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College Counseling

Harley’s Approach to College Counseling is highly individualized and student-centered. Students have direct access to college counselors throughout their Upper School experience, but really, each student is part of a team including faculty, administration, and staff. It’s our job to support each student and we want nothing more than to send students on to the next step of their journey at a right fit school for them. The student centered and driven process is wrapped in care, expertise, and professionalism.

We host college reps during times students are available (no need to miss a class) so they can make connections and learn more about potential schools. We also arrange campus visits for classes as field trips, host an alumni college day (where recent Upper School graduates return to share advice and answer questions), and help connect students with our international alumni network. In fact, representatives from schools all over the world actively seek opportunities to come to Harley and meet with our students!

Our college counselors are accredited and are part of national/global conversations on admission trends. They also attend and present at conferences across the country.

Beginning with our Grade 11 parent night, we offer informational sessions for parents, including one devoted just to financial aid. Our partnership with families is critical, as the college admissions world changes very quickly and having an expert to guide students and families through the process is essential.

View the downloadable College Counseling Guide

Clubs

“Club Rush” is an afternoon every fall in the Upper School when students have the chance to sign up for clubs for the year, and each year it is very different because new clubs are created based on student initiative and enthusiasm.

A few of this year’s choices: Sports Media, Social Action Club, Journalism Club, Feminism Club, Student of Color & Allies (SOCA), Gay-Straight Alliance, Tri M (music honor society), E-Sports Club, Euchre, Key Club (service), Animation Club, Dungeons & Dragons, Sustainability Club, Jewish Cultural Club, Astronomy Club, Biomimicry, and Beyond Soup (social justice/service).

Athletics

​Each and every year, students at The Harley School participate in HAC Athletics, and their success continues to be impressive, both as students and athletes. Our athletic program is an integral part of Harley, teaching student-athletes invaluable lessons about teamwork, time management, persistence, and competition.  Our program allows them to develop physically, mentally, socially, and emotionally as they represent their school on and off the field. They grow, mature, and work hard to be the best teammate they can, while creating lifelong memories with teammates who often remain friends for life. 

Helping our athletes to reach their potential are some of HAC’s best assets: our coaches. More often than not, they are drawn from the ranks of our faculty and  have a deep understanding of the personalities and abilities of the student-athletes on their teams.  

We strive to find the right balance of academics, exercise, and personal growth for everyone.  By offering a variety of sports at many different levels, all student-athletes find a sport they can be successful in. It is with great pride and pleasure that my team and I work to enrich the athletic lives of all our HAC student-athletes. Go Wolves! 

To learn more check out our athletics page.

Student Leadership

Our Upper School is filled with formal and informal opportunities for students to take on leadership roles. Whether following passions or learning new skills, student-driven opportunities take many shapes.

– Independent study: one trimester, full year, and multi-year projects have included automating our solar chimneys, coding handmade musical instruments, or developing a class on financial literacy for underserved high school students.

– Serving on student council

– STEM: Climate curriculum program, biomimicry program, NASA Hunch program

Clubs

“Club Rush” is an afternoon every fall in the Upper School when students have the chance to sign up for clubs for the year, and each year it is very different because new clubs are created based on student initiative and enthusiasm.

A few of this year’s choices: Sports Media, Social Action Club, Journalism Club, Feminism Club, Student of Color & Allies (SOCA), Gay-Straight Alliance, Tri M (music honor society), E-Sports Club, Euchre, Key Club (service), Animation Club, Dungeons & Dragons, Sustainability Club, Jewish Cultural Club, Astronomy Club, Biomimicry, and Beyond Soup (social justice/service).

Hospice

Unlike this class, death is not an elective. Although it is one of two universal human experiences, our culture often ignores, denies, or misconstrues the true nature of death and dying. What happens when we bear witness to this natural process in the cycle of life and develop our ability to be fully present with others when they need us more than ever? It has the potential to change us deeply and fundamentally while shining a brilliant light on the path of our own lives.

With the support of their classmates, teacher, and comfort care home communities, senior students are offered the chance to care for others who truly need their purposeful, non-judgmental attention. In the home-like setting of a comfort care home, opportunities for learning extend beyond a traditional classroom rubric and conventional methods of evaluation. In this course, students will certainly find tangible “learning outcomes” by studying the medical/physical processes associated with dying and the basic nursing assistant skills of comfort care. The ultimate goal, however, will always be rooted in true relationships and connection, which occurs only through empathy and compassion.

