The Galvanizing Wisdom from DA Senior Exit Interviews
From the Head of School
Every spring, I sit for 15 minutes with each DA senior to ask them about their proudest moments, what they’d do differently, where DA has best served them and where the school has fallen short.
I take close notes. After commencement, I look for patterns and themes in the data. I share these themes, without names attached, with the relevant colleagues on campus. We make changes every year based on what we learn from our seniors.
Teenagers (especially with the exit door in sight and emancipation on the horizon) do not hold back. Anonymity increases their freedom to share the good, the bad and the ugly. As I tell each of them, their critiques often prove most useful; we need to know where we’ve missed the mark. This year (in addition to more parking spots and shorter food truck lines), our seniors’ most common requests from the school: push us to mix our social groups more often, clarify the rules for appropriate AI use, and grow community support for fine arts and girls’ sports.
This year, I did 114 senior exit interviews and never heard the same thing twice. Each student has a unique path and perspective. Still, common themes emerge. Among the most salient:
- My teachers changed my life: Across 14 years and nearly 1,400 exit interviews, the strength of our faculty is by far the most common theme. Seniors gush about their advisors, coaches and mentors. One of the hundreds of tributes I heard this spring: “Dr. [Christi] Augustine is my home away from home. Her ADV Biology class is really hard, but we found a way for me to learn best. Twice a week in tutorial, we sit down, white-board an overview of the chapter and then dig into each topic. I never thought I’d love biology, but now I do. She’s the reason why.”
- I feel prepared for college and beyond: Seniors point to their challenging coursework, outdoor campus, flexible schedule and “easy opportunities to be exposed to a lot of cultures, opinions and ways of life.” They recognize that their struggles and the high expectations of their DA teachers have left them with stronger study and time management habits, heightened interpersonal skills and an ability “to make eye contact and have a conversation with just about anybody.” Said another senior: “My research, writing and public speaking skills have expanded so much. When I look at my old self, or my friends who go to other schools, I can see the difference. Whatever I choose to do in college and life, I have the foundation and the work ethic to do it well.”
- My relationships mattered most: One might expect 12th graders, when asked for their sources of pride, to point to their college destinations, athletic triumphs or performances on the Kenan Auditorium stage. Most, however, don’t hesitate to declare they are proudest of their relationships with peers and teachers. “We are a pretty random group of people. We’re all great friends now. We call ourselves the Hooligans. We feel like a family, and Mrs. Harris is the reason why,” one senior said of Upper School librarian, teacher and advisor Shannon Harris. Said another: “My friend group is like the United Nations. I can have a disagreement with someone and it’s going to be OK. It has made me more clear and confident about my beliefs.”
That common theme of productive conflict is relatively new in the data. DARC SIDE, our Upper School robotics team, might call it “Coopertition,” which they define as “unqualified kindness and respect in the face of intense competition.” I suspect it’s also growing from DA’s work on civil discourse and our move beyond AP courses.
These days, DA students are solving more real-world problems, chasing authentic areas of passion and building knowledge as deep and durable as their relationships. As one senior put it: “There have been some classes with a lot of smart people in which it’s like iron sharpening iron. We are all striving to write great papers and share our thoughts. I think that about DA more generally — it’s amazing to be surrounded by people who are all trying to do really cool things.”
Michael Ulku-Steiner
Head of School
@michael_ulku_steiner