Nurturing. Accepting. Successful. Proud. For sixteen years, these words shaped and defined the learning environment that Genie Auchincloss created for her middle school students. Now a full-time mother, they remain her touchstones for learning and life, as relevant today as they were when she first experienced them more than two decades ago as a student at Woodlynde. A visual learner, Genie credits caring and compassionate teachers for taking the time to understand how she learned, and providing the specialized support that she needed to succeed. Encouraged to reach beyond her limitations, she surprised herself (but not her teachers) when participation in school plays, sports and other activities revealed strong leadership skills and a tenacious spirit - qualities that have served her well as a teacher and a mother. Genie earned both her B.A. (in 1989) and her M.A. in (1995) from Washington College where she majored in English.

David Barrist is currently Senior Vice President of Barrist Insurance Group, a family-owned and staffed full-service insurance brokerage firm in Bala Cynwyd, PA. David is a Past-President and Board Member of the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors-Greater Philadelphia Chapter. He serves as the organization's Membership Chairperson. David graduated from Temple University in 1992 with a degree in Psychology. When David arrived at Woodlynde, he discovered an intimate learning environment that provided him with unique opportunities for social, academic, and athletic growth. His experiences on both the soccer and lacrosse teams demonstrated the value of a positive attitude. He learned that no matter how small their team was or how established the opponent team, you did your best and found a positive in every situation. David also gained self-assurance by performing in many of the school plays. Thanks to the encouragement and persistence of the caring faculty, he gained the confidence that is reflected in his leadership roles today.

As the head pre-kindergarten teacher at Love and Learn Christian School in Oxford, PA, Helen Tisdale Christensen's goal is to leave an early learning imprint that will stay with her students long after they have left her classroom, and help them find success in school and in life. Along with giving her students a strong foundation in basic skills, she gives them a head start in building confidence, helping them learn to believe in themselves just as she learned to believe in herself when she came to Woodlynde. Struggling with processing issues, Helen had developed a quite manner that allowed her to fly under the radar and avoid being called on in class. In a traditional school, this would have allowed her to get pushed along from grade to grade, but at Woodlynde it was a red flag alerting teachers to a student at risk. Once her learning difference was identified, her teachers encouraged her to speak up. At Woodlynde she found her voice and her calling - each still ringing true twenty years later. Helen earned her B.A. in History at Cabrini College in 1994 and her M.Ed. in Elementary Education there in 2005.

As head of BlocSec sales for the Hong Kong region for CLSA, an award-winning brokerage, investment banking and private equity group in the Asia-Pacific Markets, Joel Hurewitz provides investors with the products and tools they need to make smart trading decisions. Whether dealing with a client one-on-one, or taking questions from an audience of hundreds of international investors looking for innovative approaches, Joel credits his success to his ability to think on his feet, and quickly transform information into insights. He thanks Woodlynde for allowing him to discover these strengths. At Woodlynde, Joel found teachers who understood that a chronic struggle with the organizational demands of traditional learning environment was masking his impressive innovative and cognitive skills. Given an opportunity to take a creative approach to his class work, he was able to make the most of his ability to organize information and convey concepts verbally. Encouraged by his teachers, he overcame stage fright and became adept at public speaking and a star performer in school plays - experiences he recalls each time he takes the stage at one of the dozens of global investment conferences that he leads each year. Joel graduated from Temple University with his B.A. in Asian Studies and Korean Language. He attended graduate school at Seoul National University.

For Scott Cohn, success means living your passion, and by this measure he has achieved success. A well known illustrator whose work runs the gamut from consumer advertisements such as Sony and GM, to advertising storyboards, and drawing a variety of comics ranging from TMNT , Ben10, to Army of Darkness. Scott’s passion is art. Having discovered this at an early age, he always defined life in terms of his art. At Woodlynde, he learned to define art in terms of an expanded perspective of his life. In Woodlynde’s small classes, Scott was encouraged to open himself to ideas and interests beyond art, and to develop his vision from a broader context. Empowered to pursue his passion with his senior project, Scott spent three months working with a professional comic book illustrator who became his mentor, great friend, and occasional colleague, and who gave him his start in a competitive field. Citing this opportunity as key factor in his professional success, Scott urges today’s students to embrace the deep and lasting life lessons of the Woodlynde experience - discover your passion, hold on to what it is you believe in, stay focused, work hard, celebrate your success, and have fun. Scott is a 1996 graduate of the School of Visual Arts, where he majored in Cartooning/Illustration.

