116. Intentional Enrollment and Inclusivity with Dr. Tiffany Bridgewater

The following content has been automatically generated by an AI system from the audio recording of this podcast. We cannot guarantee the accuracy, or completeness of the information provided, and we apologize for any errors.

[00:00:00] Welcome to Mindful School Marketing, your go-to podcast for personal and professional growth. We’re school marketers, business owners, and moms passionate about connecting other school professionals with tools and strategies for success. We love solving problems, exploring new ideas, and thinking outside the box.

Let’s transform your school and life starting right now. Transform your school’s admissions and marketing with Inquiry Tracker. The ultimate solution for managing inquiries seamlessly. Discover how you can make your admissions process more efficient and effective with this leading solution.

Aubrey: Welcome to Mindful School Marketing. 

Tara: I’m Aubrey Burch. I’m Tara Clays. Today we’re joined by Dr. Tiffany Bridgewater, a passionate leader in independent education with deep experience in enrollment strategy and diversity work. Tiffany recently concluded a decade at Louisville Collegiate School in Louisville, Kentucky, where she served as head of lower school and director of [00:01:00] Community Engagement and belonging, helping to increase both enrollment and student diversity significantly.

She’s also a national consultant and trainer, guiding schools and nonprofits in building inclusive communities through intentional relationship driven strategies. Welcome Tiffany. Thanks for joining us today. Thank you so much. I’m excited to be here. 

Aubrey: Yes, Tiffany, we’re excited for this conversation. Can’t wait to dive.

we’re especially excited to like, hear your insights on what’s working and what’s next for independent schools. but before we dive into that, can you share a little bit more about your journey in education and how your roles have evolved over time? 

Dr. Tiffany: Absolutely. Well, my edu my journey in education began just like many of my friends and colleagues.

I began my journey in the classroom. A one year internship turned into about 10 years of sort of direct instruction in a classroom. At, at which, you know, I sort. Spent some time teaching women’s literature at the Madeira School, um, to [00:02:00] seniors. I spent a couple of years at, uh, the Potomac School teaching seventh and eighth grade media literacy.

And because most administrators that I know don’t ever. Completely leave the classroom. I’ve also spent, uh, five, the last five years at Collegiate co-teaching African American literature in our high school. So I’ve always had my, my foot in the classroom, but not directly, um, over the last number of years.

I 

Tara: thank you. What a good story. Um, let’s, let’s talk about your time at Collegiate. Because I know when, when you and I first chatted before we started this podcast interview today, um, you told me a little bit more about what you’ve done there. Um, so can you tell, tell our audience about your time there and how the lower school saw significant enrollment growth?

What absolutely strategies? ’cause you had some great strategies that were effective in achieving that growth. Talk a little bit about, about those numbers. 

Dr. Tiffany: Absolutely. Well, I think, you know, in thinking about what [00:03:00] strategies we used, I think most effectively some of it was well first and foremost it was sort of branding and reputation building.

Um, and that was really important to me because when I joined the lower school 10 years ago, we were pretty small. I looked back at, I looked at back at our numbers and we probably were somewhere between two 30 and about two 40 that first year in 2015. And we were, um, in the process of going through re-accreditation and our hundredth a celebration hundredth year celebration.

So I came in in a year where we were celebrating sort of these milestones of being a hundred year old school. While we were also reflecting about what we’d done in the, in the sort of reaccreditation process. So it was a good time for me to sort of, uh, sink my teeth in and really try to figure out where I’d landed and what the lower school really needed and how I could help support the, the lower school.

So in order to sort of start that process, for me it was really, as I was learning about the curriculum and the program and sort of the things we’ve [00:04:00] been doing over the last number of years, it was also working with my team and the enrollment management team to really figure out, well, where do we want to go based on some of the, the feedback we were getting back from parents and from faculty and staff through the re-accreditation process.

So intentional sort of, uh, clarification of what was important in the lower school and also what’s what’s been my, my, um. My experience with, in, with independent schools, particularly k to twelves, there’s so much emphasis on the end result where, where are my kids gonna go to college? That, that people sometimes forget.

