This fall, we are launching our new tagline: Lead a Life of Learning. The charge for this work came from the UPrep Board of Trustees and our Strategic Plan 2021, which called for UPrep to sharpen its identity by being intentional about who we are and to further elevate our school in the Seattle educational market. 

During the past six months, the Marketing and Communications Office worked with leaders from our community and Springtide Studio to refresh UPrep’s brand. Wonder what I mean by brand? It’s our school’s identity. It’s what we are known for. It’s how we distinguish ourselves from our competitors.

Before we started the creative work, we did a lot of listening—to students, alums, parents and guardians, donors, faculty, and staff—and collected a lot of data. This included:

• 20 interviews
• 150 completed online surveys
• 10 focus groups
• A competitive analysis of our peer schools in Seattle
• An audit of UPrep’s website
• A review of the school’s history, previous branding efforts, and taglines

As we poured through and considered the data, a few key characteristics of our school were recognized and valued consistently across the many constituent groups: UPrep’s challenging academics, exceptional teachers, and our vibrant and caring community. The data also highlighted the many ways UPrep fosters a diverse range of student leadership opportunities. From this data, our new tagline was created:

When we welcomed our faculty and staff back to school in August, we invited them to reflect—individually and collectively—on our new tagline. Below is some of what they shared about how they lead a life of learning and what it means to lead a life of learning at UPrep.

How do you lead a life of learning?

“I lead a life of learning through fitness challenges, learning from new people, and through culture, travel, and food.”– Kimberly Baba, Upper School PE and Health Teacher

“I lead a life of learning by living by the idea that as long as there is something new to learn, there will be something new to teach. I lead a life of learning through my hobbies, like playing an instrument and improving on it.” –Jonathan Delgado, Academic Technology Coordinator

“I lead a life of learning both personally and professionally by finding joy, being inquisitive, finding delight in being wrong and/or overturning old ideas, and sharing with others. The unknown is not a source of fear, it's a possibility and opportunity.” –Priscilla Lindberg, History Teacher

“For me, the signature components of that are curiosity, listening, risk-taking, and embracing vulnerability to expand our perspectives.” –Sharon Maguire-Merrifield, Learning Pathways Teacher

“My daughter recently taught me how to solve a Rubik’s cube and I’ve gotten into it. She goes to competitions regularly, and I finally competed myself this last month. It was awesome and made me want to practice, be better, and compete more.” –Jason Parker, Instrumental Music Teacher

“For me, learning is not a solitary experience; it is about connection and community. Reading is an important way for me to connect to thinkers, historians, and practitioners across time and place as I situate myself and my work. Last year, I read 63 books!” –Emily Schorr Lesnick, Director of Social Emotional Learning 

“My own kids inspire me to keep improving as a leader, mentor, coach and communicator. I love reading—historical fiction, non-fiction, and sci-fi/post-apocalyptic/afro-futurism—and through others’ voices I learn about different values, unique cultures, and alternative ways of thinking and processing our existence.” –Heidi-Marie Wiggins, Middle School English Teacher

What does it mean to lead a life of learning at UPrep?

“At UPrep, leading a life of learning means we—students, families, and staff—are constantly asking questions, seeking new challenges, and caring about what we do with what we learn.” –Brian Gonzales, Director of Innovation and Experiential Education

“It’s about saying ‘yes’ to taking new classes, embracing new experiences, and engaging with new people/cultures. It’s about feeling comfortable with complexity and generating your own ideas.” –Kelly Herrington, Director of College Counseling and Student Services 

“Leading a life of learning at UPrep involves learning in the public eye. Modeling, taking new risks, learning alongside the community, as well as learning from the students.” –Andrea Moore, Counselor 

“At UPrep, we learn from everything and from everyone. Every person and every situation, good or bad, has something to teach you.” –Elena Tello Portoles, Spanish Teacher

“It means empowering students to expand their perspectives and recognize that there may be many truths.” –Kayla Robertson, PE Teacher, and Leroy Timblin, Technical Theatre Teacher and Theatre Manager

“Leading a life of learning at UPrep means being thoughtful, engaged, and mutually supportive in a place of discomfort. Mistakes are encouraged and necessary!” –Ty Talbot, Dean of Faculty and Fine Arts Teacher

You can read more about how members of our community lead a life of learning here.