Tyrie Jenkins ’73 is a pioneer in eye care as she was the first person to perform LASIK in Hawaii.
How did you choose to start your business?
I am currently the proud owner of a successful ophthalmology practice in Hawaii. I moved here in 1989 after having trained at a prestigious ophthalmology residency in the east coast. I built my practice around making sure my adopted home - the most isolated landmass in the world - had access to the latest technology in eye care. This business model was not only successful but most rewarding. I was the first person to perform LASIK surgery in 1987 and more recently, was the first to perform laser assisted cataract surgery.
What are your current interests and passions?
While still working full time, I am taking a bit more time off. I am lucky to be passionate about taking care of my patients but am lucky to have other interests. I am enjoying being a grandmother. I spend free time hiking, traveling and golfing.
How has WFS impacted you since graduation?
Since I graduated from Wilmington Friends, I actually joined a Quaker meeting and call myself a Quaker. I continue to embrace Quaker values of integrity, equality, community, stewardship of the earth and peace. Friends School's commitment to educational excellence has made me value life long learning.
What are your favorite WFS memories?
As preteen, I have to admit, I loved school so much I used to walk to Friends at the end of the summer before the school opened. I would sneak into the front door (it was open ) and walked through the silent hall and smell the newly waxed floors! Other great experiences, were non academic - chorus with Violet Richman and band with Mr. Guest. I remember vividly, those beautiful fall days on the hockey field. My best friend is still Pam Hoopes who I met in kindergarten!
Tyrie Lee Jenkins ’73 started at Wilmington Friend School at age 4. She can still remember all the names of her teachers in grades K - 6 and her best friend is still her first friend she met in Kindergarten! Her mother was also a Wilmington Friends School graduate. Elizabeth Miller Jenkins ’51 still lives on the Augustine Cut-Off in the home where Ty would walk to school from. After graduating from Friends, she attended Mount Holyoke College and then Jefferson Medical College. After a medical internship in Wilmington, she completed her medical training in Ophthalmology at Will’s Eye Hospital in Philadelphia. After a stint in Memphis, Tennessee, she moved to Honolulu in 1989. She started her current practice and is one of the businest eye surgeons in Hawaii. Being the first person in Hawaii to perform LASIK as well as Laser Assisted Cataract Surgery, she is a pioneer in eyecare. She and husband have 4 children and 2 grandchildren. Hobbies include hiking, golfing and traveling. The second-act? As her current practice winds down, she is hoping to participate in some medical missions and spend more time with the grandkids.
Lower School Spanish teacher Lara Munch spent her sabbatical exploring the intersection of culture, history, and language—both within the United States and abroad.
Middle School Spanish teacher Laura Jersild Pardo ’90 explored nature and the brain in a de-natured culture, asking how embodied, real-world experiences shape mental health, creativity, and problem-solving.
On the evening of Friday, October 3, more than 200 guests gathered in the Library Learning Commons for a night of community, music, and recognition. Guests enjoyed dinner and a lively performance from the Upper School Jazz Band. The program then turned to celebrating this year’s alumni honorees, who all let their lives speak in their own ways.
Today, seniors met their first-grade buddies for the first time in the 2025–26 school year! First graders shared stories from their first month of school with their buddies, then collaborated on creative art projects together.
Thank you to all in our community for a wonderful Homecoming 2025! It was great to have so many current families, alumni, and friends on campus for the festivities. Please visit our SmugMug site for even more photos (password can be found in the Friends on Friday message).
On National Coaches Day, check out this amazing trio of alumnae coaches (Nat Bush ’22, Dani Nathan ’19, and Mariah Aldridge ’21) on the WFS volleyball sidelines! Special thanks to all of our coaches at each level who make a difference in the lives of our student-athletes every day. Go Blue!
Fourth graders became geologists this week! Given samples of unknown minerals, they put their observation and problem-solving skills to work by examining properties such as texture, color, and shape—then testing hardness to identify each mineral sample.
For Spirit Week Sports Connections, upper and middle school athletes visited the lower school, introducing students to cross country, field hockey, football, soccer, and volleyball.
Last week, our middle schoolers took part in their annual Bonding Day, though our seventh graders might argue that “Building Day” is a more appropriate name.
At WFS, our early learning program lays the foundation for student-initiated exploration, creative thinking, collaboration, and a learning community rooted in mutual respect and responsibility.
With over 45 clubs and committees, WFS upper school students have endless opportunities to get involved, build leadership skills, and pursue their passions beyond the classroom.
Statement of Nondiscrimination as to Student Enrollment
Wilmington Friends School admits students of any race, color, gender, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students of these schools. Wilmington Friends School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, national and ethnic origin in administration of their educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school administered programs.