Learn more about the Hospice Program at Harley HERE.

Capstone/Independent Studies

This program utilizes environmentally-focused approaches to education and hands-on learning in order to foster the next generation of leaders through a lens of sustainability and problem-solving.

Food & Farm: These year-long and trimester-long classes are held outside as much as possible, allowing students to become leaders in our various growing spaces. They cover environmental justice issues as well as hands-on work such as planning and overseeing planting, harvesting, and preparation of the gardens.

Past year-long focus projects have included: Creating a native plant shade garden in the Wild Wood area, redesigning our hydroponic system, overhauling Harley’s high tunnel, and improving the irrigation system for the MicroFarm.

Culinary Arts: These classes have a two-fold purpose: to give students practical skills in cooking and the science behind different techniques in the kitchen, learning about food justice, food sourcing, labor topics, and sustainability.

Past topics have included: Examining a plant-based diet, looking at the carbon footprint of different meals and food preparation methods, proposing a low carbon footprint menu to the dining hall, links between food labeling and environmental issues of food production.

Beekeeping: This one trimester class provides hands-on training in beekeeping, how to be a beekeeper, and safety and other techniques for working with bees. Once trained students help with all aspects of Harley beekeeping such as hive inspections, honey collection and extraction, and teaching students in Lower School about our hives.

Students pick a research topic addressing honeybee health and the larger environmental picture.

Social Justice

At Harley, our students learn how to evaluate social systems in order to identify complex problems in society through a lens of social justice. They take a hands-on approach to working for a fair, equitable society by researching, exploring and evaluating different perspectives, and offering solutions—both theoretical and practical.

Our faculty integrate social justice into our broader curriculum to assist students in gaining a foundational knowledge about what makes a democracy function. By gaining skills in ideating supportive pathways they become more exposed and experienced to how communities can undergo healing and restorative actions.

 

Capstone/Independent Studies

Students may create independent studies with supervising teachers throughout their Upper School experience or, during Grade 12, they can design Capstone projects—intensive collaborations with Harley faculty and off-campus mentors—involving rigorous academic study and culminating in public presentations. They are empowered to create their own curriculum, set goals, and work on time management skills in order to accomplish their objectives.

Independent Studies run the gamut from The Psychology of Sports to Furniture Design to The Neuroimaging of Alzheimer’s Disease. Capstones, meanwhile, are as diverse as the students who pursue them: Fictional Rochester, Autobiographical Art, Biomimicry Education, Organic Fuel, and Rochester Refugees. 

Indicative of Upper School curiosity and creativity, pursuits such as these distinguish our graduates in college. Through deep dives of this sort, Harley students master more than speaking, writing, and computing: they learn to communicate, advocate, collaborate, organize, listen, and empathize. 

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Joy Moss: Storytelling Roots

In Every Issue

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Diane Donniger Award

By the Numbers

From the Archives

What’s (Who’s) New at Harley

Divisional Highlights

Alumni Profile: Vandebroek

Alumni Profiles: Keller

HAC Athletics

2021 Lives of Great Purpose Awards

1000 Words

Commencement 2022

Reunion 2022

In Memoriam

Retirements and Fond Farewells

Retirements

Marilyn Fenster

by Kim Bednarcyk, P ’04
Nursery Teacher

Marilyn Fenster taught in P2 for five years, then left to work as a career counselor. However, the allure of Harley called her back—she spent the next 33 years doing what she loved most, for a grand total of 37.

I watched Marilyn model how to be a master teacher and embody all the attributes we expect in a Harley graduate. She spent most of her career in Primary B, then became a learning specialist. She was dedicated to every student she taught and maintains relationships with many of them to this day. It didn’t matter to her if they were at the top of the class or needed support, Marilyn would move mountains for them.

Marilyn is the ultimate student herself. She devoured books that helped her to learn new ways of teaching, and there wasn’t a workshop she wouldn’t attend. 

She served on more committees than I can count and was happy to tour alumni or usher for Commencement. Marilyn taught for years in the Horizons at Harley program and concluded her teaching career as an instructor in the Harley@Home remote program. 

In my opinion, Marilyn IS Harley!

Sandy Foster, P ’19, ’19

by Kim McDowell
Head of Upper School

Having joined the Harley faculty in 1997, history department stalwart Sandy Foster departed after 25 years at Harley. An Americanist at heart, Sandy has taught an array of courses that have included Dissent in the U.S., Industrial America, American Popular Culture, and AP United States History.

