Toby Woods ’27 died on the evening of Feb. 21. He was 18 years old. President Maud S. Mandel announced his death in an all-campus email on Feb. 23, but the College did not release information about the circumstances of his death.
Woods grew up in New Canaan, Conn., where he graduated from New Canaan High School, according to Mandel’s email. At the College, he was a prospective economics and music major, but his coursework also spanned opera, philosophy, and mathematics.
In interviews with the Record, friends remembered Woods for his dedication, his intelligence, and the deep enthusiasm he brought to his relationships and passions.
Benjamin Wilson ’27 met Woods on the first day of classes, when the pair was enrolled in “Objectivity in Ethics.” According to Wilson, his friendship with Woods — as self-described “philosophy nerds” — began over conversations about the course material that lasted outside the classroom.
“He was intellectually brilliant, and he enjoyed it, which was contagious,” he said. “One day, I sat down next to him in Paresky, and he said, ‘I got into some trouble today. I was in a large group of people eating lunch, and I was reading this book, and I started laughing contagiously.’ I said, ‘Well, what book are you reading?’ And then he said it was Immanuel Kant’s Groundwork [of the Metaphysic of Morals].”
“To me, that is the most Toby experience ever,” Wilson said. “Philosophy — which, to many, is dull, dry, and boring — was something he found so intriguing. That spirit was contagious. You wanted to be around that.”
Jackson Fielding ’27, Savanna Shettler ’27, and Wilson were teammates with Woods for a case competition hosted by Alhambra Consulting Group this fall. Shettler, who attended high school in a neighboring town to Woods’, met Woods when he addressed his graduating class as valedictorian. She remembers him as “absolutely brilliant” and recalled his fervor for their shared passion for music.
To hone their concentration ahead of the public speaking portion of the presentation, Shettler, Wilson, Fielding, and Woods took turns playing music to distract other group members as they practiced delivering slides. During one of their rehearsals, Wilson remembers Woods singing and dancing to Tate McRae’s latest album.
Alhambra Partners Dhruv Muppidi ’25, Indira Thodiyil ’25, and Sam Youngwood ’25 interviewed Woods for the group and oversaw his work on a semester-long project last fall. In a joint statement to the Record, they described Woods’ commitment to the analytical work of the project. “Perhaps the trait of Toby’s that shone through the most during our semester of work was his ability to communicate his thoughts in both a respectful and organized manner,” they wrote.
During his interview, Woods “immediately” impressed partners by providing succinct criticism on a proposal developed by upperclassmen to test applicants. “Toby, a freshman who had been on campus for a little more than two weeks, politely pushed back against the group consensus, using both math and examples to articulate his case,” they wrote. “After the interview, [a] junior who had supported the proposal, a friend of ours, mentioned that a certain freshman had been extremely impressive during the interview. That freshman, as we soon found out, was Toby, and we chose him to be a strategist on our account shortly thereafter.”
“With every assignment, Toby led our strategists with thorough research and thoughtful analysis,” they continued.
On Sunday, Mandel and Director of Integrative Wellbeing Services (IWS) Wendy Adam wrote in a joint email to the student body that the College would maintain its structure of classes and activities for the rest of the week. “Many find it helpful to have support and guidance following unexpected loss,” they wrote. “Within our community, we know some students may need more time to resume usual activities and expectations. If this is the case for you, it is better to take a break and get needed support than to push through.”
“The decision may feel unfamiliar and come with fears about the costs, including the risk of falling behind academically,” they continued. “Faculty members, deans, and other staff are here for you.”
The College’s chaplains organized a vigil on Feb. 22. At the vigil, they read poems — “To Speak” by Denise Levertass and “The Way It Is” by Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer — and held an exercise that encouraged connections among students.
“The chaplains found poems that spoke to this great deal of pain and moment of uncertainty,” said Chaplain to the College Rev. Valerie Bailey Fischer. “Afterwards, people were still talking, and that’s key in these kinds of moments. That is the best thing to support each other… It’s a way of saying, ‘You’re not alone.’”
The Dean’s Office plans to help students attend the funeral for Woods on March 10 in New Canaan, Conn., Fischer told the Record. Fischer also said that those who wish to donate to The Toby Woods Memorial Fund housed at The New Canaan Community Foundation — which will “support music, education, and mental health,” according to the fund’s website — can do so at www.bit.ly/TobyWoodsMemorialFund.
In her email, Mandel said that the College’s chaplains will collaborate with students to plan a memorial honoring Woods’ life and listed resources including IWS, the Chaplains’ Office, the Dean’s Office, and the Davis Center, to which students can turn for support.
A date for the memorial has not yet been set, Fischer wrote in an email to the Record. “The chaplains will continue meeting with Toby’s closest friends and associates to discuss ways of remembering Toby on campus,” she wrote.
The Dean’s Office put up posters on Feb. 27 with information about on-campus grief counseling, with sessions available for all students, as well as some that are reserved for first years, Junior Advisors, and members of the Junior Advisor Advisory Board. The sessions comprise both group sessions and one-on-one discussions, and no sign-up or appointment is necessary to attend, according to the posters.
Student-facing staff will be available for further grief support after this week, Fischer also noted.
Fischer encouraged the College community to remain connected during this time of grief and mourning. “Be in touch,” she said. “Support each other. Ask for help. Take time out for yourself. Everyone grieves differently.”
