WFS, and it is a full circle moment for me. I think the teachers at WFS do a great job of fostering an inclusive environment and allowing for discussion to happen, and that helped me (especially during graduate school) to not be afraid to speak during class discussions or having tough conversations with friends or classmates.”

“As a WFS lifer, one of the most important lessons I learned was to be patient and listen. After graduating college in the height of the pandemic, the future felt unstable and unknown—especially when it came to following my dream of working in the music industry. While I don’t regularly have Meeting for Worship anymore, the practice of reflecting, taking time to sit with my thoughts, and remaining patient, is something that has served me during these last couple of years. Being able to ‘just listen’ to others, or even your own thoughts instead of immediately reacting to any work/life situation, is one of the most powerful tools.”

Part 1 of 2

As we celebrate 100 years of girls' athletics at Wilmington Friends School, here are some highlights from the first three decades.

I attended Wilmington Friends School for 14 years, and by all accounts, I consider myself a “lifer.” WFS provided the bulk of my educational experience, which was the basis for my development as an artist and an activist. Throughout my attendance at Friends, certain core values such as integrity, community, equality, peace, stewardship, and simplicity were foundational.

Ben has been involved with several non-profit organizations in and around Wilmington, including Wilmington Friends School, for the past 20 years.

“I think Wilmington Friends School pushes its students to try and pursue multiple interests.

2018
At Friends since Kindergarten, Cecilia ’18 has interspersed her Humanities studies in California with experiential learning in Germany. After a gap year in Berlin teaching children cooking on a kitchen bus, she entered an intensive program in Classics & Philosophy and designed costumes for the repertory Shakespeare Company during her freshman year at Stanford. When the pandemic moved classes online, she joined a Berlin social enterprise as a Marketing Manager.

“WFS taught me about teamwork and compassion when working on assignments and projects with multiple students. This was helpful in college and continues to be in the design world as it’s all about negotiation and teamwork!”

1978
A big fan of the Stoic philosophers, David's mantra is: Strive, not arrive.  Winner of both the Mendenhall and Bush awards, David played sports, sang in musicals, and acted at Friends.  He finds the faculty to be the School's core asset.  Harry Hammond and Rick Reynolds in particular influenced his development.

“I believe that the concept of active listening and learning was cultivated at WFS, and this included being open to feedback. Being willing (and knowing it’s okay!) to change your mind, and constructively disagreeing helped prepare me for post HS life. On the topic of seeing something differently, it was here that I learned that it is perfectly fine to disagree with someone or not see eye to eye, but it’s imperative for everyone’s personal growth and development to do so in a kind, respectful, and gracious way. I think this is the most powerful lesson I took away from Friends and one that I see necessary to practice daily in our world, now more than ever.”

Elizabeth L. Haven ’72 was a “sandwich” Friends student, between brother Ken Haven ’70 and sister Julie Haven Malloy ’80.  At Friends, Liz was active in student government and was Senior Class President. She received the Bush Award and was a National Merit Scholar.  After majoring in Geology at Harvard University, Liz graduated in 1976 and left for California, becoming the first female oilfield engineer for the Schlumberger Company.  In 1980, Liz completed her M.S. degree in Engineering Geology from Stanford University. Also in 1980, she married fellow geologist Rick Humphreys, with whom she raised two daughters, now grown.  Liz led a variety of water quality programs for California’s state government, culminating in the Deputy Director position charged with transferring the Safe Drinking Water Program in order to address the need for safe and affordable drinking water for disadvantaged communities. Now retired, Liz and her husband live in Windsor, California and enjoy hiking and camping with their dog in the beautiful countryside and beaches of Sonoma County.

Ellie Anderson '14 spent yesterday with a national celebrity - Punxsutawney Phil - who predicted six more weeks of winter on Groundhog Day 2022.

“My time as a WFS student built a foundation of curiosity, empathy, and determination that I will always carry with me, but the most important lesson I learned as a WFS student comes from the George Fox quote in the front entrance of school: ‘Let your life speak.’

Eric Kelley ’10 graduated from Williams College in 2015 with his degree in English. While at Williams, Kelley captained the Varsity Men’s Lacrosse team and served as a member of the Black Student Union.