VISIONARY GIVING HEAD'S CIRCLE

HEAD'S CIRCLE 2022 (pictured, left to right): Reena Agrawal P’28, Jen Ko P’26 ’28 and Peter Munzig P’27 (pictured below): Nanci KauffmanHA, Denise Pope P’14 ’17, Jamaica and Jay Kreps P’28

Visionary Giving

The annual Head’s Circle event was hosted in the home of Jamaica and Jay Kreps. The evening honors donors whose giving enables transformative and critical growth at Castilleja. A thought leader typically delivers an inspirational message during the event, engaging guests in conversations related to furthering Castilleja’s mission.

This year we were honored to hear Dr. Denise Pope P’14 ’17, founder of Challenge Success and current Senior Lecturer at the Stanford University Graduate School of Education, reflect on the value of a Castilleja education. Dr. Pope also served on our Board from 2013 to 2019 and provided crucial leadership at a time when schools around the Bay Area were realizing the impact of stress and pressure on students. It was invaluable to have her at the table during those conversations.

Dr. Pope has done extensive work around what it means to learn rather than simply “do school;” her years at Challenge Success fortify her knowledge of how to truly engage students. During her conversation with Nanci KauffmanHA, Dr. Pope emphasized how important it is to help students feel a sense of belonging and wellbeing to form foundations of an engaging and inspiring program.

At the end of the evening, the guests felt assured that the balanced and thoughtful programming at Castilleja both offers ample resources to support mental health and fosters curiosity and engagement in all aspects of the learning journey. As we look forward to a new campus, we know these truths will stand the test of time. “Social, emotional, and cognitive functions are all neurologically intertwined. Together, they impact our sense of wellness, which students need in order to engage in deep learning that really sticks. Castilleja's breadth of student support resources aligns with the school’s goal to provide engaging and collaborative learning experiences that lead to lasting knowledge.” — Denise Pope P’14 ’17 Founder, Challenge Success