All boys. All boarding. Grades 9-12.
Career Opportunities
Join the Woodberry Community
Our faculty and staff members will tell you that they were drawn to the opportunity to be a part of the warm, dynamic, and inclusive community that is committed to nurturing the growth of our students both in and out of the classroom. While offering competitive pay, exceptional benefits, and professional development opportunities, we are eager to welcome faculty who are passionate about and trained in their discipline - but who are equally committed to working with boys on stage, on the athletic fields, and in the dorm. Located just an hour and a half away from DC, Woodberry's state-of-the-art campus stretches across 1,200 beautiful and historic acres in Central Virginia.
Career Opportunities at Woodberry
Thank you for your interest in applying to Woodberry Forest School. Please click here for all available openings at this time.
What Makes Woodberry the Perfect Place to Live and Teach?
Our People
Our student body is all-boarding, and more than 90 percent of faculty live on campus, creating an intimate, tight-knit community. We’re an all-boys school, focused on developing young men who are lifelong learners with a strong moral character. One of the boarding school’s defining characteristics is a nearly 120-year-old honor system that is entirely student run.
Our Culture
Our culture is based on moral integrity, intellectual thoroughness, a reverence for things sacred, and good sportsmanship. We seek faculty who are passionate about and trained in their discipline — but who are equally committed to working with boys on stage, on the athletic fields, and on dorm. Living and learning at Woodberry doesn’t just take place inside our classrooms.
Our Place
Our campus is set on 1,200 acres in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. This is a place where we can focus on teaching and learning without distractions. Students, faculty, and faculty families take full advantage of our safe and beautiful campus, enjoying hiking and biking trails in the woods or the natural beauty of the Rapidan River, which borders our land.
Meet the Leadership
Matthew C. Boesen
Matt Boesen is a member of the history department, director of faculty recruitment, and faculty advisor to the headmaster. He served as Woodberry’s dean of faculty for eight years from 2015 to 2023. Matt designed and currently teaches an upperclass honors course, Democracy and Dictatorship between the World Wars, as well as Woodberry’s third-form history course, Stories and Histories. Matt earned an AB from Yale University and an MA and PhD from the University of Virginia.
Contact Information:
matt_boesen@woodberry.org
(540) 672-6021
Matt Boesen is a member of the history department, director of faculty recruitment, and faculty advisor to the headmaster. He served as Woodberry’s dean of faculty for eight years from 2015 to 2023. Matt designed and currently teaches an upperclass honors course, Democracy and Dictatorship between the World Wars, as well as Woodberry’s third-form history course, Stories and Histories. Matt earned an AB from Yale University and an MA and PhD from the University of Virginia.
Contact Information:
matt_boesen@woodberry.org
(540) 672-6021
Abigail C. Mills
Abbie Mills is the assistant headmaster for academic affairs. She previously taught engineering and ECLIPSE at Woodberry and coached JV football and developmental track. She came to Woodberry in 2016 after a career at NASA’s Johnson Space Center where she was a senior project engineer and project manager specializing in fuel cell systems. Abbie holds a degree in mechanical engineering from Rice University.
Abbie Mills is the assistant headmaster for academic affairs. She previously taught engineering and ECLIPSE at Woodberry and coached JV football and developmental track. She came to Woodberry in 2016 after a career at NASA’s Johnson Space Center where she was a senior project engineer and project manager specializing in fuel cell systems. Abbie holds a degree in mechanical engineering from Rice University.
Byron C. Hulsey
Byron Hulsey became the school’s ninth headmaster in 2014. He also teaches in the history department. He graduated from Woodberry in 1986 and was senior prefect. He was a Jefferson Scholar at the University of Virginia, where he studied history. He taught for two years at Bryanston School, a boarding school in Blandford, England, before returning to his native Texas to earn MA and PhD degrees from the University of Texas at Austin as a Patterson-Banister Fellow in American History. Byron served on the Woodberry faculty from 1998 to 2000 as assistant director of college counseling and in the history department. He was assistant headmaster at Norfolk Academy and was head of school at Randolph School in Huntsville, Alabama, for eight years before returning to Woodberry.
