During the first faculty meeting of the year, Head of School Heather B. Mock recited these vows: “To immerse herself in all things Prep, to build an even stronger community, to envision the future, and to lead consciously.”

At the school year’s final faculty meeting, she reviewed those vows. The verdict? The honeymoon is still going strong.

“I feel I have done my best to keep my vows, and I feel like this is just the beginning,” Heather says. “I’ve learned a lot about the school and have participated in many activities, and I recognize there is more to learn, and I continue to be curious.”

As it happens, Heather and Prep had a relationship once before. It’s where she began her career as an educator 28 years ago, fresh out of grad school. When she visited the Prep campus as a Head of School candidate, “I felt like I was coming home.”

Now, as her first full year comes to a close, Heather says she has formed some “wonderful connections” with faculty, staff, students, and families. “Building community is daily work that will never be complete,” she adds.

She’s excited about the groundwork she’s laid with the community on a strategic plan for Prep’s future.

Much of this first year has been spent meeting with lots of people and just taking in what she calls “the rich atmosphere of Prep.” 

Heather says some of her favorite moments during her first year were some of the smallest: Playing games around the fire on an Outdoor Leadership Program (OLP) backpacking trip last fall; learning how to play Ticket to Ride at a faculty game night; and chatting with students during a “Mock Talk,” when they come grab a piece of candy from her office but have to engage in conversation as well.

“I’m a big believer that it is often the smallest, seemingly insignificant moments that end up standing out,” she says. “These smaller moments add up to a rich and rewarding first year.”

Heather says one thing that impresses her about Prep is the support students get when they pursue multiple interests. “We have students who are simultaneously training to be OLP leaders while playing on our state-championship-winning soccer teams, or students who are doing double duty playing basketball and performing in the musical,” she says. “I love that students can pursue different passions and are not pigeonholed.”

And, she adds, “I am amazed at the love and energy they put into every pursuit, on top of their challenging academics.”

On a personal level, Heather sent her youngest child off to college just as she was jumping into this new adventure herself. It was a lot of transitions to navigate, but the family has managed relatively well, she says.

“In some ways, it was easier to dive into all things Prep since my kids are both in college now,” she explains. “But I definitely haven’t been great about sending care packages to them! Still, we have a robust family text, we FaceTime frequently, and we’ve had some great times together during vacations.”

Like any partnership, it takes work on both sides to keep it strong and healthy. But so far, for Heather and Prep, together is a beautiful place to be.