Personalities: She cheers for the College

For many students in the College, Barbara Woodford has a voice and a face you know, but a name you probably don't.

To many, Woodford is simply the middle point between you and a meeting with your academic advisor, but she may be the most important person at the College office in Logan Hall, ensuring things run smoothly and giving visitors their first impression of Penn's staff.

"I just enjoy being here," Woodford said, noting the diverse and knowledgeable group of students and staff with whom she works.

In addition to working the desk, Woodford helps prepare letters for advisors and works with the assistant deans at the school closely.

"It feels like family to me," she said.

And family is a big part of Woodford's life. She has three sons - one married with kids, one serving in the Air Force and one going to high school in Philadelphia.

In addition to working with Penn students during the day and spending time with her own family at home, Woodford has a third group that feels just like family to her - a youth cheerleading squad she leads called the 69th Street Wildcats.

Woodford, who has always had an interest in dance, helps coach and direct a group of five- to 15-year-old girls in practices and competitions against other greater Philadelphia schools. Usually, she proudly reported, her team is near the top of the league. Most recently it won an honorable mention, and in the past it has finished in the top three spots several times in conference of about 15 teams.

Having raised three athletic sons who were active in basketball and football, Woodford has plenty of experience cheering, even if she only cheered for her high school for one season.

But with her oldest son ready to graduate high school, Woodford is unsure of how she will spend her free time in the future.

"I have no idea. I haven't thought that far ahead," she said. "Right now I rarely have any downtime."

Working at Penn, though, is "amazing," she said, even when it is busy.

Thanks to the diversity of the people with whom she works, Woodford has learned how to greet people in six different languages, a skill she says is important to her now that her middle son serving in the Air Force is stationed in Germany.

Woodford has held down the fort at the College office for 11 years, spending most of her time working in front of a neon-blue outline of Ben Franklin's head.

Her favorite color is purple, but her experiences at Penn have converted her to a die-hard Quaker fan that simply can't resist adding that her second favorite colors are those of her cheerleading squad and those of the Quakers - red and blue.

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