Page 3 - NJC Magazine_Fall_2018

“I WISH TO REASSURE YOU OF SOMETHING: I AM WELL AWARE OF NJC’S PROUD LEGACY AND ITS PROFOUND IMPORTANCE TO ITS ALUMNI FAMILIES.”
Message from
the Head of School
Andrew J. Keleher
I share something in common with NJC’s Class of 2019. We’re all new to NJC. Like them, many months ago, I chose to step outside of my comfort zone and embrace this new experience. My family—my wife of eleven years, Larissa, and our two children, Ainsley and Luke— and I have taken this momentous step together. It’s going well. The kids are settling into their Swiss school, we’ve tried raclette, and have already been captivated by the charming city of Neuchâtel. Just as NJC’s students do, we look forward to each new day with excitement and curiosity.
Who am I? As a person, family roots, respect, the pursuit of excellence and relationships are important to me. As an educator and administrator, my work is best described as service; I am therefore duty-bound and deeply motivated to make each student’s experience a positive one, to earn trust, and to see them through this transformative journey that, I know, will at times be challenging and daunting. Nothing worth having is a walk in the park, but it’s easier if you don’t have to walk alone, so my staff and I will be there with them every step of the way.
In my first note to the community as Head, I wish to reassure you of something: I am well aware of NJC’s proud legacy and its profound importance to its alumni families. I am honoured to be leading this revered institution and I shall do so with positivity, great humility and boundless energy, now and in the years to come.
The proverbial torch has been passed from Bill to me, so, as NJC’s eighth Head of School, it is my honour to thank NJC’s seventh Head, Bill Boyer, for his years of service to Neuchâtel Junior College. Bill is a stalwart educator who loves NJC and has been a steady shepherd during his many years of affiliation with the school. The connections he has made with students, staff, parents, alumni, pension families, and community members are inspiring and something I look to emulate. I don’t think about trying to fill his shoes per se, but instead I will focus on building upon the solid foundation he and the Heads before him have built, beginning in 1956 with Leonard Wilde’s visionary formula.
I would like to wish Bill and his wife Colleen—new grandparents now—all the best in retirement. Bill will always have a special place in the heart of NJC, will be remembered for his contributions with great fondness, and will always be welcome here.
On behalf of Larissa, Ainsley and Luke, thank you to everyone for welcoming our family so warmly into the community. I look forward to meeting you soon!
news and souvenirs for alumni, families and friends 1
Andrew
J. Keleher