School For Girls Welcomes First Female Leader
"Having worked in world-class schools, (I recognize that) Linden Hall is an undiscovered gem," said Nan Wodarz, who was officially named the first female head of school at the Lititz institution, 212 E. Main St., at the end of March. Wodarz began serving as an interim head of school at Linden Hall in May of 2020, and she saw the students through the shutdown, employing precautions that contributed to zero COVID-19 outbreaks at the school.
Wodarz's background includes post-doctoral work at the Wharton School and both Harvard Business School and Harvard Graduate School of Education. She has consulted with private school clients locally and internationally, most recently near Philadelphia after relocating to the area 10 years ago. She has experience in finance, human resources, and organizational systems, along with expertise in problem solving.
Wodarz described the Linden Hall educational programming as "individually appropriately challenging," which aligns with her philosophy that schools should encourage intellectual engagement and personal challenge in an atmosphere of creativity. "We focus on individual students and work to create a challenging curriculum for students. We don't stop at calculus," noted Wodarz. "We offer multivariate calculus."
Social and emotional aspects of growth are foundational, according to Wodarz. "We intentionally teach (girls) to cope under stress, advocate for themselves, and deal with conflict, because kids will have conflict in life," she said.
Looking ahead, Wodarz keeps her finger on the pulse of the best ways to prepare students for the world beyond Lititz. "I look at international megatrends," noted Wodarz, who has been gauging the impact of globalization on future career options. "My focus is future-ready," said Wodarz. "We teach (students) to creatively approach situations with resilience and tenacity."
Founded in 1746, Linden Hall is the oldest all-girls' boarding school in the country. Currently celebrating its 275th anniversary, the school boasts a student body made up of girls in grades six through 12 from 25 countries, 12 states, and nearly 30 Pennsylvania towns. More information may be found at http://www.lindenhall.org.
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