Meg Bradley Takes a Bow

Meg Bradley made history when she was appointed as Santa Catalina’s first lay head of school in 2016. Fittingly, she guided the school through truly historic times. In her six years at the helm, the world around Catalina experienced political, social, and economic upheaval, not to mention a global pandemic. Through it all, Meg ensured that Catalina remained a safe and welcoming place where students could thrive and become the people they are meant to be.

During her tenure, she oversaw the completion of Catalina’s largestever capital campaign and the creation of a strategic plan that will carry the school into the future. She helped usher in improvements to learning spaces, expansion of academic programs, and a strengthening of efforts to center students’ health and wellness. Now, as she heads into retirement, Meg looks back on the moments that meant the most to her and the aspects of Catalina she will hold on to long after she leaves the Hacienda.

HOW HAS YOUR LEADERSHIP EVOLVED DURING YOUR TENURE? I have learned how essential it is to listen, which when combined with informed action, creates worthy outcomes. The lived experience of leading a school is what I imagine it is like to direct an orchestra. Incredibly wonderful outcomes manifest when an individual or team is identified, listened to, and guided and supported. Creating occasions for open, spontaneous exchanges of ideas has made possible the many unique academic and co-curricular programs offered by Catalina. I have especially enjoyed collaborating with individuals to find just the right role for their developing career and to support their aspirations.

It has been a treasure and a challenge to have served as the first lay head of school. Catalina is distinguished by a rich and vibrant academic program and culture where we celebrate our diversity, where we teach and model for our students the value of service to others, and where we put great value on teaching young people the importance of relationships. The treasure: I was invited to lead a school with a deeply ingrained welcoming culture that promotes learning, which is the Sisters’ legacy. The challenge, of course, has been to live up to the promise of the position and to follow such truly exceptional women.

AS YOU REFLECT ON THE PAST FEW YEARS, WHAT HAS IT BEEN LIKE TO LEAD CATALINA DURING THE PANDEMIC? To lead this outstanding school, after a lifelong career in education, has been the most rewarding, exhilarating, challenging, and joyful source of fulfillment for me. Every day, I am surrounded by teachers, staff, and volunteers on a mission to provide the very best education to Catalina students. So when the pandemic changed our lives, it naturally followed that the Catalina community rallied around two key goals: the effective delivery of our academic program and how best to safely return to school. I am reminded of this quote:

"A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor." — Franklin D. Roosevelt

There were few smooth seas over the past few years. At the same time, there has been so much learning. The upside to leading Catalina during a pandemic is that it fostered and deepened our reliance on each other. There were many questions and so few ready answers; it was vitally important to work together to seek answers, to nimbly adjust and revise, and, most important, to communicate our plans. We have adapted and learned new ways to live and to learn. It has been a daily exercise in collaboration, grace, and leadership by every division and grade and across all programs.

WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE CATALINA TRADITIONS? Our head and hearts are the most important real estate we have, and Catalina traditions and events put both into action. I particularly like the traditions that are distinctive to Catalina—some with humor, some filled with beauty, and some filled with learning. If you have not attended a Lower and Middle School Pumpkin Olympics, I suggest you do; with great dignity, the students parade onto the field with their Compass houses, then enjoy a fun-filled afternoon engaging in creative relay games. Chapel services and, in particular, the Candlelight Mass and Christmas caroling led by our talented choirs and musicians, are profoundly moving. The opening night of any play or performance is a must, as is gathering at the entrance to the Hacienda for a photograph. I particularly love Catalina’s tradition of sportsmanship shown by our athletes and in the daily ways that Catalina students show pride in the accomplishments of their peers.

A tradition that took on very special meaning for me was the presentation of the 2021 Sister Carlotta Distinguished Service Award to all faculty and staff. It was given in the spirit of the Santa Catalina way of community, camaraderie, and collegiality, and to honor outstanding dedication and perseverance under the extraordinary circumstances of the pandemic. There is a lovely curved bench on the front lawn inscribed with these words:

"In honor of Sister Carlotta, this will be the highest Santa Catalina recognition to which our faculty and staff will aspire. The Board of Trustees presented the 2021 Sister Carlotta Distinguished Service Award to all Faculty and Staff members for their outstanding perseverance under extraordinary circumstances in 2021."