Well, most of our kids matriculate all the way through the school beginning in the lower school. That’s why we have so many lifers. So it was really trying to help. Prospective parents understand the journey doesn’t begin in the upper school. It actually begins in the lower school and branding and marketing that, and really helping parents understand what that, you know, six year process was gonna be like in the lower school and how that process was [00:05:00] really gonna help form what they were gonna be able to do in the middle school, in the high school, and then beyond.

So a lot of that was just being intentional about marketing and branding the, the lower school. 

Aubrey: That’s so important. I love what you said is basically figuring out like, okay, you know, if you had people who were interested in the upper school, like that end of journey process, right? You were missing the opportunity to educate of why, why stay, why come to your lower school?

So it sounds like you all really honed in on that messaging and um, really got clear and, and that probably helped with your enrollment in admissions process. So, wow. Thank you for sharing that. I’m curious kind of as an add on to like the admissions process. Um, there’s a, a topic that comes up in every single one of, i I lead monthly.

Small school leaders meetups every single time, and it’s how to involve faculty and staff in the admissions process. So could you talk a little bit about how maybe you’ve seen this done, you know, in your [00:06:00] school, like what worked, what didn’t, what strategies and what’s important to consider? 

Dr. Tiffany: Absolutely.

Well, I, I, for me, I feel like faculty is essential, faculty and staff, but definitely faculty because, you know, at the end of the day. Families will talk to me, maybe, you know, five or 10 minutes. But they’re gonna really, as we’re walking them around the school, they’re really gonna be able to see that, that what I say is kind of that work in action.

And so having the faculty really be a part. Of, you know, what are we gonna be highlighting? What do we really wanna show families in our classrooms? Um, what’s really important about the message as they, again, as we’re sort of having them walk through the process of looking at JK for us through, uh, fourth grade.

Uh, because remember sometimes. You know, a family sort of focus only on the year that they’re applying for. I just wanna see second grade. But for us, it was really important. Let us show you what kind of happens with our first graders who are gonna transition in with potentially your child and then what your child is [00:07:00] gonna see after second grade and third and fourth grade.

So again, it was about us being really intentional about there is not just one grade that you’re going to be experiencing if you’re at Collegiate. There are actually 13 grades. And so we’re gonna isolate and kind of show you before and after the grades you’re looking at. And I think that really helped parents get a better understanding of, of the, of the program.

And it helped faculty really start to have conversations about, wow, if you’re gonna show that, maybe I’ll show this in my classroom. So a lot of teamwork, a lot of, uh, col a collegiality and just sort of sharing information and then again, being really intentional about high points for at every grade level.

Tara: Thank you. Great, great information to involve the community. Let’s talk a little bit broader now about tailoring communications to family backgrounds. That’s something that you mentioned. Yeah. Can you share an example of what that looked like in practice? So, um. 

Dr. Tiffany: Again, sort of [00:08:00] understanding your, your clientele, you know, the prospective folks who are coming to your community.

Uh, remember, you know, when I joined Collegiate, it was a hundred year old school. So, you know, people have a perspective or a, an idea about what they think Collegiate is. Based on their time here at Louisville, um, we’re, we’re, there are only three independent schools in the city. So it’s really clear kinda where you’re gonna go if you’re looking at one of our schools.

And so some of it for us was really helping families understand, um. If you’re at, if you’re looking at Collegiate, you’re looking at our mission statement and you’re looking at our cornerstones. And from there we kind of talked about programming, so involving everyone in that, in that, in that prospect, in that, in that involving everyone in the ability to sort of share the story of Collegiate.

’cause the other thing that we have going for us. Is we have a lot of longevity in our community, not just of families, but also of faculty. So again, really getting faculty involved who [00:09:00] could have, you know, intimate conversations about their time when their children went to Collegiate and those pieces.

Um, really understanding what families were bringing to the, to our school when they came for tours. So, you know, before I arrived it is my understanding that the, the director of the program really sort of didn’t sort of meet as, as, as intentionally with families. At the beginning it was more sort of once families were already in the process.

