Head of School’s Notebook: How Can We Thrive in the Face of Adversity? 

February 2, 2024

My career has been driven by a quest to help our young people feel at home in themselves so they can bring their distinct expression of excellence to serve our changing world. My journey to Cate follows the same trajectory as I’ve heard so many of you express – our yearning for something healthier, more holistic, and hearty drew us to the Mesa. As I consider what it means to lead a school towards becoming the healthiest place to live, learn, and work, I return again and again to our inquiry question for the year: How can we thrive in the face of adversity? 

What I love about this question is the juxtaposition of thriving and adversity, two concepts that are usually at odds. What links these concepts is context, where thriving is both because of and despite certain conditions. Here at Cate, we cultivate a context for thriving through the strength of our relationships, our ceaseless pursuit of inquiry, and our enduring connection to place. While we do all we can to create the conditions for care and connection, we all face adversity as it is a core to the human experience. The tumult of the past few years with the COVID-19 pandemic, fires, mud slides, racial reckoning, and even the head transition is enough to bring any community to its knees. However, I believe that the Cate of today is thriving both because of and despite this adversity.

As I stand on the sidelines of competitions or even in the dance studio during rehearsal, I see students persevere and embrace the power of “yet.” I haven’t scored – yet. I don’t fully understand the choreography – yet. I don’t feel like I’m good enough – yet. Without the word “yet” these statements inhibit effort, self-worth, and growth. Here at Cate we are a “yet” school where we collectively embrace the power of adversity trusting the challenge will fuel learning and connection.

When I think about the messages we want our students to internalize, it is that adversity catalyzes thriving.

Every member of this community turns towards challenge and works shoulder to shoulder to draw upon our collective strength to meet the moment, sort through the suffering, and find joy in the pursuit. In my mind, this is what it means to be the healthiest place to live, learn, and work.

Schools continue to face increasingly complex challenges when it comes to supporting mental health, navigating polarized political rhetoric, anticipating the uncertainties of climate change, financial pressures, and nationwide teacher shortages. I believe that Cate is uniquely positioned to not only meet these challenges, but flourish because of them. Through a dual commitment to the preservation of the spirit of this place and a fearless embrace of innovation, Cate will become an even more important “steadfast light in a troubled world” modeling for our students what it means to thrive.

I am driven to ensure the School serves as a sanctuary for the dreamers, seekers, leaders, and creators who yearn for more. Cate is the place I most needed to find in this age of adversity and I wake up every morning grateful that I did.