MEET MORE OF OUR 2026 WOMEN OF DISTINCTION
This trio of leaders at The Prairie School all began their careers in education the same way – in the classroom. Susan Holum, Kathy Boero and Mari Grobschmidt now lead the Wind Point pre-K through 12th grade private school’s three divisions – primary, middle and upper – and do so with decades of teaching experience to guide them.
“We’ve worked next to and with each other for many years,” says Grobschmidt, who was hired by the school straight out of college and taught alongside Holum in the primary school. Boero is now in her 31st year at The Prairie School, and her ninth leading its middle grades. She has seen the school continue to grow, while sticking to its mission to provide an exceptional, well-rounded education. “This is the best professional position you could possibly imagine,” she says.
“As division heads, our jobs can pull us in many directions, but the classroom is always the center of our work.”
– Susan Holum
Q&A
What is your best advice for someone hoping to become an administrator?
I would say start in the classroom because I think if you want to be an administrator, whether it’s at a public school or at an independent school, the classroom experience is invaluable. Then, then you’re talking with teachers and working with teachers, you’re speaking from experience and not just what you learned in school or what the textbooks say. – Mari Grobschmidt
And try to stay connected in the classroom work. Our jobs pull us in a lot of directions but I think that continuing to have a touch point within the classrooms matters. – Susan Holum
