We were thrilled to see that The Boston Globe just ran a story about Kate Woodworth ’65 and her former DCD Teacher Bill Youngs’ visit to DCD this past May, where the two returned to DCD to share their mutual love of writing, and to reflect on their shared experiences at the school nearly 60 years ago. It was such a special visit! You can read the Boston Globe story here:
www.bostonglobe.com/2025/09/05/magazine/mr-youngs-dedham-legacy/
Teacher’s influence_ A writer’s journey to success
You can also read our story about their spring visit to DCD below:
Kate Woodworth ‘65 Reunites with Influential Teacher Bill Youngs
On a sunny day in May, middle schoolers gathered for a special visit from alum and author Kate Woodworth ’65 and former DCD Teacher and Author Bill Youngs. The two returned to DCD to share their mutual love of writing, and to reflect on their shared experiences at the school nearly 60 years ago.
Now a published novelist and career medical writer, Kate Woodworth credits her DCD education— and especially her composition teacher, Bill Youngs, with much of her inspiration, career success, and happiness. Her latest work of fiction Little Great Island, published in May of this year, explores the story of a small island threatened by climate change.
Bill Youngs taught at DCD from 1963 to 1965, before moving to Berkeley, California for graduate school, where he received a PhD in history. The author of five books himself, including a biography of Eleanor Roosevelt, he has taught history at Eastern Washington University since 1972 and remains on the faculty today.
Despite the briefness of his time at DCD, Bill Youngs had a lasting impact— especially on Kate Woodworth. At the assembly, Kate shared her memory of a pivotal moment in her growth as a writer.
“One day, I was writing a story,” Kate recalls, “and Mr. Youngs came to my desk, pointed to my writing, and said, ‘Let me tell you how real writers punctuate.’ He didn’t say, ‘Here are the punctuation rules,’ but, ‘This is the way real writers do it.’ And I thought, “I need to know that, because I am a real writer—not, that’s who or what I want to be when I grow up, but that’s who I am”. For Kate, this small moment of connection stuck with her, affirming in her mind her confidence and a cornerstone of her self-image as a writer.
At the middle school assembly, Bill Youngs also spoke to the outsized impact of these small moments— he himself had saved a box of compositions written by his students for over 60 years, as their small pieces of writing remained important to him as a teacher to this day.
Reading from one of Kate’s childhood stories, Bill highlighted her descriptive details and vivid language. “Now,” he said, “sixty years later, she’s taken that vivid writing to a really extraordinary book.”
Kate shared that her new book, Little Great Island is told from twelve different points of view, in order to emphasize the interconnectedness of the characters to one another, and to the world around them.
“I wanted readers to feel the sights, sounds, and smells of the island,” Kate said, “and to understand this isn’t just one person’s story. It’s the story of the web of life. That’s important for all of us, especially now as the climate is changing. Being out there and appreciating what nature has to offer—that’s where we find the commitment and power to start making a difference.”
As the assembly drew to a close, Kate shared a bit about the impact she hopes her new book might have. “As part of the release of my book,” she said, “I’ve created a climate change initiative called “Be the Butterfly,” which invites everyone of any age to do one small thing to help save the planet— inspired by the butterfly effect, the idea that a small action, like the flap of a butterfly’s wing, can have enormous repercussions. I invite everyone, no matter your age, to do one small thing to help save the planet.”
Just like the small acts of Bill Youngs went on to inspire Kate Woodworth’s writing career, Kate hopes to impart to her readers the importance of their small, individual actions in the preservation of the natural world.
Head of School, Allison Webster then presented gifts to Kate and Bill, sharing, “One of the things I love is the incredible impact that we can have on each other, and how those small acts— those small moments, whether it’s a teacher and a student, or friend to friend, can last a lifetime. And remembering how powerful you could be in someone’s life is such an important power. It was so beautiful to hear your story of inspiration and connection, and thank you for being here with us!”
At this event, Bill Youngs also announced that he was making a gift to the DCD endowment, which will fund a “Youngs-Woodworth Hawk Scholarship for Writing”. Part of DCD’s Hawk Scholarship program, it will be awarded annually to incoming students interested in writing.
Learn more about Kate Woodworth, her writing, and her “Be the Butterfly” initiative at: https://katewoodworth.com/
