ALUMNI PERSPECTIVE By Rachel Browning The Champions in One’s Life
It was during overtime of the 1982 boys’ lacrosse championship game that
Michael Woodfolk ’84 put all of the pieces together. Scoring the
winning goal, the sophomore learned that success was attainable if he committed to it. A three-sport athlete, Michael knew success on the football gridiron, basketball court, and lacrosse field, but he also recognized that his performance in the classroom was the key component of success in life.
Te champions in Michael Woodfolk’s life today are not the teammates who shared in that victory. Instead, Michael lists Judith, his wife of twenty-one years, his brothers, and specifically his mother, who instilled in him a few unrelenting governing principles. “Te non-negotiable value was that we are always respectful, people are generally good and care about each other,” recalls Michael. Tese are the sentiments that Michael and his wife, Judith, an Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Virginia, strive to pass on to their children.
Te second champion in Michael’s book is his alma mater. “Te structure of one’s life is closely tied to a firm foundation,
and St. Anne’s-Belfield School is one of my structural pillars,” he explains.
Michael entered St. Anne’s-Belfield School in the 5th
grade facing high expectations and
quickly found a network of support. “It was a combination of interested administrators, teachers, and students who were welcoming from the start. Doug Tarring is one of those iconic figures who made great sacrifices for me and cared about me as a complete human being,” reflects Michael. Longtime Middle School teacher Betsy Albro and former Headmaster Dr. George Conway also top his list of dedicated mentors, as does the late Peter V.R. Weeks, former Senior Master. “I essentially had two families. Te Weeks family had such confidence in me as an adolescent; both children, Hugh and Margaret, were surrogate siblings. Hugh was the older brother I never had and Margaret willed me to do great things, while Peter’s wife, Ruth, was the steadfast anchor.” Tese essential players introduced Michael to an attainable future. “I learned about the motivation to succeed. Specifically, the will to win in athletics parallels the drive for success in life.”
In 1990, Michael found himself back in the St. Anne’s-Belfield School classroom, having accepted a position teaching 7th grade history. Michael also returned to his athletic haunts, coaching three varsity teams. Over the years, he transitioned into the realms of admissions, alumni affairs, and development. “Each time I felt the need for a new challenge, George Conway
and the school’s leadership outlined new formidable challenges that allowed me to grow. I was very fortunate.”
In 2000, Michael accepted the role of Director of Alumni Relations at the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business. When asked what being an alumnus of St. Anne's- Belfield School means to him, Michael responded, “It’s about being a life-long piece of the fabric of this fine institution. It’s wanting the school to continue to prosper and evolve and be even better than it was when my classmates and I graduated.”
Confident the school is following this track, Michael and Judith enrolled their children, Christopher ‘16, Giana ‘21, and Noah ‘25. “Being a parent within the school gives you a different perspective. Judith and I began to think about how this school experience would impact our children and how our children might then impact the world. I am proud that St. Anne’s-Belfield School has a distinct drive to become an excellent institution, and I see my involvement – as an alumnus and a parent – as an investment in a stalwart brand.”
"The structure of one’s life is closely tied
to a firm foundation, and St. Anne’s-Belfield School is one of my structural pillars." – Michael Woodfolk
ST. ANNE’S-BELFIELD SCHOOL – 33
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