Family Spotlight

Family Spotlight: The Olatunji Family

Ronke and Ernie Olatunji have been parents at Seven Hills since 2006, and by the time they “graduate” they will have been here for 24 years! Through their family’s longevity and history with the school, they have seen firsthand how the Seven Hills mission has served each of their children, understanding their different learning styles and tailoring their learning experiences accordingly. As their three children have gone through Seven Hills—Dami ’16 now in college, Feyi ’21 in high school, and Dara ’30 in Kindergarten, they have experienced how the school lives out its commitment to not just the whole child, but each child. Finding the right school for their oldest child Dami, who was a fluid thinker, was a family priority. So when Ronke and Ernie moved east through the tunnel when he was just a baby, they began exploring independent schools in the area. They learned about Seven Hills from Ernie’s mentor who had a son at the school. By the time they were ready to tour Pre-K programs, they’d heard so many good things that they were eager to visit. Ronke remembers seeing the big red barn on that first visit to campus and thinking, “This looks like an interesting and fun school on the hill.” As they observed the school during their tour, Ronke and Ernie picked up on the school’s whole child approach. Reflecting back on that visit, Ronke said, “the phrase ‘whole child’ hadn’t been coined yet, but that’s what we saw. Although we were looking for an academically challenging school, we also wanted a school that could allow our children to develop emotionally, socially, and intellectually. We appreciated the attention to building the child, the whole person. The children were really allowed to explore, learn through creativity, and think outside the box.” At the end of the family tour, four year old Dami didn’t want to leave, which affirmed their own growing sense that Seven Hills felt like the right place for their family, a place they could call home. When Dami’s sister Feyi started Red Barn four years later, Ernie and Ronke wondered how Seven Hills would adapt to her more structured and methodical learning style. They were amazed to watch as teachers focused on getting to know Feyi and tailored her learning experiences to her strengths and style. The fact that students were seen as individuals, were consistently challenged and encouraged at their pace, and had their learning styles celebrated, endeared the Olatunjis to the school even more. Ernie and Ronke also appreciate how Seven Hills continues to evolve while staying committed to its philosophy. When their youngest child, Dara, came to Red Barn last year, they were very impressed by the confident conversations the children were having around their identities—building on empathy, appreciating their differences from the outside in, and celebrating who they are. As they experience Seven Hills with Dara, they appreciate and encourage talking about these topics at an early age, which will lead to well-rounded children who can adapt to any environment. Though each of their children’s journeys at Seven Hills has been different, there are some commonalities too. “It was important for us to make sure that our kids had a solid academic foundation along with developing their whole self,” says Ernie. They have seen that in their two oldest children, from learning through play in ECE to honing their writing, technological literacy, and public speaking skills through the culminating 8th grade position paper. Ronke and Ernie’s friends often compliment how comfortable their children are at seamlessly carrying on conversations on a variety of topics, a skill that will serve them for life. They are grateful to have the opportunity to experience this journey again through their youngest child. In addition to being working parents, Ronke joined the Board of Trustees a few years ago. She enjoys contributing to the strategy, planning, goal setting, and decisions made in the interest of students, and appreciates how Seven Hills seeks areas for growth and improvement for the betterment of students. As they reflect on their long journey with the school, the value for their family has been seeing their children grow up to be confident, well-versed, diverse, communicative, and empathetic Seven Hills graduates— ready for wherever their next path takes them.