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Rizz,i and Woods cherishing thei,r last days at Friends
Beloved Teachers Say Goodbye Kenji Ehdo '14 and Emily Beckwith '13
News Writers After a short three years at Wilmington Friends , both Brandon Woods and Erie Rizzi will be leaving at the close of this school year. Rizzi and Woods both arrived at Wilmington Friends in 2009. For the past three years, Rizzi has taught computer science to students of every high school grade as well as freshman and sophomore mathematics. Rizzi also served as the faculty advisor to the Mock Trial team and has been the assistant coach for the Quaker baseball team. Similarly, Woods arrived in 2009 and has since taught ninth, tenth, and eleventh grade English. He has served as the faculty advisor for our school 's Gay-Straight alliance and Diversity committees, as well as the director for the
QUEST Center. Rizzi is going to graduate school to pursue a Ph.D. in computer science. He says, "I'm not quite sure where I'm going yet. Like the seniors, my applications are still being looked over." Rizzi is particularly interested in privacy and security issues, including recent hacking scandals and privacy problems with major social networking sites , an issue very relevant in our cuITent age of technology. When asked why he is leaving Friends , Woods replies , ``Sadly, I had to make a decision that would be best for my family. At this point, I am seeking teaching positions in a few cities. I made the decision in consultation with
my filly.„ Perhapsmorenotablethantheiracademiccontributions are their strong relationships with students and faculty. Woods and Rizzi both say they will miss Wilmington Friends. Rizzi states, ``I'm going to miss Friends a lot. I respect the faculty and the mission of the school tremendously, so it will be difficult to leave that behind. I've made a lot of good friendships here, so it will be hard not being able to see people every day. I'm also going to miss the students. I can't imagine working with a more caringandunderstandinggroupofkids."Similarly,Woods shares, "I could not have asked for a better introduction to teaching high school. From the bright, sincere students to my unbelievably generous and talented colleagues , I have leamed a great deal from my time here. While there are many things I will miss about Friends , the daily interactions with students tops my list. I will miss the impromptu discussions in the hallway or the library". I
The two teachers both have wonderful memories of the school. Rizzi's includes his boisterous math classes in his first two years, and he remembers fondly being shushed by former head of school, Rob Lake. Woods says his favorite memory of Friends is from his ninth
grade advisory. "From week to week, I never knew what was going to happen, and anything could have happened! My advisees have taught me more than I could have ever imagined about what it means to be a mentor and a teacher. I will forever be in their debt." Before parting, Rizzi leaves one final nugget of knowledge for his students: "I would like students to realize as they move on to points in their lives beyond this school how special this place was. Not everyone is provided the opportunities that this school provides in terms of both academic, and social justice. It is your duty to go out and spread and foster what you have leaned here . Also, pause for a brief moment of quiet celebration every [Pi Day] , March 14th." Other beloved Friends teachers are also leaving us at the close of this school year. After 11 years, Loraine Snead has taught Physics and Chemistry, but will be leaving us to pursue her doctorate in curriculum instruction from the University of Pennsylvania. Lorraine Snead has been a valued member of the tight-knit Friends faculty, all of whom will be sad to see her go. Meily Riehle has taught Spanish to students at Levels 3 and 4 and 18. She will also be leaving us , moving to Phoenix , Arizona , where her husband has accepted ajob. She says it was a very difficult decision to come to; "I feel extremely sad to leave. The Wilmington Friends School community has truly become family to me and my kids , and just as it is difficult to leave a home, it will be difficult to leave this `home' at the end of the year." We will miss each one of these teachers very much. The lessons they have passed on to us are priceless and irreplaceable. Though Woods claims that he is no "fount of wisdom," he would like to part with a quote from Richard Holbrooke that particularly touches him: "Know something about something. Don't just present your wonderful self to the world. Constantly amass knowledge and offer it around." Thank you to Mr. Woods, Mr. Rizzi, Mrs. Reihle, and Mrs. Snead for offering your knowledge with us over the
past years. There will be an empty void, come next fall, without each of your presences in our hallways. We will miss each one of you dearly.
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