Alumni Awards

Dr. Carol Quillen is the current and first woman president of Davidson College. Under her leadership, Davidson grew more diverse socioeconomically and racially. Applications reached record numbers, and Carol led a $555 million capital campaign that helped push the college’s endowment above $1 billion. Davidson reached top-tier status in undergraduate research and tied for second in the nation for the NCAA’s graduation success rate of athletes. The president of The Aspen Institute describes her as “a transformational leader with a brilliant mind, a devotion to students, and the courage of her convictions.  Davidson College has become an even more remarkable institution because of her vision, will and skill.”  Before becoming the President of Davidson College, Carol taught History and was Vice President and Vice Provost, as well as the director of the Boniuk Center for the Study and Advancement of Religious Tolerance, at Rice University.  Carol continues to appreciate the Quaker values that served as the foundation for a WFS education and says it helped her realize, “learning is liberating.”  Carol and her family have been strong advocates for WFS.  Her father, Judge Bill Quillen ’52 served as a dedicated class agent, her mother Marcia Stirling Quillen ’56 was the former Director of Development of WFS, and her sister, First Lady of Delaware Tracey Quillen Carney ’80, is the former Director of Communications and parent of two alumni.  Carol’s strong family ties to WFS and her dedication to “seeing that there is that of God in everyone,” keep her connected to the School.  We are thrilled to honor her with the Distinguished Alumna of the Year award.

Tom Scott has worked tirelessly to strengthen the Wilmington community. From a young age, Tom’s parents, Robert and Margaret (Muff) Scott, taught him the importance of giving back, and he has continued to carry on their legacy by supporting numerous non-profit organizations in the area, including Christ Church, Wilmington Garden Day, Friendship House, St. Michael’s School, Limen House, Lutheran Community Services, Urban Promise, and DE Humane Association, to name a few.  He has also been an avid supporter of WFS, and has served as a class agent and member of the Alumni Board for many years, and is also a former Trustee.  He and his wife Betsy Lord Scott ’70 are also parents of alumni Clay Scott ’15 and Lex Scott ’16.  In addition to Tom’s volunteer work, he is the founder and owner of Incite Solutions, a software development and information management company helping organizations find technology based solutions.  Incite Solutions, along with its partner company 82 North, has helped numerous non-profit organizations host successful events and reach their fundraising goals.  WFS is honored to recognize Tom with this year’s Outstanding Service Award.  His involvement with both WFS and the broader Wilmington community, all while being humble while still impactful, is impressive and appreciated.

Dr. Eden Wales Freedman is an accomplished scholar and author.  She recently became the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the Faculty at Clarke University in Dubuque, Iowa.  Before joining Clarke, she served as Vice Provost for Faculties and Academic Affairs at St. Mary’s University of Minnesota and as an associate professor of English, director of diversity studies, and department chair of communication, literature, and arts, as well as the Dr. Thomas R. Feld Chair for Teaching Excellence and deputy Title IX coordinator at Mount Mercy University in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.  Eden published her first book in February 2020, Reading Testimony Witnessing Trauma: Confronting Race, Gender, and Violence in American Literature, which explores how readers can engage literary representations of race, gender, and trauma both critically and empathically.  Eden’s work focuses on empathy, perspectives, and social justice.  She credits WFS with instilling in her some of the values she has today, as well as her desire to work in education.  She says, “Friends’ mission, to challenge students to seek truth, to value justice and peace, and to act as creative, independent thinkers with a conscious responsibility to the good of all, continues to inform me.”  Her achievements illustrate she is truly “letting her life speak.”  We are so proud to call her a WFS alumna and honor her as the Young Alumna of the Year.