WHAT ARE THE GREATEST CHALLENGES FACING STUDENTS TODAY? Veritas—truth—is the motto of Santa Catalina School. Equipping students with the skills and knowledge to identify accurate sources of information is key, along with training students to effectively communicate with those who have differing beliefs. These habits of mind are powerful tools in the search for truth and in finding thoughtful answers to complex questions. This is critically important today with knowledge of the world spread virally and from an infinite number of sources.

Today’s students are facing a world filled with the potential to enhance daily life from scientific breakthroughs along with the challenge of finding solutions to the devastating prospect of climate change. I am profoundly hopeful about the promise shown by this generation of students. If COVID-19 demonstrated anything, it showed us that these young people have the ability to work through challenges and to hold themselves accountable for their work, even at the youngest age.

Catalina students elect to serve in response to today’s challenges. A favorite part of my day is attending morning assemblies. Students share the vast array of ways they are learning as they serve each other and the community and gain “a sense of responsible purpose and a determination to serve the world with courage, grace, and compassion.” It is another example of our mission in action as students demonstrate their contagious and inspiring love of others. Imagine a world led by these future leaders, one filled with grace, and you cannot be anything but filled with optimism for our future.

WHAT HAVE YOU ENJOYED THE MOST DURING YOUR TIME AS HEAD OF SCHOOL? It’s the people. I’ll start with the students. Walk the campus and you will always encounter students with a ready smile and a warm hello. There is a joy for learning and self-discovery supported by teachers who know their strengths, challenges, and interests. From their earliest moments on campus, students are invited to be present; it is the Catalina way, and it is truly welcoming.

I could not imagine working with a more capable, devoted group of teachers and staff. Favorite moments include informal gatherings and meals. I so enjoyed the opportunity to share in rich, varied conversations about big ideas, educational trends, books, travel, and of course about PreKindergarten to grade 12 education. Add to this the many volunteers who give so generously of their wisdom and time. The time shared by volunteers of all stripes—from trustees to parents to alums—helps create the secret sauce that distinguishes Santa Catalina.

A few more cherished memories: The daily random acts of kindness extended by members of our community. Living on campus with the plentiful and varied opportunities to connect with students and adults, including my favorite opportunity: spontaneous conversations. Early morning walks around school, where the striking beauty reveals the extraordinary efforts made by our grounds and maintenance staff to care for and preserve the campus. The bookend experiences of attending graduations, starting with kindergarten, where students are bursting with pride to the great joy and satisfaction of their teachers and families.

TELL US ABOUT SOME OF THE STRATEGIC PLAN GOALS. I had the honor of working with the Board of Trustees and faculty to craft the 2020 Strategic Plan. It is designed with a concentration on four main areas: Academic and Co-curricular Programs, People and Community, Physical Environment and Place, and Santa Catalina’s Enduring Legacy. The foundation of this plan is built around Catalina’s core values, including our particular academic approach, our belief in a responsibility to serve others, and our welcoming spirit toward all students, who we believe learn best in a loving, supportive community.

Our strategic goals related to the people and community of Catalina include our diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts. Members of the Board and school leaders rallied around the goal of becoming educated about what it means—today—to be an inclusive community. We recognized that to meet our strategic goals and be intentional about our work to attract and retain a diverse community of trustees, faculty, staff, and students, we would need to listen and learn. In 2021, we identified several consultants to help guide trustees, faculty, and staff in meeting our governance, curricular, and community goals. Board Chair Laura Lyon Gaon ’81 established a Board DEI committee chaired by Kate Brinks Lathen ’96. The Board’s focus has been to create a long-term strategy to recruit a representative and diverse group of individuals to serve on the Board.