In keeping with independent school tradition, Sandy’s interests span many academic and extracurricular disciplines. He has been a member of the bass section of both Choir and Vocal Chords, ably assisting long-time Harley Music Department Chair Ben Burroughs with both ensembles. For years, Sandy coached HAC cross- country teams to both growth and success. In addition to running, Mr. Foster has been the anchor of Harley’s highly decorated forensics teams. Throughout his tenure, Upper School students have annually qualified for national competitions. Travel to these tournaments has long been funded by proceeds raised from Foster’s beloved “Forensics Friday” with home-cooked breakfasts sold to hordes of hungry Upper Schoolers.

Nancy Lindquist

by Terry Smith
Head of Lower School

Nancy has been a strong and positive influence at Harley for 39 years, always placing the student experience at the center of her joyful work.  

Nancy began her time at Harley coordinating the Extended Day program, directed Day Camp under Bob Joslyn, worked in the Lower School library and Grade 2 for a few years, and spent the majority of her career in the 4-year-old Nursery program (Nursery Blue). She was instrumental in the historical fight for fair pay for equal work between genders and teachers at all levels, resulting in the equitable step scale we now use when hiring.  

In short, it’s hard to imagine Harley without Nancy, but her lasting legacy will be felt even when she is no longer here on a daily basis.

Ken Motsenbocker

by Larry Frye
Head of School

When Ken Motsenbocker retired, a group of trustees banded together to raise money for a cause they knew would mean a great deal to him. This effort came to be informally known as “Ten for Ken,” with the hope of raising $100,000 to endow a First Line Initiative scholarship in Ken’s name. I remember loving the idea and the affectionate energy behind this effort, but also thought to myself it was going to be tough to reach this goal. I had seen this sort of effort fizzle in the past. 

I was wrong. People came out of the woodwork wanting to honor Ken in this way, knowing of his enormous contributions to Harley and his commitment to making a Harley education accessible for all children. There is now a First Line Initiative scholarship in honor of Ken. 

Ken earned this respect and affection during his roughly 13 years at Harley in lots of different ways. First and foremost, he and others oversaw the strongest financial period in the school’s history, consistently running balanced budgets while also upgrading and expanding our facilities, paying down long-term debt, and overseeing the growth of the school’s endowment. But, just as importantly, while he exercised that financial acumen on Harley’s behalf, he always kept the students at the center of his thinking. Ken would happily advocate for spending if it was for the students’ benefit. 

His team-first sense of joy and fun made Ken a wonderful colleague—we all picture him, not so much wearing a tie at a Finance Committee meeting, but with his sleeves rolled up in the school’s kitchen or helping out on the Lower School playground. Here’s to more time in kitchens and on playgrounds for our old friend, Ken Motsenbocker.

Cheryl Skiba, P ’08

by Kirsten Allen Reader ’90
Director of Enrollment
& Financial Aid

Cheryl joined Harley in 1984 on Grandparents’ Day and left in May of 2022 to be a grandparent and caregiver to her beautiful new grandson, Alexander.   

Cheryl began as the Admissions Assistant as well as the Registrar for the entire school. The woman she replaced was already gone, so she learned the ropes from none other than our very own Ruth Ewell. In the 38 years Cheryl has been at Harley, she has worked with eight Directors of Admissions/Enrollment, and twice (when we were between Directors) she did the entire job by herself. 

First impressions in life are incredibly important, and what a great impression we were able to give with Cheryl representing us. She has spoken to every family we have had the honor to educate. In those years, she completed 18,205 enrollments and re-enrollments. 

Needless to say, Harley has benefited greatly from her hard work, positive attitude, impeccable grammar skills, dedication to precise data, and strong work ethic. Cheryl has a wonderful sense of humor, is graceful and kind, and exhibits exquisite accuracy. She is an accomplished needlepoint artist as well as baker. She is loved by many, and she has been incredibly valuable to me in the past few years.

Sue “Trixie” Vaccaro
by Vicki Pasternak
Director of Dining Services

Sue (“Trixie”) Vaccaro retired after working at Harley for 16 years. She began her career developing our extensive salad bar, helping with special events, working in the dishroom, and pitching in with a wide variety of duties, including as a painter for maintenance during back-to-school preparation.

