FWCD
Let’s start with the number: $11.3 million. That’s how much the Class of 2025 at Fort Worth Country Day earned in merit-based scholarships. It’s not a typo, and it’s not a fluke. It’s the result of four years of early mornings, late-night study sessions, practices, performances, data projects, and dreams that refused to stay hypothetical.
FWCD
Valedictorian Alex Seiden
At a time when college admissions headlines often read like cautionary tales, this group quietly pulled off something extraordinary. They applied to more than 200 schools. They were accepted to 151 of them. They committed to 38. They didn’t just show up — they showed out.
The 90 students in this year’s graduating class are headed in a dozen different directions: Ivy League lecture halls, Texas labs, studio stages, and at least one professional sports circuit. Nearly half are staying in-state, 49% are leaving, and one is skipping college altogether to pursue a jiu-jitsu title.
However, before they leave, their story deserves a closer examination.
FWCD
Salutatorian Murphy Hoefer
Valedictorian Alex Seiden is off to Rice University, and he’s already got a head start. A natural at STEM, Seiden took AP Chemistry and Multivariable Calculus in stride, then applied that same focus to the TCU Neeley Data Analytics Academy and an internship with the Cincinnati Reds. Off the court, he was a member of the Honor and Discipline Councils. On the court, a four-year varsity tennis player. Somewhere in between, he helped lead the school’s Daffodil Garden project, a solemn and beautiful tribute to the victims of the Holocaust.
Right behind him is Murphy Hoefer, the class salutatorian, who will be heading to Dartmouth College. Hoefer excelled in science and calculus, interned at a biotech company to improve production systems, and still found time to serve as a four-year cellist in the Upper School Orchestra. She captained both the cross-country and swim teams and earned the Stansbery Award — FWCD’s highest athletic honor for a female student — all four years.
Across the board, this class brought home honors. The National Merit program or College Board recognition programs recognized eighteen FWCD students. Twenty-two earned AP Scholar titles. Three were admitted to Ivy League schools. Twelve are heading to The University of Texas at Austin.
Six seniors will compete in collegiate athletics, participating in swimming, golf, field hockey, volleyball, the pom squad, and soccer. Two will pursue degrees in fine arts: one in theatre at TCU and the other in musical theatre at Hendrix College. And one — Joseph Brunson — is turning pro in jiu-jitsu, joining Team Mohler straight out of high school.
This isn’t just a class that studied hard and got good grades. It’s a class that led, performed, built things, asked questions, and supported one another. They weren’t waiting for permission to make an impact. They already had.
“This senior class represents a truly exceptional group of students whose achievements demonstrate the strength of an FWCD education,” said Eric Lombardi, head of school at Fort Worth Country Day. “From their impressive scholarship offers to their outstanding success on the field, stage, and in the classroom, they have consistently embodied the values of perseverance, creativity, and leadership. We are proud to celebrate their accomplishments and confident they will leave a lasting impact on the world as they pursue their next chapters.”
