the WRAP: Vol. 9

January 31, 2020

Welcome to WRA's bi-monthly Admission Newsletter Volume 9. If you've missed previous issues click here to catch up!

Boarding schools have a reputation for being in the middle of nowhere — luckily that’s not the case for us! In Episode 5, HUDSON, learn more about our hometown of historic Hudson, Ohio.

• Hails from Germany
• Post Graduate at Reserve
• Boarding student (2/3 of our Pioneers are boarding students)
• Philipp is eagerly waiting to hear from top colleges and universities in the U.S.

As a European student-athlete, Philipp dreamed of playing football in the United States. He found WRA through Gridiron Sports and in the summer of 2019, met WRA Head Football Coach and Latin faculty member Mr. Moynahan. Not long after, he applied to be a postgraduate (PG). As a PG on the football team, Philipp led a stifling defense and helped to seal wins over fierce rivals like Wyoming Seminary and Linsly. The football season ended with a favorable record of 6-3.

Reserve gave Philipp the opportunity to practice and play football at least five times a week, starting during preseason. “Preseason practices and games were tough, but they allowed me to bond with my teammates right away! It was such a great start to my year.”

Philipp’s favorite class has been Mr. Gerber’s Learn to Make. “I’m an aspiring engineer so learning CAD and 3D printing with Mr. Gerber is very relevant to me. Being able to take classes like this while learning and working in a building like The Wang Innovation Center was an important part of my decision to come to Reserve.”

Philipp says it’s a tie for his favorite teacher. “Since Madame Borrmann has major ties to Germany, I will say she is my favorite. She treats me like family and takes really good care of me. But I also love Mr. Mudd because I look forward to his creative 3D Art class after a long or stressful day.”

As a PG, college is top of mind for Philipp. “The most important factor in my college search is to find a place where I feel at home, like I already do at Reserve. Furthermore, I want to be challenged academically and keep playing football. College applications in the U.S. are all new to me as an international student, so my College Counselor Ms. Parliman has spent a lot of time helping me understand the process. And my coaches have done a great job helping me with the athletic recruitment process, too.”

Seymour Hall is the academic hub of campus. In 2018, thanks to the generosity of the WRA community and after a full century of welcoming students through its doors, Seymour Hall was exquisitely restored and renovated to bring it into the 21st century.

Each school day, students and faculty walk through the esteemed halls, take a seat inside 29 innovative classrooms and make new memories inside an adored building that sits at the heart of Brick Row.

Seymour Hall has three floors, united by a beloved center staircase, which was untouched during renovation and retains features like grooved steps from more than a century of student traffic! Mathematics is on Seymour's first floor, Modern & Classical Languages on the second, and English and History on the Third Floor (the sciences are in Wilson Hall, next to Seymour).

Energy efficiency underlies Seymour Hall, quite literally, with geothermal wells heating and cooling the building. And with over 4,600 window panes, natural light and energy abound every corner of this sensational building.

Associate Head of School Dr. Nicholas Kent -- whose office is on the second floor of Seymour Hall — starts his days holding open the doors for students as they arrive to school before first period.

“Come rain or shine, most mornings I try to be out there! Greeting everyone as they enter Seymour is not just an exciting way to start the day, but it also allows me to take the temperature of the community by talking to students, teachers and counselors. It's an easy thing for me to do to stay in touch with so many people. I love being there.”

FunFactSeymour2

In recent years, since the development of our Community Outreach and Global Engagement program, service opportunities have grown exponentially at Reserve.

Director of Community Outreach and Global Engagement Wanda Boesch says, the more service opportunities we offer WRA students, the more they want to do. “We not only have the designated school service days for every grade, but because we have so many students who want to get involved, we have ongoing opportunities throughout the year. We respond to the needs we see in communities, but many students make suggestions of their own, too.”

Earlier this year freshman Ela M. ’23 and Elba H. ’23 pitched the idea of regularly collecting women’s clothes and essentials to donate to WomensSafe, an emergency shelter that provides support services for survivors of domestic violence throughout Northeastern Ohio.

Ms. Boesch says the department offers student leadership opportunities, too. “Our Service Leaders run most of our annual programming. So in addition to supporting dozens of local not-for-profit organizations through community service, Service Leaders also run several major school fundraisers. They run Penny Wars for The Akron Canton Food Bank, World Book Day for The Cleveland Book Bank, and the annual May Color Run that benefits the Pine Ridge Reservation, where select students travel for a service trip each summer.”