Byron Hulsey became the school’s ninth headmaster in 2014. He also teaches in the history department. He graduated from Woodberry in 1986 and was senior prefect. He was a Jefferson Scholar at the University of Virginia, where he studied history. He taught for two years at Bryanston School, a boarding school in Blandford, England, before returning to his native Texas to earn MA and PhD degrees from the University of Texas at Austin as a Patterson-Banister Fellow in American History. Byron served on the Woodberry faculty from 1998 to 2000 as assistant director of college counseling and in the history department. He was assistant headmaster at Norfolk Academy and was head of school at Randolph School in Huntsville, Alabama, for eight years before returning to Woodberry.
Faculty Voices
“I discovered early on that working at Woodberry demands an all-hands-on-deck mentality. It wasn’t until the wildly challenging third-form expedition in the fall of my first year that I truly grasped this culture of faculty and staff going above and beyond expectations to ensure the best possible experience for our boys.”
“One of the reasons I wholeheartedly wanted to accept this job is because I felt very supported even from the beginning. What I love even more is that the support hasn’t stopped since being hired. The faculty, both in and not in your department, are always willing to help you, and the Woodberry community shows a lot of care and love for each other.”
“Teaching at Woodberry is an experience of intellectual freedom. I’m consistently impressed with the trust each department bestows upon its faculty members. If you’re passionate about a certain topic related to your field, Woodberry is willing to let you pursue your interests.”
"Probably the greatest joy of advising at Woodberry is getting a front-row seat to a boy’s growth throughout this exciting, wonderful (and occasionally turbulent) time of their lives. Boys don’t always mature as fast as we’d like! But helping them take advantage of opportunities, grow through setbacks, and take steps toward adulthood has been one of the most fulfilling aspects of my work here.”
From a Family Perspective
“Trevor graduated from Woodberry in 2004, and for many years I was adamant that I didn’t want to live here. I had misgivings about being at a place that was so clearly “his school,” and I was uncertain about what an all-boarding environment would be like. But as the years went on and we were just starting to grow our family, my opinion changed and the thought of raising our kids on a boarding school campus seemed wonderful. So we took the plunge and arrived in Virginia during peak Covid. The community could not have been more welcoming, and people went out of their way to say hello. We felt very lucky to be here during such a stressful time. After our first year at Woodberry, I started teaching English on a part-time basis. Because we were living off-dorm, being in the classroom gave me an opportunity to really get to know a group of boys. It’s been fun to see them in the dining hall, at their sporting events, or just around campus. At Woodberry, I feel like we are focused on the long game and building relationships with the boys, which is something I didn’t experience while teaching at the university level. Beyond the classroom, one of my favorite aspects is the campus itself. It’s hard to imagine a more beautiful place to live. I am grateful to live in a
community where I can know everyone’s name and where people support each other in many different ways, big and small. For our kids, it’s such an incredible place for them to grow up. There are lots of faculty kids on campus, and you’ll see them out playing together. I’m confident that if I ever need anything, people will be there to help, which feels really special. We are very happy here, and we plan on staying for a long time.”
Aleisha Smith-Thornton
Aleisha Smith-Thornton
How Will Woodberry Support You?
Professional Development
Woodberry seeks lifelong learners. Faculty can apply for financial support from the school if they wish to pursue graduate degrees or professional development. Woodberry also pairs new teachers with experienced mentors, with additional support provided by the department chair and the assistant headmaster for academic affairs.
For More Information:
View the Faculty Guidebook Here
The Walter William Craigie Teaching Endowment
Established in 1983 by Helen and Walter W. Craigie, Sr. ’22, and
supported by their son, the late trustee Walter W. Craigie, Jr. ’48,
this program supports the pursuit of graduate degrees by members of the faculty.
supported by their son, the late trustee Walter W. Craigie, Jr. ’48,
this program supports the pursuit of graduate degrees by members of the faculty.
Woodberry Forest School is an exceptional private school community for high school boys in grades nine through twelve. It is one of the top boarding schools in the United States and one of the only all-boys, all-boarding schools in the country.
Explore & Resources
Woodberry Forest admits students of any race, color, sexual orientation, disability, religious belief, and national or ethnic origin to all of the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sexual orientation, disability, religious belief, or national or ethnic origin in the administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic or other school-administered programs. The school is authorized under federal law to enroll nonimmigrant students.