CAPE ELEUTHERA ISLAND SCHOOL

Final Advisor Report Spring 2017

Student: Caroline Woodard

Sending School: Academy for Art Science and Technology

The Island School semester is an incredible journey in many respects: students leave home and
immerse themselves in a completely new environment of challenging academics, rigorous athletic and
outdoor programs and intentional living in a small community. Caroline took it upon herself to make the
most of her journey from day one, and it has been a pleasure to be her advisor and witness her growth
both inside and outside of the classroom over the past one hundred days.
From the day she arrived until the day she left, Caroline brought an incredible energy to campus.
When I took a moment to reflect on her semester before graduation, what truly stood out to me was
Carolines incredible zest for life and excitement for new ideas and activities. Caroline consistently
showed appreciation and awareness of all the opportunities awarded to her at The Island School and was
often the first to verbalize her gratitude. One particular opportunity she took great advantage of was
morning free dives, consistently rising early and drawing on her comfort in ocean environments to
develop into a strong free diver. This was best exemplified during a final advisory when Caroline
confidently leapt from the boat and lead a pack of her peers on a reef shark snorkel, duck diving below
the surface to fearlessly swim with six-foot reef sharks. This demonstration of bravery and leadership was
consistently strong all semester and was recognized by her peers who elected her as dorm head. In her
leadership role, Caroline was often the first to come up with a fun activity or idea for a community event,
and used her energy and enthusiasm to rally her peers around her. She was inclusive, caring, and willing
to lend a shoulder to lean-on in a time of need or dish out a high-five upon a peers success.
Academically, Caroline was consistent, hardworking, and organized throughout the semester.
While she struggled initially with the rigor of the academic work and the limited amount of study hours,
she worked hard to manage her time and to stay on top of her work. Perhaps her greatest academic
challenge was in her Literature class where she was tasked with reading through the dense epic Omeros as
well as a variety of Caribbean poetry. She showed great dedication, however, in understanding the text
and consistently worked with her literature teacher to stay on track in the class and finished the semester
with top marks across all subject areas. Caroline capped off a semester of academic growth with a
beautifully written Demonstration of Learning in which she spoke about four themes that premediated her
semester: vulnerability, leadership, leaning into uncomfortable situations, and community. Her reflection
was insightful and honest and demonstrated awareness of the value of each of her experiences and the
importance of appreciating what she has.
Not only did Caroline challenge herself academically, but she pushed herself physically and
mentally as well. Every morning on swim track, Caroline swam hard, consistently growing stronger,
faster, and perfecting her free-style technique as the weeks progressed. In the final days of the semester,
Caroline donned her classic smile as she swam a strong and confident four-mile open ocean super swim,
an impressive feat for any swimmer and specifically for someone who could barely swim 100 meters at
the beginning of the semester without getting winded. On her nine-day kayak expedition, Caroline again
channeled her enthusiasm and positive attitude to lead her peers along the southern Cape despite heavy
winds, fog, and sometimes relentless rain.
Whether it was deciphering poetry in Literature class, training for the Super Swim, completing
her 48-hour solo, or leading her peers in a deep clean in the dorm, Caroline approached her semester
with an incredible energy and positive attitude and in doing so has emerged at the end of her experience
with confidence and poise. Living on Eleuthera was an incredible journey for Caroline and Im proud to

The Island School US: (609) 620-6700 The Bahamas: (242) 334-8551 islandschool.org
say that she left campus a more thoughtful and mature individual with a newfound sense of confidence
and appreciation for what she has.

Sincerely,

Caleb Florence

The Island School US: (609) 620-6700 The Bahamas: (242) 334-8551 islandschool.org