Chadwick School & Chadwick International SCHOOL
FROM ONE PROJECT TO 7-YEAR COLLABORATION
7
years
2
schools
countless
projects
Overview
Chadwick School—a renowned K–12 independent school in Palos Verdes, CA—needed a refresh of their 100+ page website. Initially hired as copywriter, I was quickly entrusted with curating photos, making site edits, and designing pages. Over the course of 7 years, I worked closely with the Communications Team to launch critical campaign initiatives on the website and across print and social platforms.
KEY ROLES
UX Copy + Creative Direction - Strategized, wrote, and designed key pages and microsites from concept to launch—creating page mockups/wireframes, curating visuals, designing content flow and layout of elements for a balanced, engaging experience.
Webmaster - Became expert at the website’s CMS and was responsible for executing content updates. Worked with the web hosting company—from coders to design experts—to fulfill site needs.
Lead Copywriter, Compass Magazine - Interviewed Heads of School, notable alumni, department heads, and other key stakeholders for flagship magazine features.
The Impact
Award-Winning Site
The new Chadwick School website garnered industry recognition, winning Finalsite’s Best-In-Class award.
Expanded Partnership
The site’s success led Chadwick International School in South Korea to commission me to recreate their 75+ page site. I was flown to Songdo City to immerse myself in the culture, connect with school leadership, and ensure cohesive, authentic storytelling.
Global Influence
Both schools enjoyed distinct yet connected sites that celebrated their shared values while highlighting unique local identities.
Website
The Challenge
Chadwick’s existing site was densely packed with content that lacked a clear, compelling narrative. Families struggled to navigate, and the copy didn’t reflect the unique spirit and culture of the school community. They needed streamlined messaging, engaging calls-to-action, and a modern content approach that celebrated both heritage and innovation.
the solution
Working closely with the school’s communications director and the development team in London, I:
Distilled 100+ pages of content into clear, emotionally resonant messaging.
Crafted vibrant headlines, body copy, and CTAs that spoke directly to prospective families while honoring the current community.
Curated photography and visual elements to ensure brand sophistication and optimal user experience.
Designed specialty pages using the school’s CMS to bring the narrative to life visually.
The result was a fresh, editorial website that balanced inspiration with information—communicating Chadwick’s character and credibility at every click.
I cannot emphasize enough the impact Sabrina had on the success of our award-winning redesign. She is truly a content choreographer, a master wordsmith. It was a massive project, and within days of coming aboard, she had a firm grasp of our company's ethos and essence, our vision, and how best to market our school to prospective families. Although initially hired solely for copywriting, Sabrina's expertise blew us away, and we relied on her for strategic marketing and design insights for our website and other materials.
— Carley Dryden, Director of Communications (former), Chadwick School
health + wellness page
The Health & Wellness page was a key addition crafted from scratch in response to the mental health crisis experienced during Covid-19. After meeting with school counselors and other stakeholders, I strategized, wrote, designed, and executed this iteration, thoughtfully incorporating visual elements to balance extensive, but critical information.
ATHLETIC Team Pages
Created original design for 25+ athletic team pages
Wrote original copy
Strategized content flow
Executed design
Curated photos
Interviewed stakeholders + project managed assets
Chadwick’s Athletic Team pages were antiquated, uninspiring, and ineffective at informing prospects of what to expect from each sport. After meeting with the school’s athletic directors and coaches, I got to work strategizing and crafting a new design from scratch (within the confines of the site’s existing CMS and style guide) that struck the balance between brand consistency and adapting to the differences in length and type of content available for each sport.
The result was a highly stylized, inspiring, and informative execution that instilled pride in Chadwick athletes (and staff)—and showcased the unique philosophies, benefits, and successes of each team.
“When designing our new Athletics page, Sabrina was tasked with communicating with 25 different varsity coaches, while creating a cohesive look, sound and feel to the overall site. When the school moved to a new web provider, the essence of Sabrina’s work was one of the few elements of the old websites that carried over into the new. ”
COMPASS MAGAZINE FEATURES
COpy callouts
Our K-12 students are a collection of bright minds eager to expand themselves and explore the world around them.
Seventy percent of our faculty hold advanced degrees in their field, but it’s their unwavering passion that’s most impressive.