This article appeared as "Alumni Stories” in the Summer 2026 issue of Independent School.
A NASA scientist. A biotech CEO. Artists and entrepreneurs. Fort Worth Country Day (TX) is showcasing the many paths its graduates take through a new alumni video campaign that highlights how an FWCD education shapes lives long after graduation.
Called “Alumni Stories,” the campaign is part of the school’s 2026 fiscal year advertising plan and is aimed at families considering the school for grades 5–12. In a series of 30-second professionally produced videos, alumni reflect on how their time at FWCD shaped their education, character, and life paths. The school frames each story as a “Falcon Flight Path,” positioning the middle school years as the starting runway to upper school and beyond.
To bring these stories to life, the admissions, advancement, alumni, and communications teams nominated alumni to participate, and an internal cross-functional team partnered with Fort Worth–based firms PAVLOV Advertising and Make Something Beautiful to surface the most compelling stories and co-produce the videos. Filming took place both on campus and around Fort Worth, connecting alumni experiences to the school’s present-day community.
The videos run as paid and organic content across YouTube, streaming TV, and social platforms, alongside a public relations push to local and national media. They also live on the school’s Falcon Flight Path webpage and YouTube channel.
While designed with prospective families in mind, the campaign serves broader purposes as well, offering current students examples of possible futures, giving alumni a way to reconnect, and reinforcing the school’s identity across generations.
Six videos are currently live, with additional releases planned. The next two, scheduled for August, will feature Lilliana Vazquez (’98), a style influencer and TV personality, and Jon Bonnell (’89), a chef and restaurateur.
Photo: Fort Worth Country Day’s “Alumni Stories” video campaign features graduates—like artist John Holt Smith—reflecting on how an FWCD education shaped their career paths.
Photo credit: Fort Worth Country Day
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