Whether you were interviewed by her during the admissions process to KO, were coached by her in Middle School field hockey, or simply know her as a friendly face on campus, Senior Associate Director of Admissions Meredith Crowther has made her mark on the KO campus. Now, Ms. Crowther has decided to enter a new chapter of her career as she leaves KO.
After having her three children and formerly working in a corporate environment, Ms. Crowther first decided to come to KO to coach the varsity field hockey team. Ms. Crowther made an impact on the field hockey program, especially in her inclusion of Middle School players. “Ms. Crowther made it a point to visit the Middle School practices and make them part of the whole program,” Head of the Middle School and former Middle School field hockey Coach Ann Sciglimpaglia said. “She made the Middle School team feel like they belonged.”
Coaching helped Ms. Crowther realize her desire to work more closely with KO students and alumni. “Looking back, coaching was an amazing experience for me,” she said, “but also for the school because I had the opportunity and the time to get really involved with the varsity athletes but also be committed to working with the middle school. I’ve just loved working with all ages of the kids and realized then that’s what I wanted to focus on.”
Eventually, Ms. Crowther seized the opportunity to work in the alumni office. There, she worked with numerous alumni who shared their fond memories of KO with her. “I just saw the legacy that KO leaves with the kids and alumni, whether they graduated five years ago or 50 years ago,” she said. “I knew that as much as I loved the alumni office, I really wanted to get into admissions to impact families as they came to campus.”
Ms. Crowther began a career in KO admissions, where she enjoyed highlighting the strengths of KO’s academics and various offerings to prospective families. While working in the admissions office, Ms. Crowther began coaching the Middle School field hockey team. The entire admissions team had a significant impact on Ms. Crowther and has been her favorite part of working at KO.
Ms. Crowther has also moved her coworkers. “I’m convinced she has x-ray vision because she can read an application and see between the lines, sincerely getting to know the students she interviews,” Director of Enrollment Management Susan Emery said. “Most importantly, Ms. Crowther cares deeply about KO and all the humans on our campus. Ms. Crowther’s presence, laughter, jokes, camaraderie, partnership, and kindness are a few of the wonderful traits that we already miss. She is irreplaceable, and we are so grateful that she chose to spend 12 years at KO.”
Senior Associate Director of Admissions Rebecca Benavides agreed with these sentiments. “Ms. Crowther is one of the most loyal, hardworking, and selfless individuals on this planet,” she said. “She pours her heart and soul into everything she does. Ms. Crowther has been a huge asset to KO, and coaching Middle School field hockey together this fall was a true honor.”
After deliberation, Ms. Crowther has decided to leave KO this year. Currently, she wants to go into educational consulting work and help families through the admissions process. She is looking forward to completing a certification program and achieving more flexibility in her work life.
The KO community will deeply miss Ms. Crowther and her impact on the school. We wish her all the best in this exciting next step for her and hope to see her around campus in the future!