For me it was really important. No. A family wanted to meet me right away, let’s meet right away. And then it was really having the enrollment management team work with me to give me those nuanced things about a family. Well, this family, through the process, they’ve asked us about diversity. They’ve asked us about, um, financial aid.

They’ve asked us about gender, uh, allocation. They’ve asked us about the math program. So any little nugget that the enrollment management team could give me. When they brought a family to see me, I could really hone in on that based on the things that I, that, [00:10:00] that we prioritize in the community. Not, not, I do wanna be clear that for me it was also important that everyone heard.

About the mission. Everyone heard about the importance of diversity. Everyone heard about the importance of the community, but just being very specific when I could and intentional about things that seemed important to families. And so that was something that we were able to do in a high level way. And working with the enrollment management team so closely and having a good relationship with them, they would feed me things that would help me talk to families when they came for visits.

Aubrey: That’s so important. All the things you mentioned there. Um, I’d like to kind of review, kind of revisit something you just said there about like, what I heard was kind of data too. Like it sounds like you were both the quantitative, qualitative pieces that you were bringing together helped you better understand your community and your parents.

Um, and also helped in different ways. Can you speak a little bit to how you all use data, like in terms of tracking those conversations, you know, what [00:11:00] the admissions team’s handed you? That would be really helpful. 

Dr. Tiffany: Absolutely. Well, and please know that some of this was just, you know, I, I spent time in my, in another life, uh, at the Potomac School as an admissions uh, person and my job, and that responsibility was to do outreach mostly to underserved communities.

So really understanding the importance of building relationship. Um, of really understanding sort of how you’re talking to families and again, prioritizing some of the things that might be important to them and showing them how that might look in our school was really important. So, rudimentary things like, you know, I keep, I, I love Google.

A Google Doc. I’m a Google fan, you know, so being able to sort of have the, the person’s name and information just sort of shared directly from the admissions office. So that I had time to sort of look at that, review it and sort of think, Hey, which classroom do I really want to emphasize as we’re walking this family around, you know, what pieces of the, of the school do I really want to [00:12:00] sort of point out?

If a family really is into robotics and we have a robust robotics program starting in fourth grade at, at Collegiate, like I could really emphasize our science tech room as well as the one in the middle school. So, it’s not that we were doing anything, you know, revolutionary, but it was about transparency of just information and being able to share that quickly and being able to share that in a way that gave me time to process and to work with my team to figure out how do we really wanna highlight some of the really amazing things that are happening in our school during these times.

I also wanna point out, we also maximize our open houses, open house system for some schools has changed. Um, it used to be when I was at. At Potomac, they were on a Sunday, you know, three to five, and we had to really think, you know, are we really maximizing the amount of time we have? Are we, are we shutting out families for whom weekends are tough because they have other responsibilities, volleyball, soccer for the kids?

Those kind of things. So we had to think about those pieces. We [00:13:00] also got to a model by the end where we didn’t. Every faculty member on a, on a, at a open house, because then you have all these labor pieces have to come to school the next day in two days. So we start to really streamline again based on some of the information that we know from families.

Who do we want on campus for these open house sessions? So Google, a good Google Doc, a good ability to just sort of get information quickly and time to analyze it was sort of the things that I used. 

Tara: You are speaking my language when it comes to Google Docs and Google Sheets. I’ve, I’m totally geek out on that.

We’re big Google users at design TLC as well. Yes. So let’s talk, let’s talk about how, how you coach schools, um, as in your consulting role to move from a transactional. Approach to admissions to more relational, which you’ve talked a lot about, you know, kind of getting to know who you want in your school, so to, to move from that transactional relationship to a more [00:14:00] community building process.

And what advice do you give to schools that maybe just beginning their journey toward more inclusive admissions practice? Well, 

Dr. Tiffany: I think you know, community, community, community, um, teamwork, teamwork, teamwork. It, you, you just, you never know who that, that family is going to relate to the best. It may not be the head of the lower school.

You know, our head of school is really involved. In the admissions process as well. He meets all the families, but it might not be that person either. It could be that parent who, you know, you least expect to really kind of come in and, and, and demonstrate a love for the school because they’re really shy and quiet.

