FACULTY PERSPECTIVE By Luke Anderson New Head of the Upper School Introducing: Mrs. Chris Mazzola C
omfortably settled into her new office on the Greenway Rise Campus, Chris Mazzola, St. Anne’s-Belfield School’s new
Head of the Upper School, smiles as she thinks about the year to come. “Any good school,” she says, “always keeps the students front and center.” Tough perhaps unwitting- ly, Chris succinctly summarizes her educa- tional philosophy: students first. Her twenty years as a teacher, coach, residential advisor, and administrator in Independent Schools gives credence to this pronouncement. Com- ing to us from the Tacher School in Ojai, California, where she was most recently the Director of Financial Aid, Chris brings with her a wealth of knowledge, experience, and personal conviction that will surely permeate the Upper School hallways and classrooms with a renewed sense of purpose.
Chris' passion for education was instilled at a young age. Te daughter of a Professor of Engineering and a First Grade teacher, she was encouraged to pursue teaching as a ca- reer path. “When I went off to college, both of my parents urged me to consider educa- tion,” Chris said. “As time went on, I began to consider the different things that I wanted to do, I found that I really enjoyed not only the education courses that I took, but the opportunities I had to teach as a language Teacher's Assistant, as a tennis instructor, and in student-teaching classes at the local high school.” Aſter deciding on pursuing the teaching profession during her junior year at Dartmouth, Chris went on to earn a Master's Degree in French from Vanderbilt University before being hired at Tacher as a French Teacher, tennis coach, and residential advisor. “Initially,” Chris said, “I was drawn to Tacher because it was a school where I could really be around kids 24/7 and could help guide them as they grew from their teenage years into young adulthood. It turned out to be a great gamble to pick this career so early in my life, because it is something I have truly loved and enjoyed.”
"Any good school always keeps the students front and center."
As Chris’ responsibility at Tacher grew, she found herself ready and eager to take on new challenges. She became a Department Chair, the school’s Dean of Students, and then the school’s Director of Financial Aid. Tese opportunities for growth kept her rooted to Tacher until she realized her desire to increase her leadership role by accepting a position at St. Anne’s-Belfield School. Upon setting foot on campus last spring for an ini- tial interview, Chris immediately tuned in to the sense of community that imbues our campuses. “Tere was a feeling surrounding this place,” she said. “It was in the way the faculty and students interacted with each other, which was very natural and showed a genuine fondness. Tere was a strong sense of shared values – that everyone was here to pursue the same ultimate goal, and that they were working towards it together. All of these things were very evident in the conversations I had with parents, faculty, and with the kids.
When you can visit a school and immediate- ly say ‘I want my kids to go here,’ it becomes very easy to say ‘I would like to work here,’ too.”
Since her arrival in July, Chris has made her passion for teaching and leading educators clearly felt. “It is all about the kids,” she said. “It is about the experiences that they have in school, and about teaching them a lifelong love of learning, an ability to reason in a moral way, the skills to go out into the world and contribute in a positive way, and the con- fidence to be competent members of society. For me, as a leader, my goal is to galvanize and lead the faculty in this collective goal – into doing everything we can, in partnership with parents, to help launch our students into adulthood. I think St. Anne's-Belfield School is already in such a good place that I am com- ing to a table that is set for wonderful success. I am very excited about the possibilities.”
ST. ANNE’S-BELFIELD SCHOOL – 25
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