Her dedication, strong work ethic, and creativity were an asset to the lunch program. She always had a ready smile for students and faculty/staff alike. Sue turned our menu board into an amazing piece of artistry every day. She tantalized our palates over the years with her culinary skills, including from-scratch soups and other delicious dishes. She was never afraid to jump in and try a new recipe, hoping it would be well received by the community! 

Sue’s greatest joy is her family: her husband Frank, her sons and daughters, as well as her grandchildren (including two recent arrivals) of whom she is very proud. 

She will be missed!

Marilyn Fenster

by Kim Bednarcyk, P ’04
Nursery Teacher

Marilyn Fenster taught in P2 for five years, then left to work as a career counselor. However, the allure of Harley called her back—she spent the next 33 years doing what she loved most, for a grand total of 37.

I watched Marilyn model how to be a master teacher and embody all the attributes we expect in a Harley graduate. She spent most of her career in Primary B, then became a learning specialist. She was dedicated to every student she taught and maintains relationships with many of them to this day. It didn’t matter to her if they were at the top of the class or needed support, Marilyn would move mountains for them.

Marilyn is the ultimate student herself. She devoured books that helped her to learn new ways of teaching, and there wasn’t a workshop she wouldn’t attend. 

She served on more committees than I can count and was happy to tour alumni or usher for Commencement. Marilyn taught for years in the Horizons at Harley program and concluded her teaching career as an instructor in the Harley@Home remote program. 

In my opinion, Marilyn IS Harley!

Having joined the Harley faculty in 1997, history department stalwart Sandy Foster departed after 25 years at Harley. An Americanist at heart, Sandy has taught an array of courses that have included Dissent in the U.S., Industrial America, American Popular Culture, and AP United States History.

In keeping with independent school tradition, Sandy’s interests span many academic and extracurricular disciplines. He has been a member of the bass section of both Choir and Vocal Chords, ably assisting long-time Harley Music Department Chair Ben Burroughs with both ensembles. For years, Sandy coached HAC cross- country teams to both growth and success. In addition to running, Mr. Foster has been the anchor of Harley’s highly decorated forensics teams. Throughout his tenure, Upper School students have annually qualified for national competitions. Travel to these tournaments has long been funded by proceeds raised from Foster’s beloved “Forensics Friday” with home-cooked breakfasts sold to hordes of hungry Upper Schoolers.

Sandy Foster, P ’19, ’19

by Kim McDowell
Head of Upper School

Nancy Lindquist

by Terry Smith
Head of Lower School

Nancy has been a strong and positive influence at Harley for 39 years, always placing the student experience at the center of her joyful work.  

Nancy began her time at Harley coordinating the Extended Day program, directed Day Camp under Bob Joslyn, worked in the Lower School library and Grade 2 for a few years, and spent the majority of her career in the 4-year-old Nursery program (Nursery Blue). She was instrumental in the historical fight for fair pay for equal work between genders and teachers at all levels, resulting in the equitable step scale we now use when hiring.  

In short, it’s hard to imagine Harley without Nancy, but her lasting legacy will be felt even when she is no longer here on a daily basis.

When Ken Motsenbocker retired, a group of trustees banded together to raise money for a cause they knew would mean a great deal to him. This effort came to be informally known as “Ten for Ken,” with the hope of raising $100,000 to endow a First Line Initiative scholarship in Ken’s name. I remember loving the idea and the affectionate energy behind this effort, but also thought to myself it was going to be tough to reach this goal. I had seen this sort of effort fizzle in the past. 

I was wrong. People came out of the woodwork wanting to honor Ken in this way, knowing of his enormous contributions to Harley and his commitment to making a Harley education accessible for all children. There is now a First Line Initiative scholarship in honor of Ken. 

Ken earned this respect and affection during his roughly 13 years at Harley in lots of different ways. First and foremost, he and others oversaw the strongest financial period in the school’s history, consistently running balanced budgets while also upgrading and expanding our facilities, paying down long-term debt, and overseeing the growth of the school’s endowment. But, just as importantly, while he exercised that financial acumen on Harley’s behalf, he always kept the students at the center of his thinking. Ken would happily advocate for spending if it was for the students’ benefit. 

His team-first sense of joy and fun made Ken a wonderful colleague—we all picture him, not so much wearing a tie at a Finance Committee meeting, but with his sleeves rolled up in the school’s kitchen or helping out on the Lower School playground. Here’s to more time in kitchens and on playgrounds for our old friend, Ken Motsenbocker.

