Our Wildwood, Volume 52

One of her most cherished moments was participating in a middle school program where faculty and staff shared their life stories with students. “I told them about growing up in a tiny Pennsylvania town, my love of costume design, my passion for baking,” Betsy recalls. “It was such a powerful experience. Wildwood has this way of making every person—students and adults alike—feel like they belong.” That feeling of belonging made her decision to stay through the tumultuous 2020-2021 school year an easy one. Though she had planned to retire earlier, she wanted to help navigate the challenges of the pandemic alongside her colleagues. “I knew I couldn’t leave just yet,” Betsy recalls. “I wanted to be there to support the school and the community through such a difficult time.”

After retiring in 2021, Betsy and her husband moved back to her home state of Pennsylvania to be near family, but her connection to Wildwood remains strong. She continues to support the school philanthropically, knowing firsthand the impact of its mission. “For me, it’s a no-brainer. Wildwood allows students to be their authentic selves, and that’s something the world desperately needs more of,” she says. “There’s an old adage attributed to Alexander Hamilton: ‘What is legacy? It’s planting seeds in a garden you never get to see.’ I want to make sure future generations of students have the same opportunities to grow and thrive.” Even from across the country, Wildwood still feels like home. She keeps in touch with former colleagues and hopes to return for a visit in the next year. Until then, she’s embracing her newest and most joyful role yet: caregiver to her 16-month-old grandson, Miller. “I never imagined how much I would love being a grandparent,” she says. “It’s like getting to love my daughter all over again.”

Looking back, Betsy feels immense gratitude for her time at Wildwood. “I was there for only four years, and yet when I retired, Landis threw me a party at his home,” she says. “I stood on his patio, surrounded by the custodial staff, board members, parents, and teachers—all these people who had become family to me. That’s the kind of place Wildwood is. Once you’re part of it, you’re always part of it.”

OWW WINTER 2025

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