But you’ve had these conversations and you sort of know. What they bring to the table. I think, you know, if you ask anyone about me and my journey in education, it’s, it’s all about relationship building. I really believe that to the, to the core of my being. And so what I often tell schools is that, you know, [00:15:00] you have to spend the time, um, and the capital.

Really getting out there and knowing your internal constituency, but also the external pieces. Um, sometimes, you know, housing, you know, we’ve been able to sort of, um, have different speakers at the school and invite families for those, those opportunities to hear those speakers. That’s an opportunity for them to get a feel of the school and do those pieces.

So what I really try to remind schools is that. The whole process. You are trying to cultivate a relationship with families. Uh, ’cause the other thing I think schools forget is that sometimes families look at you a year, 18 months, 24 months ahead of, of time for them to even apply. So you’re constantly sort of building those relationships.

So we started having these. Little bitty kind of pop-up opportunity for, for schools to come over and see us ahead of time. Um, you know, having relationships with, with, uh, daycare centers and preschools really helps me also cultivate those early years of [00:16:00] sort of parents coming to the school, particularly for JK and kindergarten.

So I really emphasize relationship building. I emphasize with schools the ability for them to utilize. All of the resources in the school, summer camps, you know, extended day, those pieces, because you just don’t know what the real entry point’s gonna be for school to think, wow, I love that activity and I think I’m gonna go for this school.

And so as many times as you can sort of do those p as many ways as you can, invite people in, have them get a taste of the school. Um, musical performances, we do that a lot too. Hey, we’re gonna, the, the middle school’s doing, you know. Girls and dolls, Hey, come over and see this performance. You know, and we have parents come to campus to see that, and they think, wow, I can see my child in eighth grade in this kind of performance.

So relationship, teamwork, collaboration those things are the hallmark. I believe in admissions work, particularly as competitive as it is [00:17:00] now, because everyone, the pool of applicants is smaller and everyone’s going for the same people. So build, build, build relationships. 

Aubrey: I love what you say about relationships.

It’s absolutely true, and I think that goes, whether you’re working in enrollment or fundraising or any aspect, I mean, that relationship piece is so key, and you’re right in a crowded, like very competitive market. It’s the relationships that are going to, you know, move the needle and have. Have parents and students, you know, thinking about your school over someone else’s.

So thank you for sharing. I’d love to talk a little bit about kind of, student diversity. Um, you know, increasing student diversity from 19% to 29%. No small fee, right? So what were the key levers that made that growth possible? And then also like what, and maybe through that process or before that process, what have you learned about retention of.

Students of color that schools need to consider more deeply. I think this would be a very valuable, um, [00:18:00] conversation for schools to consider. 

Dr. Tiffany: I, this, this was one of the questions I think that I’m still processing because in all honesty, I, I go back to just my school was ready to to do this work. Um, to, to increase students of color in the school and the whole school JK through 12 and more importantly for us to retain them.

Um, so I think that I just, I got so lucky that I joined a community that we, we said we wanted it and we worked to do it right. Um, and so I think that. Some of it is a just a, a, a will, a tenacious will to do it. And then I think the other piece for us quite honestly was, figuring out that we needed to be intentional about having someone that was really sort of thinking like your, your lower school head, you know, like your, like your technology person.

Someone who that was [00:19:00] their responsibility to be thinking systematically about that, the, the process. And so, you know. Remember when I joined Collegiate in 2015, I was just hired to be the head of lower school. We did not actually have a diversity practitioner position at that point. So it wasn’t until 2020 at the height of COVID and everything’s a little bit crazy in the world that, um, my head of school created that position, asked me to join in that position.

So, although we had been doing some work between 2015 and 2020. Absolutely. It was sort of like we were throwing darts in a dark room, trying to hit a bullseye. So then, you know, you sort of get the position and, and then suddenly you have, you know, someone who is thinking, okay, so who are the folks who are interested in this work?

