Phoenix Mellow '08 served as the 2022 Commencement Speaker.
Since her graduation from Friends, Phoenix has been…busy! She attended The Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City for fashion design and The Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising for fashion design and film and TV costume design in Los Angeles and has since dove head-first into the entertainment industry.
Her costume design and assistant design work have appeared in film, television, commercials, web-series, and music videos, including Sylvie’s Love, A.P. Bio, Detroiters, Black Panther, Mad Men, Mindhunter, The OA, and Katy Perry’s “Hey Hey Hey” and "Small Talk" music videos, among many others.
Phoenix has a passion for design detail, modern and historical fashion, and bringing characters to life through investigative research. She found her calling in the film industry, which amalgamated her interest in the history behind clothing and the psychological connections between people and garments.
"I am what you call a WFS "lifer,'" Phoenix said in her commencement speech, "Which means I attended WFS from preschool through senior year. So Friends is a part of me, in my foundational bones and core beliefs. I’ve carried around those core values…the “SPICES”...and I like to sprinkle them on everything…a little simplicity here…peace there, a pinch of integrity, stir up community and equality, and clean up with some stewardship. Graduates, I assure you, WFS gave you a fantastic set of spices that are going to continue to season your dish called life!
...Friends school teaches us to be open to life's challenges and to be adaptable. It was during this time that those tools were the most beneficial to me outside of a school setting. I used to believe that College was the only route to becoming successful. I thought the most important thing was getting into the best school, getting good grades, and being accepted by my peers. But what I’ve learned is your degree isn't the only thing that defines you, your character is. Hard work, perseverance, determination, and confidence hold just as much weight on your future as your education.
...Never underestimate the power of networking (especially face-to-face). Social capital is more important than we think. Many new jobs come from previous jobs or acquaintances—recommendations and who you know can give you a foot in the door. Tell people what your goals are, put yourself out there. You never know who you are talking to—it can put you in the position of being presented with amazing opportunities." Thank you, Phoenix, for sharing your insight and perspective with the Class of 2022!
Students, faculty, and staff gathered for an all-school Meeting for Worship on Mellor Field and sat in a 275-configuration to commemorate the School's anniversary! Click here to download the photo.
The WFS boys' lacrosse team was invited to run a clinic with students at Ferris School. The Delaware Lacrosse Foundation and several members of the WFS community helped found the lacrosse team at Ferris seven years ago, and players have found the exchange very rewarding as they share their love of the game.
Seventh grade Chinese students visited Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library to learn more about its Chinese wallpaper and book collection, helping the students gain valuable insight into Chinese history and culture.
Sixth graders recently spent time off campus for a morning of service activities in the local community. These trips included volunteering at the Food Bank of Delaware, Faithful Friends Animal Rescue, Rockland Place, Guardian Angels Daycare, and Alapocas State Park.
During Earth Day at WFS, preschoolers worked on beautifying their playground and fourth graders picked up trash around the athletic facilities. We thank these students for their stewardship!
The lower school recently received soil from WasteWell, a local company that collects the lower school's compost. Students used the soil to re-pot classroom plants and will also contribute soil to the school garden!
Before the Class of 2024 heads off on their senior explorations next week, they attend a series of seminars ("Senior Seminars") aimed at giving them tools for adulthood.
The WFS Model UN Club, accompanied by faculty advisor Nick Childers, recently sent a delegation of five students to the inaugural Tower Hill Model UN Conference.
Upper school environmental science students built model carbon capture algae farms as part of their study of climate change mitigation. They developed ways to measure algae growth using microscopes and a spectrophotometer.
Congratulations to our community members who performed at last night's Informal Concert! This concert is designed to showcase the talent of our students, parents, and faculty in an informal, yet serious, chamber concert or recital format.
Wilmington Friends School hosted its second 275th Anniversary Webinar series on Monday, April 8, titled “Leadership, Teamwork, and Quaker Values from the World of Sports."
Congratulations to eighth graders Maya Dobson, Lindsey Forman, Cooper Miller, Victor Montejo, Levi Sawdon, and Sofia Velastegui-Fratticci who contributed to IMAZINE 2023, the annual Delaware Libraries teen literary and artistic magazine! Click here to check it out.
Congratulations to the cast and crew of the upper school play, Radium Girls! This fast-paced ensemble piece featured 14 student actors playing multiple roles to create more than 30 characters. Bravo!
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.