The primary prerequisite for a successful career in sales is the ability to be comfortable in your own skin, whether you are talking to one person or a hundred. As a petroleum equipment sales representative, Chris Hagman is reminded of this everyday - and everyday, he remembers where he first learned to be himself. At Woodlynde, respect for individual learning styles created an overall philosophy of acceptance and support. For Chris, Woodlynde was a safe harbor for self-expression and personal discovery. Taking advantage of the many activities that allowed him to interact with a lot of different people - class trips, Senior Project and sports - Chris discovered his affinity for interaction, and the persuasive skills that have served him so well both professionally and personally. He attended Susquehanna University where he graduated in 1999 with a major in Corporate Communications.

As part of the culinary management team at Caesar’s Palace in Atlantic City, Sam Kaufmann oversees more than 40 employees and a daily purchasing budget of $140,000. Juggling a half dozen priorities at any given moment - and making decisions at a breakneck pace - Sam thrives on the excitement, the challenge and even the stress, while doing the job he has always wanted to do. It was at Woodlynde that Sam first realized that he could make a living doing what he loved. Encountering teachers who took the time to nurture him, explain how he learned best, and help him achieve success, Sam found both confidence in his skills and validation for the artistic sensibility that has made him an inventive and innovative chef. He graduated with an A.S. from Community College of Philadelphia in 2001 having majored in Culinary Arts.

When Stacey Cannavo creates a jewelry display for Nordstrom’s, she knows that each piece shows better when there are only a few items in a showcase. The customer can better focus on the unique beauty and style of each stone and design, and get a better idea of where it fits in everyday life - a theory that she learned as a student at Woodlynde. As someone who learns best in a smaller environment, Stacey sparkled in Woodlynde’s intimate classroom environment, where she could receive more one-on-one attention from teachers. Given tools and strategies to correct her chronic issues with time management, she began to shine in class, confidently expressing her thoughts and opinions and even voicing her dream of a career in fashion arts. With the encouragement of her teachers and peers, she gained the self-confidence to pursue her goal. Stacey attended Moore College of Art & Design and graduated in 2002 with a major in Fashion Design and a minor in Textile Design. <

Amelia Edwards currently lives in Buenos Aires, volunteering for a non-profit organization called Help Argentina, where she is teaching English as a Second Language to physically handicapped patients at a local rehabilitation center. Amelia graduated from Elon University in 2008 with a degree in English and a minor in Spanish. She plans to continue her education in the fall of 2009 at the Graduate Institute at the School for International Training to earn a M.A. in Teaching English to Students of Other Languages. Describing herself as someone who learns better through action, her senior project at Woodlynde was a trip to Honduras. Working in the community on Martin Luther King Day of Service trips and volunteering at a Charter School in Philadelphia with her classmates, helped Amelia discover that her action style truly blended with Woodynde's commitment to service. Her passion for giving to the community has its roots in her service experiences at Woodlynde and she has gone on to weave together the threads of helping others and teaching.

When Brian Conner presented his research on learning studies at a 2008 Virginia Psychological Association meeting, the audience was as impressed by the confident style displayed by the 21 year-old Virginia Wesleyan College student as they were by his detailed analysis, thoughtful insights and ambitious effort. Had they known the true depth of effort that this day represented, they would have been even more impressed with the young man standing in front of them - and with the educational experience that stands behind him. Following years of struggling in traditional learning environments, Brian came to Woodlynde with a strong desire to be a successful learner, but little idea of how to make that happen. Given an opportunity to learn at his own pace, Brian’s focus became sharper, revealing a wide range of skills and strengths that he had never tapped - including leadership, problem solving, and a true love of learning that continues to inform his achievements and goals. Brian will receive his degree in Psychology in May, 2009, and looking ahead to his post-graduate plans, Brian envisions a purpose-driven life as a counselor, empowered - and inspired - by his Woodlynde experience.