So identifying sort of the people who are al already on the bus, who are the people that are kind of on the sidelines, who are the people who are down the street. So doing that work early on was really [00:20:00] important for me, getting the board involved and getting them, um, to sign on to, you know, our mission about diversity, those pieces.

And then really just again, continuing to work with the, the enrollment management team, my division, division colleagues, faculty and staff to really think, okay. What do we need to do to do this? Who are the folks that we need to make sure you are part of these pieces? Um, we did a, a overhaul of our curriculum and actually included a diversity piece to it.

So that then allowed all the faculty to have a say in it, and then to be able to say, yeah, in my classroom, these are the ways that I’m actually thinking about diversity work, and this is how it’s coming about in the classroom. So again, you’re, you’re building on, things that you already have, but you needed some systems in place to actually have everything sort of aligned and come together.

And then it was really easy for us just to show parents, well, this is the way our curriculum lays it out. This is what our programming looks like. You know, here are the things that we are doing [00:21:00] intentionally around activities. We created a student equity fund that also allowed us to give, uh, additional money just.

Greatly to families above and beyond tuition that helped with diversity pieces, which helped families to say, wow, this is a school that’s really trying to, you know, keep me and retain me. So it just, you know, you put all those systems in place and people start, and you, and you talk about it, and people start to see all the things that are happening, and it’s like the Pied Piper people will come.

And so I, that’s not, probably does not answer the question in the best way, but it is, I think the way that we were able to do it and consistently do it over the 10 years that I was at Collegiate. 

Tara: Thank you. That’s really, it’s. Interesting to talk about in these times right now. Mm-hmm. And you know, we’ve had some other people talking about the current climate.

We’ve had some panels and, and just talking about the trends in schools and, and how [00:22:00] some schools are feeling the need to kind of back off of, of this. Effort. So, I’m glad that we’re recording this and having this conversation because I think it’s important that we keep it top of mind. So I’m grateful and if you have anything you wanna add to that, feel free to, to do so.

Dr. Tiffany: I appreciate you having conversations with people, and I do hope that we can continue to talk about it. I, I think that for me, it’s work that’s been important, essential for me, uh, for a number of reasons. Primarily just because I know that I’ve been in schools where it’s also been important.

I’ve been really fortunate, uh, from the schools that I was in on the East Coast to my time at Collegiate. I’ve always intentionally looked for schools. Who are again, are walking that walk when it comes to inclusion and belonging. ’cause ultimately that’s what it means. We want to be safe places for everyone.

And so I, I love the fact that I’m leaving a school that is continuing that work. Um, and that I’m sure I’m gonna be supporting them in, you know, over [00:23:00] the next couple of years. Because I do think that. It’s gonna, it’s, it’s difficult, but it’s not insurmountable. Uh, it’s work that we can continue to do in a high level way.

We just, again, have to be intentional about it. 

Tara: Yeah. I think sticking to values right now is, is really important mm-hmm. In all types of organizations, so thank you. Absolutely. Are there any red flags that you help schools identify in how they present themselves to prospective families, especially from underrepresented communities?

Dr. Tiffany: I think red flag, I, I don’t know if I, I, if that’s sort of how I would think about it. I think for me, I just tell schools be intentional about who you are. Families, they will sniff out things that don’t feel real. Um, and so I think that, again, it’s one of the reasons why I, you know, I said to the enrollment management folks.

A number of years ago, you know, if we’re, if we’re doing it and we’re doing it proudly, we should be able to say it. And we shouldn’t be making up things for [00:24:00] specific families. We have to go in and talk about what we do every single day. Um, that’s the reason why for me, no matter who I’m talking to you know, when I’m talking about the lower school diversity work is gonna be in the center of that as the, you know, former community engagement and belonging director.

You know, if I was talking to middle school or upper school families, you know, diversity was gonna be a part of those pieces because it spoke to our ability to work around inclusion and belonging. Um, when, you know, our head of school talked about it, it was really important for, I wanted him to be also a person who voiced it because again, that work couldn’t happen without the head of school.

