Head of School
“The deep sense of belonging so many feel at KUA is rooted in those connections that we make to one another.”
Living Deeply in the Present
T
he start of a new calendar year is always an
of life at KUA: our faculty and students. One of my
appropriate time to look in both directions:
most professionally gratifying experiences of the
back at the year just completed and forward to the
past year was to work with a group of faculty and
opportunities that lay ahead. While redefining our
students to find the words to capture KUA’s essence
experiences within a new set of health protocols
and the impact a KUA experience has on a student.
and guidelines has been an essential priority during
The process is outlined in an article later in the
the past 20 months, it has not prevented us from
magazine, and the outcome is a statement that has
also scanning the horizon and looking out to what
authentically resonated throughout our community
the future holds for Kimball Union.
and served as a solid foundation to our subsequent
When I reflect on 2021, the milestones that led
work on building strategy and navigating our ac-
up to our in-person graduation for the Class of 2021
creditation. In this issue, you will hear our mission
and the outstanding start to the 2021-22 school year
being lived through the voices of student Sebastian
are filled with experiences and challenges that we
Morris ’22, faculty member Alexis Liston ’03, and
celebrate daily. While we lit up the stage in Flick
alumna Katrina Spade ’95, as well as others within
and sent multiple teams off to NEPSAC tourna-
our community.
ments, we were also able to articulate our central
Here on campus, our students continue to lead
mission as a school while simultaneously living it
our community as they find their voices, embrace
out. During student-led initiatives that expanded
the tradition and history of the Academy, and put
our community service and addressed issues of
their own twist on campus life as every class has
equity in our community, we also pioneered a new
done before them. On January 8, we gathered
approach to the accreditation process and crafted a
outside the Stu and held a ceremonial dropping of
strategic plan that will guide our decision-making
the ball and fireworks show to mark and celebrate
and evolution for years to come. Throughout our
our return after winter break. The deep sense of
break, I reflected that living deeply in the present
belonging so many feel at KUA is rooted in those
moment while thoughtfully thinking about the
connections that we make to one another—and
future is a nice metaphor for how we approached
never has that been more alive than it is today.
the year gone by.
Happy New Year.
K
One of the most challenging exercises for a dynamic, diverse community of extremely inter-connected people is to succinctly articulate who
TYLER LEWIS
Head of School
we are through our mission. It is a process that we entrusted to those who are experiencing the depth
FALL/WINTER ����
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