Frieda Bilizikean ’26
Contributor

The Installation of Jody Reilly Soja: From The Mountain to The Island

On Friday, September 20, 2024, Loomis Chaffee officially installed Mrs. Jody Reilly Soja as our 8th Head of School, marking a milestone in the history of the Loomis Institute. The momentous occasion commenced with a welcome speech given by Webster Trenchard, who highlighted Loomis’ rich history, noting that in its 110 year history, Loomis Chaffee has only had seven Heads of School prior to Mrs. Soja.

Kathleen Peterson ’72, Senior Instructor and Spanish Language Faculty, shared her observations of the previous Heads of School after Mr. Trenchard. She emphasized the strong leadership that has always been a hallmark of our school.

Following Mrs. Peterson was Shane Lischin '26, who witnessed and experienced Mrs. Soja's remarkable leadership at the Indian Mountain School, where Mrs. Soja was the Head of School, up until this year, and where Shane attended middle school. He shared that Mrs. Soja fostered a community that "had your back both in failure and success." Her qualities of curiosity and enthusiasm shone through in his speech, serving to excite our school community about the start of her tenure.

"It was an honor to speak at Mrs. Soja’s installation! I hope that everyone at Loomis can grow as a student and person just as I did under her revolutionary leadership,” said Shane.

The next speech was given by Trustee David Rogan ’76, who co-led the Head of School search committee alongside Trustee Rachel Kort ’98. Rogan began by reflecting on his time on the island, emphasizing how quickly it became his “home.” He went on to speak of the goals in the Head of School search, and how after an extensive and arduous search, spanning 10 months, Mrs. Soja clearly stood out from other candidates by exceeding all expectations and qualities that the search committee was looking for.

The Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Duncan MacLean ’90, was next to speak, digging into legislation from 1874 and words from the Loomis family, both of which held weight in portraying how far our school has come since its initial charter and how our mission and values at Loomis have remained the same. Notably, Mr. MacLean remarked on Loomis’s founding and how our school was a place anybody could attend, regardless of religion, race, or finances. Ahead of their time, Loomis was an institute that displayed remarkable progressiveness. Even 110 years later, Loomis Chaffee remains true to these values.

Penultimately, Dr. Sheila Culbert spoke, addressing the Loomis family and their legacy as well. She handed the gavel off to the new Head of School, officially closing her chapter at Loomis. Mrs. Soja took the podium and accepted the position with gratitude. Mrs. Soja then shared a story of studying abroad in South Africa and how this experience gave her a new worldly perspective, since she was born and raised in a sheltered community in New England. She went on to explain that the boarding school environment has given her this same eye-opening experience as she had in South Africa, which is why she is more than enthusiastic for her new position. Her speech had a theme of curiosity, encouraging the student body, faculty, and staff to be curious in all they do, especially in a community like ours that has so much potential for learning inside and outside of the classroom.

The installation of Mrs. Jody Reilly Soja as Loomis Chaffee’s 8th Head of School marks not only the continuation of a century-long tradition of strong and mission-driven leadership but also the beginning of an exciting new chapter for the Loomis community. With her passion for inclusivity, growth, and, of course, curiosity, Mrs. Soja will undoubtedly build on Loomis' already rich legacy and guide us into the future.