Meet Susanna Waters of Brooks School

Today we’d like to introduce you to Susanna Waters.

Susanna, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I am entering my tenth year at Brooks School, and my third as Academic Dean. I earned my B.A. and M.Ed. at St. Lawrence University, where I enjoyed playing lacrosse and studying abroad. My passion for education stems from my mother, Sally Whitaker, who was a selfless and dedicated elementary special education teacher in the Boston Public School system, and from excellent experiences I enjoyed as a student at the Park School in Brookline and at Concord Academy in Concord, Massachusetts.

I began my career in independent schools at the Holderness School in New Hampshire, where I taught World and United States History, coached soccer, basketball and lacrosse and served as a dorm parent. At Brooks, I have taught a range of courses including 9th-grade Pre-Modern World History electives such as Uncovering Ancient Africa and Making of the Muslim World, 11th grade AP United States History and a 12th grade elective in the Caribbean and Latin American Studies. I also have taught several different Winter Term courses. Most recently, I taught a class called Six Feet Under that examined the art, science and business of death. A highlight included observing autopsies at the Chief Medical Examiner’s office in Boston!

I chaired the History Department for four years and spearheaded the creation of a comprehensive skills curriculum, focused in large part on research writing, and also a citation guide to supplement our instruction. The Department also engaged in a redesign of our 9th-grade curriculum to be elective-based instead of a survey, to further support our prioritization of skills. I feel passionate about advancing our community in the work of equity and inclusion and value my partnership with students and colleagues in WINC (Women Incorporated, a female affinity group) and the Diversity Leadership Council. I strive every day to be a better ally. I have coached lacrosse while at Brooks but now focus exclusively on the Girls’ JV Basketball team with my rockstar assistant coach Amanda Nasser.

Above all, my favorite thing I do at Brooks is serves as an advisor. The relationships I have built with my advisees over the years have imbued my life and work with great meaning.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
My parents died when I was 18 and 25, respectively, and as an only child, it definitely meant that I only had myself to count on to realize my dreams. Fortunately, I have terrific friends who I consider to be family and have been doubly fortunate to receive the privilege of a great education to set me up for success. There are times I have felt frustrated by a lack of visible female leadership in my area of school life.

When I joined the History Department, I was the only full-time female history teacher, and the oldest female member of the department starting at age 25 through 32, at which time I helped to hire my replacement as Department Chair. My mentors in the academic area of school life while at Holderness and Brooks have all been male.

While I am not a person of color, I also feel passionate about schools recognizing people of color in leadership roles. It is essential that we affirm the identities of both students and faculty of color so that they can exert their influence in and on these institutions. The vibrancy and health of our schools depends on it.

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Brooks School – what should we know?
I serve in the role of Academic Dean at Brooks School in North Andover, MA. My job is to ensure that the student experience in our classrooms serves our mission—to provide the most meaningful educational experience our students will have in their lives. By virtue of this objective, it means that I am a listener and communicator. I am a resource for our students and parents to speak to about their questions and concerns about anything academic.

Naturally, this brings me to conversations with my teaching and administrative colleagues about how to best meet our students’ individual needs. My responsibilities include the registration and support of our students in their courses, the creation of curricula, revising or introducing new policy, encouraging a culture of integrity and overseeing academic discipline, highlighting professional development opportunities for our teachers, observing and providing feedback to our faculty, and celebrating the academic accomplishments of our students within our larger community.

I aspire to help create an atmosphere of innovation and risk-taking—of growth mindset—for our students and faculty alike. The committees I lead and partake in are a reflection of this, whether it be implementing a new restorative justice policy or supporting work in Competency-Based Education. Brooks School is an independent secondary school for students in grades 9 through 12. Of the approximately 370 students in any given year, about 70% live on campus, while the remaining 30% commute from local towns.

Our residential community includes teens from all over the world, from Zimbabwe to Vietnam, from Germany to Indonesia. We offer a robust academic program including twenty AP courses, and electives like Robotics, Human Rights and Dystopian Literature, to name a few. We also offer a three-week Winter Term in January when students take one course intensively, in subjects like scuba diving or social justice. Brooks School is a member of the Independent School League and our students enjoy spirited interscholastic athletic competition.

Most recently, our boys’ soccer, football and basketball teams have been dominant, and our girls’ field hockey, ice hockey and rowing teams are highly competitive. We have placed an increasing emphasis on the arts—visual, performing and music—and are excited to be opening a new Center for the Arts in October. Several years ago we successfully implemented a new schedule to honor the arts as an academic major equivalent in time, resources and credit to any other course. Co-curricular pursuits like Community Service, Model UN and Math Team number too many to count! Brooks provides numerous opportunities for students to discover their passions.

What role has luck (good luck or bad luck) played in your life and business?
As an educated, ambitious and successful career woman I feel I have earned the opportunities presented me throughout my time at Brooks. I have hard work to thank, not luck. I am proud to work amongst feminist men who I believe would agree with me.

Certainly, some of it has been timing, in that the positions for which I was considered became open at a juncture when my candidacy was viable. I have also been incredibly fortunate to benefit from supportive mentorship from my Dean of Faculty John McVeigh, Associate Head of School for Academic Affairs Lance Latham, and Head of School John Packard.

The person who preceded me in the roles of History Department Chair and Academic Dean, Brick Moltz, was a tremendous source of encouragement and led spectacularly by example. I have a great Academic Team and Curriculum Committee who generate inventive ideas and valuable feedback. I am inspired daily by our young faculty, who I believe work harder than anyone in the school. Above all, Brooks School students are at the heart of what we do, and what I do, every day. Our students are warm, inquisitive, intelligent, compassionate and fun.

Envisioning them at the helm, beyond Brooks, makes me feel good about our collective future. I don’t know that I’d call it luck, but I would say serendipity played a role in the intersection of my personal and professional life. At opening faculty meetings in 2009, I met my husband, Willie Waters. Willie currently serves in the roles of Dean of Students, Chace Dormitory Head, and Varsity Boys’ Soccer Coach. He is a Brooks alumnus, Class of 2002, and cares deeply about the school—particularly the student experience.

We enjoy living on campus with our two children and dog, who benefit enormously from the dynamic and caring community of which we are apart. I choose to stay at Brooks School because it is a forward-looking institution that evolves day by day, and it’s exciting to be able to affect positive change. But I also choose Brooks because I have started a family here and it’s an amazing place to raise children while being a working mother.

Contact Info:

• Address: Brooks School 1160 Great Pond Road North Andover, MA 01845
• Website: https://www.brooksschool.org/
• Phone: 978-725-6300
• Instagram: brooks_school
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brooks1926/
• Twitter: @BrooksSchool
• Other: https://www.brooksschool.org/academics/overview/deans-den-blogs

Image Credit:
Dan Callahan, Nalia Medina

Getting in touch: BostonVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.