Alumni Spotlight: Willy Oppenheim '01

Without a doubt, Willy Oppenheim ’01 has been busy since his Country School days. A Bowdoin graduate and Rhodes Scholar who is in the process of completing his Ph.D. in Education from the University of Oxford, Willy has dedicated his life to both service and education. Willy, who founded the nonprofit omprakash.org, truly embodies the mission of Country School and continues to make “a positive contribution to the world” each and every day.
Read a Q & A with Willy
Q. What are you doing now and how did your experience at Country School shape your path?
 
A. I run a web-based nonprofit (www.omprakash.org) which connects volunteers and donors with grassroots health, educational and environmental organizations around the world. I am also completing my Ph.D. in Education, with research focused on demand for girls’ schooling in rural Pakistan. My experience at NCCS helped me become playful and confident, and this has been a huge asset as I have confronted various forms of challenge and uncertainty.

Q: That’s interesting. We hear a lot about how Country School builds confidence and the value in that, but I’d love to hear more about this notion of playfulness.

A: I guess what I mean is that I feel lucky to have gone to a school where I felt valued as a whole person and not just on the basis of academic performance. On some level I want to give credit to NCCS for not making me into a robot only in pursuit of “success” and instead being able to have fun along the way.

Q. What did Country School teach you that you’ve carried with you either personally or professionally?
 
A. I learned to deal with challenging amounts of work, to write with clarity, to treat others kindly, and to work as part of a team. All of these are ‘ongoing lessons’ that I am still learning, but there is no doubt that my days at NCCS got me started in this direction.

Q. What are some of your favorite Country School moments?
 
A. I have great memories of the Frogtown Fair, Blue / White Day, the Renaissance Fair, Medieval Fair, Greek Dinner, Christmas Pageant, Hannukah Assembly, Thanksgiving Assembly…all of the celebratory community events!

Q. Which Country School teachers influenced and inspired you?
 
A. As a young kid I was pretty badly behaved – I think the Lower School had to introduce a new ‘suspension’ rule in order to be able to keep me in line – but my third grade teacher, David Ingalls, really inspired me and helped me settle down. I also have fond memories of Bob Hepburn, a charismatic art teacher, as well as Caryn Purcell, Chan Gammill, Tom Giggi, Tim Bazemore, Michael McNaught and of course, my kindergarten teacher Mrs. Balasuriya.

Q. Do you keep in touch with your Country School classmates?
 
A. Yes!

Q. What advice would you give to current Country School students?
 
A. You don’t have to be perfect! Enjoy learning and don’t worry about needing to be right all the time.  And be nice to people!
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New Canaan Country School admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin and are afforded all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, age, sex, sexual orientation, national origin or ancestry, or disability in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, financial aid policies or any other school-administered programs.