Meet Rene Davis

Assistant Head of School for Student Life

Hello Kents Hill Community,

It is with an immeasurable amount of joy that I send this note of greetings to the Kents Hill community as your new Assistant Head of School for Student Life. It is an honor to join this community that has already proven to be thoughtful, humble, and centered on people.

A little about me professionally: I come to Kents Hill with an expansive career in higher education. Over the course of the last 24 years, I have served in several student-facing roles at Brown University, Mount Holyoke College, and the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. Collectively, I have served as a dorm parent, residence hall director, summer program director, dean of students, and associate dean of the college. As a result, I have deep experience in student support, student discipline, student advising, training, and leadership development. In addition, I have advocated for a fun and inclusive student experience. My background also includes competencies and training in equity and inclusion, social justice mediation, and Title IX compliance.

Personally, I am New England born and raised. I’m the youngest of seven and the mom of an amazing 13-year-old who joined Kents Hill this fall. I love cooking and watching cooking shows, doing puzzles and brain games, debating taboo topics, and binge-watching anything Marvel and Star Wars.

What will I do at Kents Hill? I am the Assistant Head of School for Student Life. It’s my role to keep an eye on the school’s co-curricular program (leadership, clubs, and activities), athletics, equity and belonging programming, student accountability and discipline, health and wellness, and housing to make sure those systems are aligned to meet the dynamic needs and talents of our students. I also coordinate the PEAK programming, support the Advisory program, and partner with the Director of Diversity to oversee the Diversity, Equity, and Belonging team. I am working closely with the academic leadership team to seamlessly transition the four dimensions of our curriculum (knowledge, skills, character, and reflection) into the learning that happens outside of the classroom. Most importantly, I see myself as a place where students and families can turn to when they are unsure of where to go, or they have a need that straddles multiple resources.

Why did I choose Kents Hill? I was so impressed by Kents Hill's deep focus on developing the whole person. So many schools talk about holistic learning, but it is not present in their program. Student development is in Kents Hill’s DNA.

When I reflect on what brings me the most joy and satisfaction in my work, I turn to the times when I solve problems with students, support students in making meaning of their experience, and foster strong interpersonal connections across all identities. It is exciting and an honor to be Assistant Head of School for Student Life at a school that truthfully prioritizes equity and belonging, character development, and academic growth and excellence. I look forward to being in community with you all. ■ Warmly,

Rene Davis

Assistant Head of School for Student Life

196

STUDENTS

80+

COURSES

19

STATES

55/45

MALE/FEMALE RATIO

26

COUNTRIES

70/30

BOARDING/ DAY RATIO

55% O F STUDENTS RECEIVE FIN A N CIAL AID

30

CLUBS

$30KA VERAGE AID AWARD FOR B O ARDING

Admissions Update

A note from Alison Lincoln-Rich, Dean of Enrollment:

From the entire admissions team, we would like to thank you for all you do as alumni and families to support Kents Hill. I hope you had the chance to look through our new and exciting viewbook and plan to pass it along to someone you think would be a good fit with our community.

As we enter the 2022-23 admissions cycle, we are thinking of innovative ways to attract and engage prospective students and their families. Our Marketing and Admissions teams have joined in partnership with PeerPal.

PeerPal is a messaging service that connects prospective families with current Kents Hill families and alumni.

After improving our acceptance to enrollment yield this year by 30%, we can confidently say that word of mouth and authentic conversations are what guide students to enroll at Kents Hill.

Our admissions team aims to personally connect with every student that inquires, and PeerPal will make it easy to send customized chats, emails, and even videos throughout the process.

A key tool that comes with the PeerPal integration is the ability for prospective families to view profiles of our current families and initiate conversations about Kents Hill. This is especially helpful for any family who does not already have a connection to our community, and for those who may be hesitant to move forward.

Admissions is a community-wide effort, and we are so appreciative of the hard work of our families and alumni to build this special community. As we integrate PeerPal over the next few months, we are looking for parents and alumni who are willing to be one of our PeerPal connections. As our parents and alumni share their personal experiences, this service will help families choose Kents Hill over its competitors. ■

If you are interested in learning more about how to help us build this new network of communication, please contact me at alincolnrich@kentshill.org or 207-685-1647.