By Annie Goodykoontz

   Mrs. Drake, the Dean of Faculty at Tempe Prep, will be leaving her position after the 2022-2023 school year. 

   She has been at Tempe Prep for the past 15 years. This fall, she will become the new headmaster at Ascent Classical Academy, a new school opening in Colorado. 

   Mrs. Drake said she is excited about the opportunity that the new job will bring for her and her family. “I decided to take this job as an opportunity to grow and be challenged,” she said, “I am also very excited about bringing my family to a new place to explore. We love to camp, hike, ski and explore, so this will be a fun, new experience for us.”

   The decision to leave her current position, however, was difficult. “This decision was very hard. I love TPA and the community of teachers and students,” she said, “I have been here for 15 years and it feels like a part of me.”

   While she made countless memories at Tempe Prep, Mrs. Drake said among her favorites are the ones made on several senior trips.

    “I have had the opportunity to chaperone three times, and each trip is unique. There’s just something amazing about sharing this experience with our seniors,” she said. “I love watching the faces of our students when they walk up the steps of the Lincoln Memorial and stand in awe of the space, the history and the man before them.”

   Mrs. Drake offered advice to students at TPA. “Don’t let doing the bare minimum drive your effort,” she said. “View your classes as an opportunity to wonder at the world, question your observations and experiences, and challenge yourself to do more than you thought yourself capable of.”