Named after one of the founders of Montgomery County, our school building has been around since 1970, and has since housed four generations of students. As Montgomery County has changed from farmland to suburbs, the area has become even more family-centered and a desirable location to send kids to school. Due to this, parents who went to MCPS schools are sending their kids back to their alma mater to have high school experiences like their own.
Junior Madeline Eig’s parents, Heather and Jason Eig were high school sweethearts who attended Churchill in the early ‘90s and have sent their three kids to Wootton. “I feel really connected to my mom because she was on poms just like I am, and my dad because he was in student leadership, which I’ve been able to do through SGA. As someone who is part of both, it is so interesting to see how both have changed in the past years. My parents have said how much it has changed as seen by the larger course selection, especially APs, but the focus on education has stayed the same. They chose here over elsewhere because MCPS is an excellent public school system and Wootton has a good reputation,” Eig said.
Senior Samantha Lau’s father Michael also attended Churchill and she sees differences between his experience and hers. “I don’t really feel a special connection to my dad because of this, because for me it seems like a different time. Occasionally my dad will reference something his school did when he was in high school but it’s not so unique that it makes me feel a special connection. However, it is unique that he knows the area well and it’s interesting to think about how he got to school each day in such a similar route that I do. I also like hearing about his high school stories and thinking about how that’d be now. He often reminisces about playing the football state championship at the University of Maryland football field,” Lau said.
Senior Malia Schmeltzer feels grateful she has been able to share her experiences at this school and at Robert Frost Middle School with her mom, Silvia Abularach. “My mom is amazed at how different and much more challenging high school is in this generation, but she feels she had an amazing education and Wootton was a great start that prepared her for college. I think it’s nice to know my mom went to Wootton and there is a sense of connection. But overall, I have made my Wootton experience my own. I find it funny that we never had the same teacher at Wootton, but we both had Ms. Bank for eighth-grade English at Frost,” Schmeltzer said.
Senior Jordyn Cottone’s parents, Frank and Shelly, were also high school sweethearts who attended this school. Jordyn and her sisters all attended MCPS schools, and have had fun reminiscing with their parents. “So far, I have had a great and memorable experience at Wootton and a lot of fun memories. Both my parents went to Wootton so it’s really interesting to have a shared experience with them and compare my experiences to theirs. My sisters and I get jealous that they had open lunch because the mall area was open back then. I’m excited to have a senior prom, and see my pictures next to my parents’,” Cottone said.
Sophomore Sami Karcz’s mom Jennifer Karcz is an alum who connects to her daughters through their shared experiences. “The way my mom talks about Wootton, she had way more fun when she went here. She talks about how her favorite high school memories were the football games with her friends, so it’s fun to know I’ve done that too. We feel a special connection to each other because she went to Wootton. After all, we got put in MCPS school because she felt we’d receive a great education here,’ Karcz said.
Note: Wootton’s demographics in the ‘80s and ‘90s don’t reflect the school population today, so diverse points of view were not able to be included.