Ken Motsenbocker

by Larry Frye
Head of School

Cheryl Skiba, P ’08

by Kirsten Allen Reader ’90
Director of Enrollment
& Financial Aid

Cheryl joined Harley in 1984 on Grandparents’ Day and left in May of 2022 to be a grandparent and caregiver to her beautiful new grandson, Alexander.   

Cheryl began as the Admissions Assistant as well as the Registrar for the entire school. The woman she replaced was already gone, so she learned the ropes from none other than our very own Ruth Ewell. In the 38 years Cheryl has been at Harley, she has worked with eight Directors of Admissions/Enrollment, and twice (when we were between Directors) she did the entire job by herself. 

First impressions in life are incredibly important, and what a great impression we were able to give with Cheryl representing us. She has spoken to every family we have had the honor to educate. In those years, she completed 18,205 enrollments and re-enrollments. 

Needless to say, Harley has benefited greatly from her hard work, positive attitude, impeccable grammar skills, dedication to precise data, and strong work ethic. Cheryl has a wonderful sense of humor, is graceful and kind, and exhibits exquisite accuracy. She is an accomplished needlepoint artist as well as baker. She is loved by many, and she has been incredibly valuable to me in the past few years.

Sue (“Trixie”) Vaccaro retired after working at Harley for 16 years. She began her career developing our extensive salad bar, helping with special events, working in the dishroom, and pitching in with a wide variety of duties, including as a painter for maintenance during back-to-school preparation.

Her dedication, strong work ethic, and creativity were an asset to the lunch program. She always had a ready smile for students and faculty/staff alike. Sue turned our menu board into an amazing piece of artistry every day. She tantalized our palates over the years with her culinary skills, including from-scratch soups and other delicious dishes. She was never afraid to jump in and try a new recipe, hoping it would be well received by the community! 

Sue’s greatest joy is her family: her husband Frank, her sons and daughters, as well as her grandchildren (including two recent arrivals) of whom she is very proud. 

She will be missed!

Sue “Trixie” Vaccaro
by Vicki Pasternak
Director of Dining Services

and we bid a fond farewell to:

Whitney Brice

by Larry Frye
Head of School

Last Spring, Whitney Brice, after five years as Director of Development at Harley, transitioned out of that important role in order to spend more time caring for her aging parents.

Whitney has a ton to be proud of in her tenure at Harley. During her time as director of development, the school launched the most ambitious fundraising campaign in our history, exceeding the goal by an amazing 40 percent. She had a key role in the creation and funding of the faculty endowment; the beautiful new spaces at school (Moore/Brown Center for Creative Media, Winslow Natural Playground & Outdoor Learning Center, and the Peckham Wellness Center); and the First Line Initiative and the Hardship Fund. She grew the Harley Fund by some 40 percent (aiming for 50 percent this year). We at Harley have told ourselves a story for years, one where we say, “We aren’t good at raising money.” Harley needed a new story, and Whitney has played a key role in that change in our school’s culture. Personally, Whitney helped me understand this (then new-to-me) part of being a Head of School, and I am grateful for her guidance and good teaching. We are thankful for all that Whitney has done for Harley and wish her all the best.

Jocie Kopfman ’09
by Kim McDowell
Head of Upper School
A proud alumna from the Harley Class of 2009, Jocie went on to earn degrees from the College of Wooster and the University of Rochester. Her work has focused on many facets of civil rights, equity, and fairness. As such, Jocie’s integrity and passion is without rival.  

Although technically assigned to the Upper School, Jocie has successfully straddled the bridge between the Middle and Upper Schools throughout her time at Harley. Under the broad title of “commons educator,” Jocie’s role has evolved to include capstone programming in both divisions, as well as Health 10 and Grade 9 “Rights and Responsibilities.” This latter course, with its local advocacy component, has become a cornerstone of the Upper School experience. In addition to teaching, advising, and coaching, Jocie has taken leadership roles on both the board-level and on internal DEI committees; moreover, she has been a mentor to the Upper School student council. Always, Jocie has been eager to collaborate with team teaching.  

We will miss Jocie’s principled approach and her fearless voice as she begins graduate school.

Lars Kuelling, P ’18, ’20

by Larry Frye
Head of School

Lars Kuelling, Harley’s Academic Dean and then Assistant Head of School, has assumed the position of Head of School at the Ojai Valley School in beautiful Ojai, California. Lars has been an important contributor to our school community for the past six years.

