INTERVIEW WITH A
HEAD OF SCHOOL BY VERA AZAR
In October 2022, the King’s Academy Board of Trustees announced the appointment of Stephanie “Penny” Townsend as King’s fourth head of school. Townsend took the helm in April 2023, succeeding Peter Nilsson, who served as head since 2019. Notably, Townsend is the first woman to hold the position. Soon after arriving on campus, Townsend spent some time talking to Beyond King’s Editor Vera Azar. VA: You’ve worked at both boarding and day schools, but for the past eight years you’ve been at a day school. What made you return to boarding schools? PT: Both types of schools have pros and cons, but I have found the relationships you develop at boarding school are deeper and more rewarding. Students create more school spirit because 4
BEYOND KING’S
it’s home to them. The beauty of boarding school is in the richness of opportunities. Teachers see students in other places than the classroom. Boarding schools humanize teaching because it’s a relationship-based education. VA: You’ve only been here a short while. But in that time, what are the differences you’ve seen between
King’s and the schools you’ve worked at in the United States? PT: In general, there are more similarities than differences. But there are some cultural differences. The kind of diversity we have here among the faculty — the expats and the locals — is different from the faculty diversity we have in the US. Also, this is a big campus, it takes students to another level, it has a scholarly stature about it because of the way the students move around campus and go into different buildings and classrooms. The fact that there is more freedom and space to move around informs how students interact. It’s been interesting arriving during Ramadan, as that has given me another perspective on the culture. How these students manage their lives during Ramadan has been a real treasure to see, the fact that they can fast and go through the academic day. They are gritty. They have a cultural awareness that they