Assistant to the Principal Kristin Rea brings an impressive background and a cheerful energy to SLUH this fall, where she is working in the Main Office while Renai Lowry is on medical leave.

Rea found out about the job opportunity in the spring. She was a candidate for the receptionist position previously held by Mimi Hartung, but the Main Office job proved to be a better fit.

“Really, it was just word of mouth,” said Rea. “My husband coaches with the water polo team, he coaches the goalkeepers, and (Assistant Dean of Students Dan) Schulte knew that there was going to be some availability, so that’s how I came about it.”

Rea was trained for similar work, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in communications from Indiana University.

“I started out in the business sector,” said Rea. “I was an account manager for a third party logistics company and managed their logistics operations and supply chain needs for several clients. Then I took some time to raise my children. I have three kids. And then most recently, I taught preschool for a few years.”

This diverse resume made Rea an ideal candidate for the job.

“It’s a complex role. Part of that is being frontline for the Main Office, so she is the primary support person for (Assistant Principal for Academics Kevin) Foy and myself,” said Principal Ian Gibbons S.J. “Mrs. Rea works with a lot of structural pieces and she's very good with details and she has done a tremendous job of just understanding the flow of the day, the week. It's a lot of complexities in the school and she's got a good mind for it.”

Rea also has many ties to the school, so she was familiar with the SLUH community and how the school operated before applying for the job.

“My dad and both of my older brothers went here, and then my husband and both of his brothers went here,” said Rea. “We just have a lot of family and friends that have all gone through here and have had such a great experience.”

Rea comes to SLUH with a positive attitude in the face of the uncertainties of this school year. She greets everyone who walks into the main office with a smile.

“I think there's a curiosity and a passion for education that is pretty clear in what she does. A great sense of mission for the school, even the small little things, it's great to see,” said Gibbons. “She's got a very joyful personality. There are times when that's really helpful. With the pandemic, everyone is masked up and it is a real challenge that can be associated with a school day. I think she brings a great spirit.”

Lowry is set to return from her medical leave by the end of October. While this is good news, will Rea still have a role in the SLUH community?

“We'll see what the future holds. I've been loving being in this SLUH community. I'm really enjoying my time here,” said Rea. “Working with SLUH would be wonderful. But I also may look into going back to teaching and working with preschool students.”