Head of School

Dear Friends,

At the end of the last school year, I bid farewell to our faculty who were off to all corners of everywhere to enjoy the short but well deserved respite of summer. Knowing this group is to know that downtime is often spent reading, so I added another book to their stack.

In The Book of Joy, the Dalai Lama and Desmond Tutu describe eight pillars of joy: perspective; humility; humor; acceptance; forgiveness; gratitude; compassion; and generosity. I humbly offer that in my meeting and talking with you, our WRA community, I have been on the receiving end of all these transformational forces. I love Western Reserve Academy and deeply value our donors. Thank you.

We celebrate accolades this year that are borne of hard work and intention, having recently been named the best private high school in Ohio, the best high school in Ohio for STEM, and the most diverse private high school in Ohio. These honors are pillars in their own right as we envision a third century for our school. “Best” encompasses academics, extracurriculars, faculty, facilities and all the intangibles that create a community.

The Book of Joy goes on to share a simple sentiment that is at the heart of your generosity: “The more we turn toward others, the more joy we experience.” I hope that in turning toward Western Reserve Academy, you feel grounded by your memories, uplifted by stories from today, and inspired by all that is on the horizon for our great school.

With gratitude,

Suzanne Walker Buck