So my, my. Piece to schools really is making sure your head of school is involved, uh, making sure that, that if they have a diversity practitioner, that that relationship is, um, very close, and that they’re working very closely together. Um, because I think that they have to, and, and particularly in the, in the climate that we’re in now.

With the re-enrollment enrollment management group, I think it’s [00:25:00] really important again for them to understand how they’re walk, walking the walk in terms of community engagement and belonging and inclusion. And I think for me it’s also making sure faculty understand that, you know, no matter what parents are gonna be looking for ways that you are demonstrating this is a safe space.

This is a, a space where kids are gonna have voice, where they’re gonna have agency. And so being able to do that authentically is really important. 

Aubrey: That’s so powerful. Um, I think it’s, it kind of aligns with what we talk about here a lot on the podcast, which is like your, the, basically the alignment of your admissions, what you’re, what you’re representing and, and talking about in admissions is actually what’s happening in the program, right?

So that you’re, you’re giving, um, your prospective families that this is what we. We do, and then we’re actually doing it right, and it’s lived out throughout so that they, they understand and you’re right, they can sniff out when things aren’t happening. Right. Um, and so being [00:26:00] transparent and all the things you mentioned is so important.

So really thank you for bringing that up and sharing that wisdom with others. I’d love to kind of get your take on our next question, which is, you know, we’re the Mindful School Marketing podcast. So, we definitely incorporate a mindful question in that, um, because mindfulness is important to us.

So I’m curious you know, we talk about it often, how it applies to school leaders and enrollment and marketing staff. How do you define mindfulness and how do you apply it to the work you do? 

Dr. Tiffany: Well, it’s interesting that you asked that question because I’m actually almost done, uh, with, uh, sort of being certified to actually teach mindfulness practices.

Because for me it’s really important. I sort of got my first uh, introduction to mindfulness practices through school because we were, we were. Earnestly trying to find ways to just help fa faculties right after, uh, uh, COVID feel like they could be at work. Um, because they were also grappling with just health things and just the, the reality of a pandemic.

[00:27:00] And so it sort of started during that time period and. And it’s, it’s interesting because we were also trying to figure out, for me, the high school kind of had some things they were doing, but the lower school didn’t. And we were trying to figure out how to help just with some breathing techniques and, and, and sort of meditation for the students.

So that’s where I got interested. Took a class, loved the class, and then last year decided, okay, I’m just gonna go for it. So, I’m a bit of a, um. Um, I’m already on board with it. And so for me, I think it, it’s about having people understand that you know, school folks. That I know and myself included, we’re usually kind of type A.

We like to get things done. We work at high level. You know, we’re a bit of a, of a perfectionist. So mindfulness for me is my opportunity just to quiet my brain, um, and, and really sit in silence, which I’m not great at. I can talk all day long. I’m not great at sitting in silence. So my practice really has helped me to just [00:28:00] calm my thoughts.

Label them. When I see that I’m sort of going in that spiral and being able to just forgive myself for those moments when I am on 10 and need to get back down to zero. Um, so I think it’s really important and it’s, like I said, it’s work that I’ve co-signed in our school in terms of working with faculty and with students.

And I’m really hopeful that during, you know, during a time where I think people are more stressed, that more folks will look to mindfulness as a, as a way to just, again, quiet their brain. And forgive themselves for, you know, kind of being on, on 10.

Tara: Thank you. How fortunate that we just wouldn’t even realize we had a mindfulness expert, expert on the show. Not, not an expert. 

Dr. Tiffany: Not an expert quite yet. I’m, I’m getting there. I’m excited about it. I’m hopeful. In the next couple of months I’ll be ready to go. 

Tara: Awesome. We’re gonna move into our rapid fire questions now.

So this is my favorite question. We, we ask all of our guests, if you could put [00:29:00] one book on the high school curriculum as mandatory book, what would that be? 

Dr. Tiffany: All right, so you gotta remember I’m an English major, so that this was a question I was like, uh, how do I do this? So I think I’ll just do the, one of the books that I’ve taught at Collegiate for the last three years is passing by Nella Larson.

