Head of Upper School Kim Ramos remembers the teachers who had the greatest impact on her for the combination of support and challenge they offered, and saw the passion they had for their respective fields as a window they shared into a world of new ideas. She was highly curious about a range of subjects, and whether she was reading books for English, learning a new language, or solving math problems, she loved learning everything she could. Having teachers who approached learning as something fun—and who made clear that asking questions was both expected and important—helped Kim feel comfortable asking questions and voicing her ideas, and gave her an appreciation for understanding various perspectives.

Kim attended Phillips Academy Andover for high school, where she encountered a community of students, faculty, and staff from all over the world. She studied modern jazz and ballet, served as a peer tutor in Latin, and worked as a chemistry lab assistant. She attended college at Columbia, where her areas of study clearly indicate her wide range of interests: she majored in both biochemistry and dance. She joined the Chemistry Society and the Women in Science Club, and continued to dance with the same company she’d been with since high school—opportunities that allowed her to meet and engage with people who ranged widely in background and experience.

Kim came to Winsor as a young teacher in 2007, and quickly immersed herself in the tight-knit community the school fosters. She enjoyed the opportunity to get to know everyone in the community, and appreciates that as a smaller school, Winsor is far less siloed than many educational institutions. During her time at Winsor, she has taken on a number of leadership roles. She taught all levels of chemistry, coordinated the Summer Science Internships Program, created the independent study lab space and the science research class, developed electives in materials science and forensics, and served as scheduler for the school. In 2011 she became head of Winsor’s Science Department, and in 2021 she was named head of Upper School.

Kim is inspired each day by her students’ desire to learn and challenge themselves, and by their creative and unexpected ideas. She notes, “Even in classes I’ve taught for 18 years, my students still surprise me.” She sees just how much those ideas influence the shared experience of everyone at Winsor: “Our students want to help shape and improve the school, whether by noticing a missed opportunity to make something more inclusive, or simply addressing ways we might operate better as a community… Our students are creative and curious and willing to speak up.”