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The Head's Council: The Future of Leadership

By Joseph Zakielarz ‘20
This article appeared in the Spring 2017 issue of the Tower Hill Bulletin

One of the most daunting tasks independent schools face each year is driving innovation and progress without neglecting tradition or core principles—and Tower Hill is no exception. With the world becoming increasingly technology-driven and globally connected, we as a school are determined to find the right balance. To achieve this goal, 2016 marked the beginning of a great legacy at Tower Hill: Head’s Council. This group is focused on turning key ideas and dreams into reality, based on learning more about the business side of our school. 
 
Back in September, 10 other high schoolers and I applied for this mysterious council without knowing much about it; it required filling out a formal application describing my motives and reasons for becoming a member of Head’s Council. Head’s Council is a group of students selected by Mrs. Speers each year who want to learn more about the inner workings of our school, from finance to fundraising and everything in between. 
 
“It is kind of like a behind-the-scenes view of school,” said Maryam Javed-Ismail ‘17
 
Once or twice a month, we meet with Mrs. Speers at Hayward House over a couple slices of Grotto’s pizza. The first 15 minutes are open to suggestions for improvement in any part of the school, which means we are indirectly changing our school for the better! Examples of previous suggestions include: student ID key cards, adding a pool (I don’t know if that will work out), and how to strike the right balance between athletic requirements and other student interests at Tower Hill.  
 
After we offer our insights, the group advances to the main part of the meeting that focuses on identifying how a specific facet of our school functions. This is the “meat” of the council, which Leo Garonski ‘18 refers to as the part that has “opened [our] eyes to the complexity and difficulty of running such a venture successfully.” Oftentimes, a guest from the chosen topic of the meeting walks us through his or her role at the school for a more in-depth perspective. At one meeting, Mrs. Kristin Mumford informed us about the admissions process by having us look through a real student’s full application from a few years ago (of course without any names) and decide whether we would accept or deny him or her. In another meeting, Mrs. Teresa Messmore walked us through Communications and the importance of the school magazine, alumni and having a connection with everyone related to your organization. 

Planned Head’s Councils in the future will take us to finance, facilities management and admissions interview role plays. Also on the calendar is a meeting with our school’s Chief Innovation and Information Officer, Mr. Anthony Pisapia, to learn about the Tower Hill’s technology infrastructure and how we are approaching decisions that will help ensure our school’s success in a rapidly changing time. By the end of the school year, we will become very familiar with “everything from what the endowment and annual fund are and why they matter, to marketing, communications, enrollment management, fundraising and finance,” stated Mrs. Speers. “This is a wonderful group of students who care deeply about their school. They share excellent ideas and will take what they learn and apply it to virtually any field they choose to pursue.”  
 
The most unique part about Head’s Council is our opportunity to sit in a small group with our Head of School, Mrs. Speers, and know that we can make a difference—while gaining real-life skills in the process. The entire Head’s Council has grown a “greater appreciation for all that goes on behind the scenes thanks to the valuable insight [we] have gained,” noted Josephine Thrasher ‘17
 
In the not-too-distant future, I can see myself applying these skills in areas such as running a business, politics or being a leader in general. Our input will make the school an optimal learning environment and positively influence upcoming Hillers. Mrs. Speers indicated that this inaugural Head’s Council has begun a tradition. As for my perspective, I envision Head’s Council positions as being highly sought after, as those who are chosen to participate have a front row seat and can be seen as Tower Hill ambassadors, helping others to understand. I am honored to be part of such a great group of people, to work with Mrs. Speers, and to experience a unique opportunity to effect positive change at Tower Hill.

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