Nathaniel Ruhl ’18 is an Engineer at the Naval Nuclear Laboratory (FMP).
“I learned to enjoy school, challenge myself, and develop in an environment where all of my teachers cared about my success and supported me.”
A recent graduate of Haverford College with his degree in Physics, Nathaniel Ruhl ’18 certainly spent the last four years challenging himself both inside and outside of the classroom. After his Sophomore year of college, Nathaniel began to explore and started to conduct astrophysics research at Haverford. While working on this research, he invented a novel navigational method for satellites that are equipped with an X-ray telescope and are in orbit around any planet with a significant atmosphere! Earlier this year, Nathaniel was able to present his research at an American Astronautical Society conference and published a paper in the conference’s proceedings.
When he was not busy inventing a novel navigational method for satellites, you could find Nathaniel on the lacrosse field where he was named an Ambler Scholar Athlete for having one of the 15 highest GPAs amongst Haverford student-athletes. A French minor, he also participated in the Summer study abroad program in Avignon, France.
As a member of Haverford's 4+1 accelerated Master’s program with the University of Pennsylvania, Nathaniel is currently pursuing his Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Penn. His hope is to apply the fundamental physics concepts to real-life mechanical systems. Prior to his time at Haverford and Penn, Nathaniel attended WFS where he was a four-year captain of the swim team and was twice named All-State for his work on the lacrosse field. Additionally, he was a member of Jazz Band, Link Crew, and worked as a Summer Camp counselor for five years.
His advice to current WFS students? “Start networking with (WFS and College) alumni, both to learn from others’ experiences and to become comfortable in talking about their skills, interests, and passions. I would also recommend that they explore interesting academic topics in their free time, which will help them to identify what they want to study in college and better define their career path.”
We extend our heartfelt thanks to the following retirees, whose dedication, leadership, and care have made a lasting impact on the Wilmington Friends School community!
The International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma is often considered the highest standard for college preparatory education. This year, 29 members from the Class of 2025 were IB diploma candidates.
Max Leffler ’22 recently hosted his 5th Annual Disc Golf Tournament, raising $5,200 in support of The Andrew McDonough B+ Foundation and its mission to fight childhood cancer.
At the start of summer break, 15 Wilmington Friends Upper School students traveled to El Paso, Texas, as part of a QUEST Term Service/Leadership Trip. This immersive experience combines global education, leadership development, and community engagement.
The mastery program in middle school is a semester or year-long, student-initiated and student-produced project designed to develop that student's talents, interests, and skills. The emphasis is on achievement and completing a finished product that is either presented or displayed publicly in a polished, masterful way. Mastery projects may include academic research papers, visual and performing arts projects or performances, special teaching units, and physical projects.
Thank you for joining us for the Alumni & Friends baseball, lacrosse, and soccer games this past Saturday! It was a fun day of friendly competition, school spirit, and reconnecting with the WFS community—whether you were back on the field or cheering from the sidelines.
We hope you'll stop by campus to catch a game or say hello next year!
So much laughter and fun (for the grown ups, too!) at this week's lower school field days. Bring on summer! For more photos, visit our Smugmug page (password can be found in the Friends on Friday message). Photos courtesy of WFS Yearbook
For Mental Health Awareness Month, middle and upper school students answered the question "How will you take care of your wellness this summer?" The Quaker Cares committee then created a vision board with the many responses!
Celebrations for the Class of 2025 have begun, and last night was Senior Exploration Night, where members of the Class of 2025 presented the projects they’ve been working on for the last month.
Our final Lower School Culture Quest was a celebration of Juneteenth! Students explored the significance of Juneteenth through hands-on activities, music, food, and arts and crafts. It was a fun and meaningful way to learn about and honor this important day!
We wrapped up our spring concert series today with a preschool "informance," where our youngest students showcased their singing, dancing, and instrument playing!
One of our most beloved spring traditions...the middle school 5K! Costumed students (everything from the cast of Scooby Doo to famous athletes) walked and ran the Alapocas neighborhood all to benefit a good cause.
L-T Alleyne '26 sparked a chain of kindness in our upper school with a simple idea: write a thoughtful note to someone you don’t usually talk to—and pass it on. Thanks to everyone who took part, this sweet gesture made its way through our community, one kind message at a time.
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.