He helped strengthen Harley’s approach to student mental health and wellness; promoted diversity, equity, and inclusion work; bolstered faculty voice and leadership; headed a self-study and accreditation process; and shepherded us through some difficult changes such as remote learning, a return to school during Covid-19, and even the “merger-not-merger.”

Lars has been a source of great insight and perspective, and his experience and quick mind have helped us tackle many of the challenges that have come our way. He helped turn those challenges into something that we all, together, could manage. 

Lars has much to be proud of in his time at 1981 Clover Street, and he and his wonderful family—
Sadie
(a member of the class of 2021), Aiden, Tate, and Patty—should always think of Harley as home.

Peter Mancuso
by Larry Frye
Head of School

What a contribution Peter has made to our community and to the HAC family! After 24 years at Harley, 20 of those as Athletic Director (AD), Peter has balanced coaching varsity sports (swimming and baseball) and teaching physical education classes with the responsibilities of AD. At least one HAC team has won a sectional title in every one of Peter’s years as Athletic Director, and HAC has won 10 NYSPHSAA School of Distinction Awards. Peter also helped add boys’ and girls’ bowling and girls’ golf to the HAC program.

Outside of Harley, Peter served on the Section V executive council as the chair of Finger Lakes Golf and Baseball and as Section V’s Class D swimming and diving chair. Just last year, Peter was a member of Section V’s Athletic Council and served as the vice-president of the Finger Lakes Athletic Association.

As a teacher and coach, Peter loves the underdog. He is moved when student-athletes who have been struggling find their stride, or when perseverance pays off, even in small victories. Peter always values academic and personal growth over athletic prowess or the win-loss record, putting the education of the child first. Peter, of course, will always be a dear friend to Harley and HAC, and for that we are grateful.

Kim McDowell
by Larry Frye
Head of School

This summer, Kim McDowell made the decision to resign from her post as Upper School Head. Kim came to Harley some 20 years ago to teach English; when I came just a few years later, Kim was already part of the bedrock of the Upper School. Over time, Kim became chair of the English department, then director of college counseling, and finally Head of the Upper School. She is adored by her colleagues and universally respected at the school. 

Excellent teacher, exceptional athlete, gorgeous writer, terrific administrator, devoted cat mom, Kim has been a wonderful member of the Harley community. As Head of the Upper School, she led the faculty and students through the pandemic—from going remote to reentry to the living-with-Covid period—all with grace, empathy and intelligence. Students and teachers alike felt supported and known by Kim, and that made the wonderful innovations in the Upper School—from student capstones to the climate-change curriculum to the new advising program—all possible. 

Kim has been and remains a wonderful friend to Harley and to each of us as individuals; she’ll be truly missed.

Joe Reid

After two decades of excellent work at Harley as the Director of Information Technology, Joe has moved on to a new job at Google. He helped transform Harley from a very small operation into a school where a significant number of students are in a 1:1 program, where there is tech literally everywhere in the building, and where technology has helped us become better as a school.

Maria Sommerville, P ’19
by Larry Frye
Head of School
After nine years at Harley, Executive Assistant to the Head of School Maria Sommerville has taken a new position at the Highlands at Pittsford, where she will serve as the Director of Community Outreach and Marketing. 

Maria followed her wonderful daughter Rory ’19 (now a law student in Scotland) to Harley and had the great pleasure of seeing Rory go through the school. Maria served as a wonderful ambassador for Harley and has supported both me and my predecessor, Ward Ghory, while also carrying on exemplary somewhat behind-the-scenes work in supporting Harley’s board of trustees, work which requires tact and confidentiality, organizational strength, and an understanding of the bylaws and policies of the board. Maria has organized orientations, supported the accreditation and strategic planning processes, helped shepherd our safety improvements, led the annual calendar process, and much more. 

Maria has also taken on lots of special projects that needed a leader or home. We wouldn’t have our gorgeous courtyard without her initiative and taste; she also oversaw our first iteration of the parent portal and played a crucial role in our response to the pandemic. (I can’t help but think that she probably has nightmares about our “Testapaloozas”!)

We will miss Maria, but she is ready for her Next Big Thing! Always a part of our community; I know you’ll join me in wishing her the best at The Highlands.

David Youngblut

David taught Grade 3 at Harley for six years and also led the faculty mentor program. He is moving in a different (though not completely unrelated) career direction with a local company specializing in educational software design.