From the moment uncertain freshmen step foot into the GA Upper School to the moment they walk across the stage at graduation as seniors, House Heads walk alongside students, watching their journey and helping them grow.
This year, Ms. Sara Krupnick-Ritz, Truesdell House Head, will walk with graduating Truesdellians for the last time in her final year as a House Head. Ms. Ritz is stepping down as Truesdell House Head after a five-year tenure to take on additional responsibilities in the Upper School Visual Arts department and the Art Across the Academy initiative.
“Our world is changing so rapidly, technology is changing so rapidly, so I think it’s a really good time to put a lot of thought into the kind of work that we do,” Ms. Ritz said. “It’s more important than ever that we continue to do hands-on iterative thinking [in Art Across the Academy], because it better prepares us for the world that you’re all entering.”
Ms. Ritz’s leadership in Truesdell, from cheering on everyone in each House competition and hosting traditions like word of the year to sending pictures of her dogs in every House memo and giving out cookies, has had a profound impact on the House.
The tradition of word of the year, first started by Ms. Rebecca Pizzino, former Truesdell House Head, has become an integral part of Truesdell. Ms. Ritz has chosen the five words moxie, tenacity, probity, synergy and abundance to embody her perspective and tenets during her tenure as House Head.
“I love [the word of the year] because it feels like an inside joke,” Ms. Alicia Evans, Truesdell advisor, said. “It’s a loving thing. I love it when people purposely use it. You know, we got our moxie. You’ve got to be tenacious. It’s really cool and also speaks to the culture of GA in an intellectual way.”
The words not only describe how Ms. Ritz sees Truesdell, but also her leadership values and principles.
“People are going to miss Ms. Ritz’s tenacity, because that word actually describes her so well,” Anastasia Miller ‘26, Truesdell Prefect, said. “She’s not going to hold back. She’s going to give everything her all, which is really special… She is so upbeat, even when I know that she’s really tired. She just pulls it through in front of the House, just to try and get us going.”
These characteristics, including Ms. Ritz’s energy and empathy, guide her actions as a leader, allowing her to build a strong community.
“It’s clear her guideline is to include everyone and to be the advocate for everyone,” Ms. Evans said. “She’s a really good listener too. She’s not just a projector.”
Ms. Ritz leads with kindness and by example, unafraid to share her own experiences. Her genuine care and energy make her a role model in the community.
“I like to think that I’m an empathic, compassionate, consistent leader,” Ms. Ritz said. “I always like to listen, because everybody has their own story… I probably overshare mistakes that I’ve made, places I’ve missed the mark, places where I wish I would have done something differently… because we’re all learning and growing. You can’t always go back, but you can always go forward, and you can take those lessons.”
Standing by her principles of moxie, tenacity, probity, synergy, and especially abundance, Ms. Ritz will extend her leadership values into the rest of her work.
“I feel like in so many ways, we live in a world that feels zero-sum game sometimes,” Ms. Ritz said. “It’s really great to remind myself, and hopefully remind you all: when you go to school in a really competitive place, and you’re constantly being assessed and all these other things, there’s an abundance of goodness in the world, and there’s an abundance of opportunity. If you don’t always get the thing that you want the minute that you want, there’s plenty to go around.”