Individual Crossroads Reflections
Joan Graviss
Served with different Heads of School: Arthur Lieber, Richard Fulton, Molly Strassner, Anne Spencer, and Billy Handmaker who left in 2011, when I retired.
Amazing teachers, some of whom are still there: Howard, Sarah P-W, Mark, Jad, Bob, Shadi, Tom and those who left: Anne, Angela, Joe, Derek, Brittany, Charles, Sarah Griesbach, Julie, and many others who were laser focused on their students both in and out of the classroom
All of the students who came to Crossroads seeking a personalized and fulfilling academic career with a positive outcome.
College Counseling, for me, was a rewarding experience. Meeting with juniors and seniors many times to assure a college list that was realistic and outcome based.
Having the freedom to seek out a student at any time, no appointment needed to talk about essays, recommendations, test scores, all the parts of the puzzle to ensure a happy ending. Yes, we all rejoiced with acceptances to Harvard, Columbia, Princeton, Stanford, Yale but equally exciting were the scholarships, awards, and acceptances from colleges across the country who recognized the unique vision of Crossroads and the type of student we graduated. College reps who came to campus often lingered to talk with students who asked the right questions even if the answer was not to their liking.
Fondest memory was likely the graduation speech where I was able to recognize each student for their (I guess I can say their) contribution, serious or humorous to the overall school community.
Other memories: taking boys and girls to state competition in tennis, trip to Italy, trip to Oaxaca, two boys climbing the radio tower, Awards Day, being called by my first name, trips to over 50 colleges to gain a personal perspective, and the support I received from administrators and teachers to effectively do my job. Hopefully the spirit of Crossroads will continue to thrive and grow.