Woodard said the school's strength has always come from its mission.
"We provide our children with opportunities that they can't get anywhere else. That's what makes us great," she said.
She never imagined the shy 5-year-old girl in an old black-and-white photo would one day become the visionary behind one of North Carolina's top-performing charter schools. Her work began as a summer enrichment program inspired by her mentor, Sallie B. Howard, who "taught them everything about their African heritage from 20,000 B.C. all the way to 2000 A.D."
Howard's belief that every child deserved to succeed became the foundation of the school that now bears her name.
Woodard launched the charter school 28 years ago, creating academic and life-changing opportunities for low-income families in this rural community. She credits the school's success to teachers who, she said, "love them enough and more. They will go way out of their way, the extra mile, to serve them and pour into them."
Last year, the school earned an A on the state report card and ranked in the top 2% statewide for academic growth. But Woodard said success is about more than test scores. For years, students have studied abroad, gaining exposure far beyond their ZIP Code.
The school's effect is reflected in alumni such as Eduardo Herrera-Picasso, the first Latino elected to the Wilson City Council. He said Woodard's intentionality changed lives.
"She made sure no one was left behind," he said. "Myself and other classmates, who didn't speak English, new arrivals in the U.S., we had someone who intentionally translated for us."
Woodard is passing the torch to Sandeep Aggarwal, who has spent 22 years working at the school in multiple roles.
"This service is a calling for me," Aggarwal said. "It's not a job. It's not a profession. It's my life."
As he prepares to lead the school into its next chapter, Aggarwal said one lesson from Woodard will guide him: "People want to be listened to. People want to be heard. When you listen to a person with an open heart and mind, even if your decision is not the one they may be looking for, they're OK."
A red carpet and balloon arch lined the school hallway for a community celebration marking Woodard's retirement, which was a tribute to a woman who built more than a school. She built a pathway to a future bigger than many students ever imagined.
"They are more than what their environment and circumstances say they are," Woodard said.
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