“I’ve always thought that our students are down to earth, humble, kind, and really just want to be here,” Assistant Head of School for External Affairs Zaira Santiago said, “and that is what attracted me here to KO and what has kept me here.”
This year, the KO community is sadly saying farewell to Ms. Santiago, who has been working at KO for the past 15 years. She has worked in many different departments over the years but has most recently been working in the Admissions Office after years of working in the College Advising Office. Ms. Santiago is taking the next step in her career and will be working as the Associate Head of School for special projects at Beaver Country Day School in Chestnut Hill, Mass., right outside of Boston. “I’ve always really liked Boston and always wanted to live there, so it is a really good opportunity that is hard to pass up for me,” Ms. Santiago said.
Ms Santiago has been devoted to KO for 15 years, and throughout this time, she has had many memorable experiences that have made her KO experience a positive one. Prior to working in admissions, Ms. Santiago worked as a college advisor for eight years. She enjoyed her time in this setting, teaching from a different perspective than that of the admissions office. Ms. Santiago has been able to obtain a wide understanding of various aspects of teaching and has seen how students grow and learn with the support from their teachers due to her experience in different roles at KO. “We do the work that we do because of our students,” Ms. Santiago said.
The special connection that students have with their teachers is what drew Ms. Santiago to KO. Additionally, apart from working with students, Ms. Santiago has learned the value of working together as a team. “One of the things that I love the most was how team-oriented the whole office in Admissions is,” she said.
Ms. Santiago has become very close with her colleagues and students and is going to miss the warm and inclusive environment of KO. “Make sure you get to know people, as quickly as you can,” she said. “Really just being open-minded and ready to work hard, have fun, and be a part of something bigger than yourself will ultimately lead you to finding happiness here at KO.”
Due to COVID-19, this year has been more challenging for the admissions department in comparison to years past; new, creative ideas were needed in order to follow COVID-19 guidelines during the admissions process. However, learning to overcome these challenges and think outside of the box has ultimately been eye-opening and valuable to Ms. Santiago. “You have to be okay with trying something new even if we fail at first,” Ms. Santiago. “Learning how to be flexible and resilient was super important this year because you never knew what could happen or how plans could change.”
Taking risks is vital in order to achieve growth. Ms. Santiago recognizes this and wants to take advantage of her new career opportunity to go out, try new things, and make an impact. We will miss Ms. Santiago dearly, but we wish her the best of luck as she takes on the next chapter in her life!
