The Power of Alumnae: The Head of School (Alex Lockett '98)
This article first appeared in the Spring 2023 NCS Magazine.
When Alex Lockett kicks off her tenure in July as the first female head of Cate School in Carpinteria, Calif., she will bring a wealth of experience from two decades as a teacher and administrator. Shaping her career and approach are themes from throughout her life, including many that stem from her years at NCS.
One is a sense of belonging. Lockett started in pre-K at Beauvoir and attended NCS through 12th grade. She says, “That feeling of belonging deeply to a community was in my bones from a young age and has been a guiding light throughout my career.” Lockett’s experience as a member of NCS’s first crew team was also formative. When she was in 9th grade, the team, in homemade shirts and with borrowed oars, won the Stotesbury Cup Regatta, the world’s largest high school race. That achievement led her to think about “the power of humble beginnings, spirit, and soul, and adults believing in us— really, really profound.”
Another theme from Lockett’s NCS years was leadership. She served as a peer counselor and a class officer, making her “comfortable really putting myself out there.” In addition, she says the rigorous academic program has been foundational throughout her life.
When Lockett left NCS, she carried with her a lot of strengths and achievements but also a lot of doubt. Over time, through her educational and personal experiences, she overcame her insecurities and realized her power and full potential.
Lockett’s childhood and adolescence can be viewed as a tale of two Washingtons. The high-powered environment of Washington, D.C., was tempered for Lockett by time spent outdoors in Washington state, where her parents had met. During childhood summers in the Evergreen State, she gained proficiency in sea kayaking and hiking. Lockett says, “I was very competent in a storm at sea, an accomplished sailor, an accomplished backpacker.”
Equipped with her bi-coastal experiences, Lockett entered Brown University, where she completed premed requirements and majored in biology. She soon realized that she wanted to work in schools. During her sophomore summer, she had worked at University High School (UHS) in San Francisco. When she graduated, she Googled and saw that UHS was hiring a health educator. In that role, Lockett talked to kids all day long about their emotions and challenges. She says, “It felt very restorative, because I could say all the things to them that I wish I could have said to myself [at that age].”
After two years at UHS, while still in her 20s, Lockett was named the dean of students. She says, “I got really bold with the school and said, ‘I think we can do better.’” Lockett conceived of, campaigned for, and implemented a mentoring program in which teachers taught one fewer class each term to free up time to connect with students. As Lockett recognized, “There’s nothing more profound than time. My North Star in my work is trying to make students see their value at a young age.”
Having established a signature program that has been replicated by many other institutions, Lockett felt ready for a move. In 2019, she became Upper School head at Crystal Springs Uplands School in Hillsborough, Calif. Last summer, the head of Crystal Springs told Lockett that she thought she was ready to be a head of school. The position at Cate seemed like a long shot, as Lockett had never worked in a boarding school. But the search committee recognized that she embodies the school’s defining theme: “Cate combines East Coast tradition with West Coast energy and innovation.” Lockett, her husband, and two young sons will move to Cate this summer.
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One is a sense of belonging. Lockett started in pre-K at Beauvoir and attended NCS through 12th grade. She says, “That feeling of belonging deeply to a community was in my bones from a young age and has been a guiding light throughout my career.” Lockett’s experience as a member of NCS’s first crew team was also formative. When she was in 9th grade, the team, in homemade shirts and with borrowed oars, won the Stotesbury Cup Regatta, the world’s largest high school race. That achievement led her to think about “the power of humble beginnings, spirit, and soul, and adults believing in us— really, really profound.”
Another theme from Lockett’s NCS years was leadership. She served as a peer counselor and a class officer, making her “comfortable really putting myself out there.” In addition, she says the rigorous academic program has been foundational throughout her life.
When Lockett left NCS, she carried with her a lot of strengths and achievements but also a lot of doubt. Over time, through her educational and personal experiences, she overcame her insecurities and realized her power and full potential.
Lockett’s childhood and adolescence can be viewed as a tale of two Washingtons. The high-powered environment of Washington, D.C., was tempered for Lockett by time spent outdoors in Washington state, where her parents had met. During childhood summers in the Evergreen State, she gained proficiency in sea kayaking and hiking. Lockett says, “I was very competent in a storm at sea, an accomplished sailor, an accomplished backpacker.”
Equipped with her bi-coastal experiences, Lockett entered Brown University, where she completed premed requirements and majored in biology. She soon realized that she wanted to work in schools. During her sophomore summer, she had worked at University High School (UHS) in San Francisco. When she graduated, she Googled and saw that UHS was hiring a health educator. In that role, Lockett talked to kids all day long about their emotions and challenges. She says, “It felt very restorative, because I could say all the things to them that I wish I could have said to myself [at that age].”
After two years at UHS, while still in her 20s, Lockett was named the dean of students. She says, “I got really bold with the school and said, ‘I think we can do better.’” Lockett conceived of, campaigned for, and implemented a mentoring program in which teachers taught one fewer class each term to free up time to connect with students. As Lockett recognized, “There’s nothing more profound than time. My North Star in my work is trying to make students see their value at a young age.”
Having established a signature program that has been replicated by many other institutions, Lockett felt ready for a move. In 2019, she became Upper School head at Crystal Springs Uplands School in Hillsborough, Calif. Last summer, the head of Crystal Springs told Lockett that she thought she was ready to be a head of school. The position at Cate seemed like a long shot, as Lockett had never worked in a boarding school. But the search committee recognized that she embodies the school’s defining theme: “Cate combines East Coast tradition with West Coast energy and innovation.” Lockett, her husband, and two young sons will move to Cate this summer.