Heidi, who spent a year at Walnut Hill as part of the Class of 2019, plays Haley Gulick in the new movie Candyman.

I think back to that younger version of myself and at 37 to come in as a Head of School, I had my work cut out for me because I had never been a Head of School before. And so I went in with a lot of enthusiasm and hope for the future, and it’s hard to believe that over a decade has gone by already.

Betsy Paine McClendon ’65, outgoing President of the Walnut Hill Board of Trustees, has been a critical part of the School’s transformation since joining the Board over 25 years ago. During her tenure, Walnut Hill School for the Arts has grown into one of the preeminent independent arts high schools in the world.

I came to Walnut Hill by way of the Summer Theater Program. A few weeks before my junior year was supposed to start, my parents allowed me to make the switch from the prep school I was attending to board at Walnut Hill. I can’t say enough about this decision. Not only did it alter the course of my life, but it also was a lifesaver at the time. Suddenly, all that teen angst had a productive focus!