Hunter Witmer ’10 currently serves as a General Surgery Resident at the University of Chicago Medicine.
“One of the greatest lessons I took from Friends was how to think critically, which has served me well throughout my educational journey and into the professional world. It’s truly a skill that is valuable regardless of what you do in life. Some of the most intelligent people I’ve met along the way are those that can clearly understand the key elements of a problem and move forward accordingly without losing sight of the big picture… To the Class of 2022, be honest with yourself about what is important to you. This does not mean knowing what you want to ‘be’ or ‘do’ in the future, but instead knowing what your values are which usually takes some hard thinking and introspection. I don’t think there’s been a major decision I’ve had to make where knowing what my priorities were hasn’t helped clarify the right choice.”
Hunter Witmer ’10 graduated from Haverford College with his degree in Molecular Biology in 2014. While at Haverford, he was a member of the varsity mens’ lacrosse program and was a three-year member of the Centennial Conference Academic Honor Roll. In addition to his exploits on the lacrosse field, Hunter studied abroad at University College Dublin in Ireland for one semester. Prior to his time at Haverford, Hunter was a proud member of the Wilmington Friends School community. While at Friends, he was a member of the varsity football and lacrosse teams, earned his IB diploma, participated in Jazz band, and volunteered with Special Olympics.
After his time at Haverford, Hunter earned his MD from Jefferson Medical College in 2018 and currently serves as a General Surgery Resident at the University of Chicago Medicine. While at Jefferson, he was the Dunglison Learning Society President, the Gibbon Surgical Society President, and the Founder of the Gibbon Surgical Review periodical. Hunter, who has always had a strong desire to help others, loves his work because, “Surgery gives you more in return. It gives you fresh challenges every day and the opportunity to work as a part of a multidisciplinary team with a shared mission. You get to be a confidant, an educator and a counselor without any ceiling for what you can become or achieve. You can never confidently say that you have fully reached your potential and can always find ways to improve your approach. Most importantly, however, it gives me a sense of purpose knowing that what I work so hard for does in fact make a difference.”
Congrats, Hunter!
Pictured: Hunter at work; Hunter at his wedding with groomsmen Reed Salmons ‘10, Eric Kelley ‘10, and Ernest Higginbotham ‘10; and Hunter during his time playing football at WFS.
To kick off his classes, especially Smart Machines, upper school computer science teacher Nicholas Ordway began with a cup-stacking challenge (with a twist).
This week kicked off with faculty meetings and professional development , along with a lovely event with our new parents and guardians. And student orientation day did not disappoint, with energy filling both campuses!
The WFS football team hosted the Special Olympics Delaware Flag Football Clinic on Saturday afternoon. WFS student-athletes and Special Olympians participated in a variety of drills together, working on their passing, receiving, and blocking skills!
Gavin Gray ’28 was one of three WFS students who participated in the UPenn Social Innovators Program this spring. This 12-week virtual program allows students to learn more about social entrepreneurship and earn a Certificate in Social Entrepreneurship from the University of Pennsylvania.
The WFS field hockey seniors ran a clinic for 5th through 8th grade students on Thursday afternoon. Participants worked on their dribbling, passing, and receiving skills throughout the morning.
New faculty and staff members began their orientation this week! Over the next couple of days, they’ll dive into the history of WFS, explore Quaker Faith and Practice, connect with their mentors, and enjoy activities like “Who’s Who?” and Friends Trivia.
“My kids had the benefit of learning from incredibly talented faculty, being part of a caring and loving community that truly values seeing people for who they are, and what they might not realize they can be.”
On the latest episode of the Quaker Matters Podcast, WFS Director of Athletics Brad Greenman breaks down his first year, the lessons that student-athletes learn through athletics, and his hopes for the 2026–27 school year.
The Class of 2027 participated in the College Counseling Office's annual Application 101, where students completed the Common Application and refined their essays. The workshop was led by Interim Director of College Counseling, Rose Gnade, who has served on the College Counseling team since 2017.
Who remembers when the Class of 1996 took over the parking lot to spell out their graduation year?!
This fall, the Class of 1996 will celebrate its 30th Reunion during Homecoming Weekend, October 23-24, 2026. We hope to welcome as many classmates back to campus to reconnect, reminisce, and celebrate together.
The International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma is often considered the highest standard for college preparatory education. This year, more than 30 members from the Class of 2026 were IB Diploma candidates.
“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.”
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.
When reflecting on the history of girls’ athletics at Wilmington Friends School, one name stands as a monumental pillar of leadership, transformation, and excellence: Natalie S. “Lee” Bush. Serving the school from 1966 to 1999 as the Director of Girls’ Physical Education, teacher, coach, and grade dean, Lee spent over three decades establishing a culture of empowerment that changed the trajectory for countless female student-athletes.
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!
“It is my hope that when families think about the role of music at Wilmington Friends, they think far past just the entertainment factor of the performance, but all of the influences that music has on their child’s complete education.”
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.