I went to Fisk University for undergrad where I majored in in English and specifically African American literature. And the Harlem Renaissance. And sort of the 19th century, uh, kinda 18th, 19th century mulatto character, um, was really something that was, um, near and dear to my heart. I did my master’s thesis at Mary Ma on the, on the tragic mulatto.

And so in Nella Larson’s passing, you have this pretty intense relationship between these two, uh, women. Um. Who both are passing. But doing it for very different reasons. And the outcome I will not share because that’s the beauty of the book, but it’s really [00:30:00] short. And we’ve, like I said, we’ve been teaching that for the last three years and I’m excited because my co-teacher has already asked me if I would come back and teach it with him in the fall.

And I said I would. So Nella Larson passing. Thank you. 

Aubrey: You have you some lucky students in that room. I bet they have a wonderful time with you because that book sounds really interesting. I’m sure it’s amazing’s spur some amazing discussions along with that. 

Dr. Tiffany: It’s amazing. Yep. 

Aubrey: What is one app you couldn’t live without?

Dr. Tiffany: That’s tough. I probably at this point, my mindfulness app, um, because I, I love that I can get on and journal. I can use it to go through a couple of guided meditations. So I would say probably my mindfulness app right now. 

Tara: Is there a specific 

Dr. Tiffany: one that you use? So, uh, Kru is the one that I use. Mia is the program that I’m working through and it used to be Kru and it’s now Mia.

Tara: Okay. Next question is what is one, what, what book are you reading now? 

Dr. Tiffany: Another really tough one. I, I can’t pick just one. [00:31:00] Honestly, I, I’m an avid reader. Um, my niece she’s, she teases me mercifully. ’cause like, I’m that person who will sit curled up on my, on my sofa and read a book first and foremost before I do anything else.

I just finished oh gosh, I just finished crucial conversations because we sort of did did that. Two years ago at school and I’m, I’m sort of re uh, resurrecting it for a teacher training that I’m gonna be doing in the next couple of weeks. So, crucial conversations I just reviewed again.

Aubrey: Nice. It’s good to go back to some books that you’ve read before, but you know, wanna come back for you, sir. So Good. And have such great, uh, kernels in them. What is one great piece of advice you’d like to leave us with?

Dr. Tiffany: I think my mentor, am I and, and still my mentor, he’s been my mentor for, for 25 years. Be open. I think be open, be flexible. Again, we’re the times that we’re living in. I wanna think our [00:32:00] growth times. Like I don’t wanna be negative, I don’t wanna be alarmist. I think there are growth times, but I think that they require openness and flexibility and an ability to be to just sort of be, I mean, I, I’m, I’m not doing a good job about this, but I just, I feel like for me, the thing that I said to my faculty on my last day, my last uh, administrative meeting with them was, you know, this time of transition it is, has been amazingly awesome and terrifying all at the same time.

And I told them, I know that right now for some of you guys, the uncertainty, um, is. It’s, it’s terrible. But think 10 years ago you were also going through a transition where you were worried and you were nervous about me coming on board. And so I, I told them, I said, I wanna reassure you that, you know, with the school, we’ve done a process and that the person coming in is going to come in and work with you [00:33:00] just as diligently as I have.

But you gotta be open, you gotta be flexible, and you just gotta be. So I think that would be the thing I would say to everyone is just to, to be flexible and open. 

Tara: Excellent. Thank you so much. What a great way to start the day today for us. I’m so glad that, uh, that you’re here today and, and thank you for sharing and best wishes on your new endeavors as you move on.

Where can people find you online? 

Dr. Tiffany: Right now. I’m so glad you guys ask. I’m in the process of finalizing, working with, uh, a friend to finalize my website. So right now my LinkedIn account, my page is the best place to kind of find me, uh, message me. All the information that you need about sort of what I love and what I’ve done is there at this point, um, I really wanted to finish my time at Collegiate before I start to think about other things.

Um, so I’m, I’m in the process of doing that and I’m hoping a knock on wood, everything will be ready August, sometime in [00:34:00] August. 

Aubrey: Fantastic. Great. And congratulations. Thanks, Tiffany. Thank you so much. I appreciate 

Dr. Tiffany: it.