I first walked through Harley’s doors as a Nursery student in 1981 and graduated in 1995. My mother, Pam Kimmet P ’92, ‘95, GP ‘30, ‘33, led the Lower School, and my sister, Darcy ’92, was just ahead of me. My Harley journey included theater, jazz band, soccer, basketball, baseball, tennis, and boys’ volleyball. But what I remember most is that Harley was a place where people truly knew me— my strengths, my challenges, how to push me, and how to nurture me. Here I learned to be kind, curious, thoughtful, and hard-working—skills that carried me through college, graduate school, and leadership roles in Connecticut, Philadelphia, and Buffalo, and ultimately back home to Harley.
Before serving as Harley’s Head of School, I was a proud alumnus, a member of the Board of Trustees, and last year, a lead supporter in a class gift honoring our 30th(!) Reunion.
My hope for our students today is the same as it was for me in 1995: that Harley is a place where they are cared for, challenged, and inspired—and, as I said at the Opening Day Assembly, kinder than necessary. That is what makes a Harley education timeless.
