How did you know that The Hill was right for you and your family?
Before the official search process began back in early fall of 2022, Mark and I were in the area for a wedding and wanted to get a sense of the place. We hoped to do a quick drive-by visit, but we quickly realized that you literally can’t drive through campus. What we hoped would be an inconspicuous trip turned out to be a little less so, with the many K-turns involved in getting us through campus. But I remember being struck by the buildings and the grandeur of the place. The layout of the campus, with central quads surrounded by both dorms and academic spaces, conveyed a sense of community. Later, throughout the search process and in my subsequent visits, everyone we met was so clearly passionate and proud of The Hill’s mission and invested in this community. Our three-day visit in December was an interview process for me, but it was also a chance for us to meet faculty, staff, and students, and all those meetings further confirmed the commitment to the educational mission by everyone here. After that visit, we knew, if I were offered the job, we would be joining a great team and institution, one which resonated with our values.
What does it mean to you to be the first woman to be appointed Head of School in the School’s almost 175-year history?
I am humbled, honored, and proud to serve as The Hill’s 12th Head of School and Hill’s first female head of school. In speaking with students, faculty and staff, members of the Board, and the two and a half decades of Hill alumnae with whom I have had the opportunity to interact, I have come to understand that my appointment, in some ways, is the full realization of coeducation at the School and that now some see a reflection of their identity in me. I certainly do not take that lightly. Last January, after the announcement of my appointment was public, I saw that Hill girls’ hockey was playing Canterbury. The game was only an hour away, so I drove to western Connecticut to cheer on Hill. I had my Hill gear on underneath everything because I wanted to be under the radar, so to speak. Before the team came back from half-time, I caught the eye of Assistant Coach Laura McConney and waved to her with my Hill gear then on display. At the end of the game, Head Coach Ari Baum insisted I go into the locker room with the team. When I went in to congratulate them on their win, the girls started proudly chanting, “We love women at Hill.” I mean, how great is that?! That phrase means so many things—we love ourselves and our classmates; we love our female faculty and leadership; and as a community we love and appreciate women and one other. I am a believer that communities flourish when everyone is seen and appreciated wholistically, regardless of their identity. Hill does that, and I intend to do all that I can to further strengthen that practice.
What will you prioritize in this first year as you settle in your new role?
I am focused on getting to know all things “Hill.” I am working to understand The Hill community from students, employees, the Trustees, alumni, and parents. I have been paying attention to the rhythms of the School—living here, working here, and establishing relationships with all the people who make Hill, Hill. The input of both longtime and new community members is important. The folks who remain at the core are the carriers of history. At Hill there is an incredible core, so we want to stay centered on that and build from that strength. At the same time, sometimes when you are new, you can offer a different, valuable perspective. The goal will be to decide how we keep moving forward and getting better while remaining true to the essence of the School.
What type of leader would you consider yourself to be?
I want to be a head of school who creates an environment where the people who are the experts—teachers, coaches, program leaders, dorm parents, and staff—can do their jobs to the best of their ability because they have the resources, collaborative support, and space necessary to do it. There are ways to do this very deliberately and intentionally, and I hope that I can create the kind of environment that empowers everyone to do the work and support one another. I have spent my career in direct contact with students as a teacher, coach, and adviser, and I will relish all future opportunities to connect directly with students. Seated lunches are some of my favorite events of the week, as are attending games and performances. However, this position is more about supporting others who are doing that work, and that is my focus.
What have been your initial impressions of Hill and its relationship with Pottstown? How important is further strengthening community relations between the School and the town?
Both of my previous schools, Westminster and Deerfield, were set apart from the “downtown” areas. The Hill is very much a part of Pottstown and Pottstown a part of Hill—the two rely on each other. Everybody, both within The Hill community and around town, have been incredibly welcoming. As a history teacher, I am fascinated by the origins and story of a place as well as the people who bring that story to life. I am excited to build upon the great strides and programs initiated by Hobart’s Run—the fact that the School established this organization and prioritizes its relationship with Pottstown is phenomenal. One important thing to me personally is being a visible presence in our neighborhood. Even if I were not head of school, I would see it as my responsibility as someone new to and living in The Hill community to be involved in Pottstown—it is part of creating a healthy symbiotic relationship. Any independent school must have a public purpose for so many economic, communal, practical reasons. It is the right thing to do. Having our students really feel connected to Pottstown is also important, and is something both Twila Fisher and Cathy Skitko, leaders of Hobart’s Run, are doing in myriad ways already.
Though you and your siblings did not attend boarding school growing up, you (and many members of your immediate and extended family) have spent the majority of your career/s in the independent/boarding school. What drew you to this life and vocation?
Part of the beauty of boarding schools is that there are so many homes within homes, and, in many ways, this rings true for my own family as well. While I was spending a year overseas teaching in former East Germany in the early 90s, I remember the first day in the classroom and the realization that working in schools and teaching was where I really wanted to be. As that year ended and I considered my next job, a friend of mine with whom I played soccer in college and worked at Deerfield Academy shared an open position there. This was a perfect opportunity for me to do what I came to love. I was ultimately offered a job at Deerfield, and the rest is history. I grew up as one of five children, and education was always important to my parents. My mother did not attend college, but my father, a manufacturing representative, attended Holy Cross as a day student. Their expectation was that we would get involved in all the activities our public school offered in terms of playing sports and club membership. Through all those activities, we developed different relationships and friendships. In a boarding school setting, the power of the student-adult relationships increases exponentially, and that is the magic of these places. For a family choosing to send their child to a boarding school, what is special is the multiplicity of relationships students have with adults in their lives—their teachers, coaches, advisers, dorm parents. Mark and I have found that to be true for our own children during their time at Westminster and now as recent graduates. So back to my own family’s home within a home at boarding schools. I first met Mark when I was at Deerfield, and then we headed to Westminster where we spent the last 25 years—teaching, coaching, dorm parenting, serving as administrators, and raising our two children, Emmett and Samantha. My sister, Mary Kate, has been at Lawrenceville for 32 years and serves as assistant head of school and director of advancement; my brother, Tim, is currently a coach and teacher at Blair Academy; and my niece, Emma (Mary Kate’s daughter), is also at Blair working in advancement. Living and working in boarding schools certainly has become an important part of our family’s legacy .
