From Class President to Head of School

Written by Mark Shields, Former History Instructor

On July 1, 2025, Jaime Morgan ’02 officially became the ninth Head of School in Sanford’s 95-year history.

 This is an extraordinary all-new/return to the Sanford community from her previous roles as Director of Admission, Associate Head of School for Advancement, and as a parent. Representing the great Class of 2002, Jaime is also the first alumna to serve as Sanford’s Head. Jaime’s classmates were well aware of her abilities and potential when they elected her multiple times to be their class president and identified her as “most likely to succeed” in the 2002 yearbook.

The path from class president to Head of School is a story worth telling. During her student days, Jaime embodied our “No Talent Lies Latent” motto as a stellar student while also being actively involved in athletics, clubs, the performing arts, and student government. Many of the qualities and attributes she brings to her current position were clearly evident and developed during her years as a Sanford student.

Chosen to be a student speaker at the 2002 Commencement ceremony, Jaime praised the faculty, saying, “They have helped give us roots at Sanford, a place where we know we will always belong.”

I was fortunate to teach Jaime twice, during her sophomore and junior years. I can certainly also attest to Jaime’s academic talents and success, but I want to highlight her early leadership prowess and some lucky timing for me. At the start of Jaime’s junior year, I was asked to take on the role of lead junior class advisor. Along with other responsibilities, this role put me in charge of planning one of the year’s biggest events, the prom.

When I informed my wife that I was now in charge of the prom, I distinctly remember a look of horror on her face. I will be the first to admit that her reaction was justified. I certainly had zero experience or inclination for event planning. My great stroke of luck, however, was that Jaime was the junior class president. From visiting venues, fundraising, setting up, planning the theme, menu, music, and decorations, Jaime took charge, delegating tasks to the other officers while keeping me “in the loop.”

The results were spectacular, and I received undeserved praise for such a great event.

Even as a student, Jaime demonstrated many of the traits that are associated with a successful and visionary leader. When it was first announced that she would become the Head of School, the reaction from her former teachers, coaches, administrators, and classmates was unanimously enthusiastic and supportive. As Sanford moves forward and approaches its centennial, our school is in good hands.

For this article, I have requested input from some of the faculty members from Jaime’s student years. Here is just a sampling of what I received:

Jaime’s former biology teacher, Janet Upton, wrote, “I have never forgotten Jaime for good reasons! Even as a ninth grader, it was obvious that she was going to be successful in whatever profession she chose. Even then, she loved the school and was a student devoted to her studies.”

Former Director of Advancement Peter Buttenheim recalled that even as a teenager, Jaime “always wanted to know what we were doing in advancement” and added that the entire Advancement team was “impressed by Jaime’s mature understanding of change in the school community.”

Former Performing Arts Department Chair Lisa Nowicki wrote, “As a talented performing arts student, Jaime radiated kindness, positivity, and a can-do spirit that elevated every SRTC production in which she took part. I vividly remember her performance as one of the angels in our production of Anything Goes (2000). Her character name was Virtue, a name that suited her perfectly as she led with integrity, lifted others, and embodied a quiet strength that earned the respect of her peers.”

Retired history teacher Donna Sherpa remembers that Jaime “could easily see the end goal of any project and guide others to it with grace and intelligence.” Donna added, “No matter what group she was in, she was so respectful of other people’s ideas,” and “she has a loving nature, which is what we need in leadership.”

While also praising her intelligence and academic success, retired Athletic Director and Jaime’s former field hockey coach, Joan Samonisky, wrote that “Jaime had a knack for looking at the big picture. It never seemed that she was focused on individual accomplishments; it was all about the team! That same attitude prevails today, which will serve Sanford well as she leads us into the future.”