After joining Great Hearts as a special education teacher at Mesa Prep (now Arete), Julia Gillingham was grateful to find her home at Great Hearts, surrounded by colleagues who contributed to her growth through mentorship and honest, direct feedback. She took on a variety of roles at Arete, including Director of Operations, Assistant Headmaster, and then Headmaster. In assuming the new role in guiding the network’s professional development, she shared from her own personal experience, “I have found that most opportunities for growth come from asking, ‘How may I help?’ In looking to see what needs to be done or how to support, we find ourselves challenged to expand our experience and support of those around us.”

Ms. Gillingham has been most passionate about her new work in two areas – the creation of the collaborative Faculty Working Team, and a revival of the Career Pathways project, providing teachers with more opportunities to thrive in the classroom by expanding their impact and skill. “I would not be where I am today if I hadn’t faced the challenges of my own professional growth head on,” she reflects, “and I am a proponent of helping everyone find the pathways and PD opportunities that will enable them to flourish.”

Though her departure from the Arete community was bittersweet, Melody Pati has fully embraced her new role in supporting office managers. She commented, “I find joy in helping others and satisfaction in streamlining processes and procedures. I always enjoy a professional challenge, and my interest was piqued at the opportunity to assist AZ academies in standardizing and improving front office operations and enrollment through training and support.”

In this new role, Ms. Pati’s valuable perspective as an Office Manager reinforces her desire to serve them. She shared, “Office managers are the backbone of the academy. Having strong, knowledgeable OMs is key to an academy’s success and positive community growth. Their compassion and service for their faculty, students, and parents makes for a solid community, and the support they give to the headmaster in operations is invaluable.” She looks forward to tackling new challenges and expanding her realm of influence and service.