Board members and then all employees attended a workshop presented by educator Dr. Derrick Gay about ways to further advance justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion at Santa Catalina, and how to translate our insights into action. Members of the Board as well as school leaders were grateful to attend a workshop led by educator Dr. Liza Talusan, who designed a session around creating an inclusive school community as we work to attract and retain a diverse student population for the benefit of all. This compels our division heads and school leaders to maintain a continual process of reviewing and updating our curricular offerings. Finally, another important priority that we are working on is to recruit, develop, and retain a diverse community of faculty and staff. Santa Catalina is indeed fortunate that Dr. Barbara Ostos will be leading this effort going forward.

WHAT IS YOUR ONE WISH FOR CATALINA’S FUTURE? That every Catalina student is well-prepared to become the person he or she is meant to be.

WHAT DO YOU PLAN TO DO AFTER YOU LEAVE CATALINA? We lived most of our adult lives in New Orleans and California, which we have loved. As I retire, we plan to move to Asheville, North Carolina, to be closer to our East Coast family, with a milder winter. We look forward to spending lots of time with our children and with our very large, connected family, and especially with our grandson, Isaac. We plan to travel, learn, and discover ways to be of service. George and I wish to express our heartfelt gratitude for the remarkable opportunity to be a part of the Santa Catalina community as we look forward to welcoming Dr. Barbara Ostos as the fifth Head of School.

A Fond Farewell

From Laura Lyon Gaon ’81, Chair, Santa Catalina Board of Trustees

They say ignorance is bliss. I prefer something like, the unknown is courageous, and an adventure! Imagine, for a moment, what it would have been like to follow in the footsteps of the sisters of Santa Catalina School. These extraordinary pioneers literally had a calling, the highest calling, to educate children—the calling of a Dominican Sister. Well, Meg Bradley had a dream, a vision for herself to be the head of a school, to align her training and passion for leadership with a school that spoke to her values and vision. In her six years at Santa Catalina, Meg proved herself a worthy successor.

I love this quote by Pope John XXlll: “Consult not your fears but your hopes and dreams. Think not about your frustrations, but about your unfulfilled potential. Concern yourself not with what you tried and failed in, but with what it is still possible for you to do.” This reminds me of Meg: always willing to learn, to listen, to be bold, and to compromise when needed.

Saying farewell and thank you is no small task, and one I do not take lightly. We are not always lucky enough to be able to plan our goodbyes, so I am grateful for this opportunity to reflect on this amazing journey of working with Ms. Meg Bradley.

These past three years for me as board chair have been a journey of epic proportions. Meg and I began a routine of meeting weekly, our Google agenda at hand, and more frequently if needed. We only had two in-person board meetings before COVID-19 sent us into our Zoom world of remote everything.

In those first six months, I managed to stick my foot in my mouth a few times, and I learned early on that Meg was going to call me on it. I so appreciated her candor when it came to our communication. We have the ability to share and listen and consider each other’s viewpoints and suggestions with respect and sincerity. I know that a strong working relationship can be hard to come by, and when it’s great, it makes the tasks at hand seem more manageable.

Once we got into the groove of Zoom, it was back to high productivity in all things Catalina. It was always astounding to me how Meg could remain calm and determined under the craziest of circumstances. The eternal optimist. I saw this saying recently, “Wherever you go, no matter the weather, always bring your own sunshine.” This could be Meg’s motto.

Meg was a great reflection for me. We both had the chance to really see who we are under pressure, and together, we thoughtfully and carefully chose our outcomes as best we could. Of course, Meg surrounded herself with a great team, as did I with the board of trustees. I never felt like I was alone in this journey; Meg has been steadfast and true.

As I looked back over our agendas and notes of these past three years, I was both overwhelmed and inspired. I have the utmost respect for Meg: She does not have short-timer syndrome, nor is she a lame duck. She is giving 100 percent to the end, guiding us all to our next chapter with grace and style.

Meg leaves an extraordinary legacy in the story of Santa Catalina. She moved us forward, stewarded us through many trials and tribulations, and came out with her sunny and breezy disposition intact. As Maya Angelou once said, “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

I thank Meg for her leadership, her friendship, her counseling services, and her eternal optimism. She made me a stronger, more confident leader.

In the immortal words of Winnie the Pooh, “How lucky I am to have someone that makes saying goodbye so hard.”