The Woodberry Podcast

In this special episode of The Woodberry Podcast, Headmaster Byron Hulsey welcomes Dylan Walmsley ’19 and his mother, Kathy Walmsley, for a heartfelt conversation about the impact of a Woodberry education on both students and their families.Kathy shares an honest and thoughtful perspective on what it was like to send both of her sons to boarding school, the hopes and hesitations that came with that decision, and how the Woodberry experience shaped their family’s journey. Dylan, now pursuing a PhD in neuroscience at UC San Diego after graduating from Washington & Lee, reflects on how his time at Woodberry influenced his worldview, character, and pursuit of purpose.Together, they explore the lasting value of a Woodberry education, the growth it fosters, and the ways it prepares young men to lead lives of integrity, curiosity, and impact.

In this episode of The Woodberry Podcast, Headmaster Byron Hulsey sits down with Dr. Jeffrey R. Quebec, an experienced educator and founder of the Pre-Prep Showcase. With decades of leadership in independent school education, Dr. Quebec offers unique insight into the evolving landscape of boarding schools.Byron and Jeff dive into the current trends shaping the boarding school world, from shifting demographics to the rising demand for character-based education. They explore why families continue to choose boarding school experiences and how schools can better connect with mission-fit families. Dr. Quebec also shares more about his new podcast, Why Boarding School.

Paul Cumbo is an educator, author, and entrepreneur with more than two decades of experience teaching English at Jesuit high schools for boys. He was a rowing coach for much of that time, and he has also served as a swimming coach, retreat director, and service-learning coordinator. He currently teaches part-time at Canisius High School in downtown Buffalo, NY. Paul is the author of five books, including two novels. His most recent work, A Path to Manhood: Encouragement and Advice for Young Men, was published in February 2025.https://www.paulcumbo.com/

Tom Batty is the executive director of the International Boys School Coalition. Tom has spent thirty-two years working in boys schools as both a math teacher (at schools such as Eton College in the UK and Waverley College in Australia) and principal of Scotch College in Melbourne. Tom joined the board of IBSC in 2012, and served as chair from 2018-2021, before being named executive director in 2022.

Tom Darden '73 is the founder and chief executive officer of Cherokee, a Raleigh-based company that builds environmental technology businesses and remediates environmentally contaminated real estate. Tom began his career with Bain & Company in Boston, working with Bain from 1981 to 1984. Beginning in 1984, he served for 16 years as the chairman of Cherokee Sanford Group, the largest private brick manufacturing company in the United States and previously the Southeast’s largest soil remediation company. Tom earned a BA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he was a Morehead Scholar, a Master in Regional Planning from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and a JD from Yale Law School.

Ted Blain came to Woodberry Forest in 1982, where five years later he became chairman of the English Department, a position that he held for more than 30 years. During his tenure at Woodberry, he held the Rufus W. Higginbotham Mastership, 1984-87; the James C. Ambler Chair of English, 1987-2020; and won the George O'Connor Prize for Excellence in Teaching in 1990, 2002, and 2011. Ted is a graduate of Washington and Lee University and holds a graduate degree from the University of Virginia.

Frazier Stowers ’04 serves as the co-dean of students for the 3rd and 4th forms and director of Woodberry Forest Sports Camp. Frazier has a long-standing relationship with the Sports Camp, having attended as a boy in the late ’90s, later serving as a counselor and assistant director from 2005 to 2015, and then co-director in 2017 when the camp celebrated its fiftieth anniversary. Frazier’s appointment as director in 2024 marks an exciting moment and a journey coming full circle. Byron and Frazier sat down to reflect on how Sports Camp went this summer.