“Radical positivity,” “bright light,” and “infectious energy” — these are the phrases echoing through the Ravenscroft community as colleagues, friends and generations of students remember Zoe Welsh. As the school grapples with the senseless loss of a beloved educator, it is clear that Welsh’s legacy is defined by a singular, defiant choice she made every day: the choice of joy. 

“I remember Zoe confiding in me when she was having a tough day,” said Head of Upper School Aaron Sundstrom. “When she got up at the end of our conversation, she said, ‘But you know what, I’m going to choose joy.’”

That phrase became a North Star for the faculty. “Throughout my 13 years at Ravenscroft, her classroom door was open to anyone who needed a break or a word of encouragement,” Sundstrom added. “What distinguished her was that she never lost sight of the humans at the heart of our work.”

Welsh joined the Ravenscroft faculty in 2006 and for nearly two decades, helped shape students both in and outside of the classroom. During her tenure as an Upper School science teacher, she taught AP biology, marine science, and forensic science courses. She also served as the science department chair for 16 years. 

Welsh’s long-time colleague and Upper School history teacher Mark Laskowski fondly remembered how Welsh found ways to create community during the pandemic. “She taught herself how to screencast, and every Friday would record a video,” Laskowski said. “Often, she’d wear a green visor, make a joke, or dance at her desk, while spinning a wheel to determine a weekly winner of some small but meaningful prize. No one asked her to do this; she just saw a need to restore community and school spirit, and she lifted all of our spirits.”

Upper School Latin teacher Jonathan Avery reflected on his friendship with Welsh, describing her as a great educator who was concerned about supporting everyone. “She focused on details that many would have overlooked simply because she cared,” Avery said. “What always amazed me was the amount of love and energy she would pour into the Upper School community and to know that was only a small part of who Zoe was. I was fortunate to know her as a friend and I know how deeply she was committed to her own children and family.”

Outside the classroom, Welsh was a fixture at Ravenscroft sporting events and student performances, celebrating and encouraging her students’ passions. She served as a club sponsor and a summer camp counselor throughout her nearly 20 years at the school.

“Zoe was a dear friend and a passionate and joyful educator,” said Ravenscroft Co-Director of College Counseling Lia Prugh. “Zoe’s loud ‘caw-caw’ could be heard at our pep rallies, sporting events, or even in community gatherings and you always knew who it was.” 

If you spend any time on campus, you’re likely to hear the raven ‘caw-caw’ ring out across the green. Long-time faculty and Ravenscroft alumni all attribute the call and response to Welsh.

Remembrances from Welsh’s former students have poured in, nearly every single one naming the passion for learning she inspired. 

Jordy Baende ’14 remembers both Welsh’s presence in the Upper School hallways and the excitement she brought to her own classroom. “I took her AP Biology course, which I fondly remember for all the entertainment that took place in the classroom,” Baende said. “While we learned the complex material, Ms. Welsh had a way to make the class more fun from her analogies to stories that would captivate the room. I always looked forward to spending time in her classroom.”

Baende went on to become a science teacher himself. He taught briefly at Ravenscroft with Welsh and said she was “full of pride” that a former student became a colleague. 

Her influence reached beyond the Upper School hallways. Throughout her tenure at Ravenscroft, Welsh also taught science summer camps for elementary-age students. Prugh noted that even after 30 years in the classroom, Welsh was always looking for ways to creatively teach her students about biology.

“Whether it was hosting a tea party to learn more about how taste buds can be affected or inviting our pre-kindergarten students to do experiments with her AP biology class, Zoe wanted everyone to be enthusiastic about learning,” Prugh said.

In 2007, she was awarded her second grant from the North Carolina Biotechnology Center. Her first was awarded when she was a teacher at Leesville Road High School, also in Raleigh. These grants are awarded with the purpose of supporting the development and implementation of activities, programs and courses for biotechnology education at the K-12 level.

During the 2013 commencement ceremony, Welsh was honored with Ravenscroft’s Qubain Award for Teaching Excellence – an award given annually to educators who significantly impact students and the school’s teaching environment. In her formal letter of recognition, the Head of School highlighted Welsh’s enthusiastic and personal approach as an advisor and her leadership and encouragement in the development of the school’s citizen leader framework, among other things. 

Assistant Head of Upper School for Academic Affairs Cy League said, “I knew Zoe for 25 years and was her friend for almost as long. In that time, we didn't always agree but I never heard her say anything that wasn't smart and, more importantly, motivated by deep care for the well-being of her students. She could be fussy about details, but only because she cared. I'll miss her,” League said.

Also during her tenure at Ravenscroft, Welsh was named to the Delta Kappa Gamma Society International, an honor society for women educators who have demonstrated dedication and distinctive service in the field of education.

“Zoe didn’t just believe in the importance of community – she was an architect of it,” said science department colleague and friend Lorre Gifford. “Zoe brought a sense of light-hearted fun to everything she did, both in and out of school.”

Her presence is already greatly missed on campus.

Zoe Mullin Welsh died on Jan. 3, 2026. You can read her obituary here. Welsh’s family will host a Celebration of Life service at Ravenscroft on Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026, at 3 p.m. 

Please note that this service is intended for friends and the school community and will be closed to the media.