By Ray McGaughey, Director of Development and Semester 15 Alum
At HMI we spend a good deal of time sharing gratitude. On campus, we have a tradition called Grati-Tuesdays where community members publicly thank one another for acts of kindness. With the passing of the HMI leadership torch to Head of School Sam Critchlow, I’m inclined to share gratitude for Sam’s predecessor, Interim Head of School Amy Roberts. If I were to acknowledge Amy in the succinct format we use on Grait-Tuesdays, I’d say: Thank you Amy for guiding our school through some challenging times and helping us laugh along the way.
Amy arrived in the summer of 2019 to be our next Director of the HMI Semester. A NOLS alum and independent school veteran who had grown weary of New York City, Amy brought the zeal and excitement of someone who had been waiting their whole career to work at a place like HMI. We quickly learned that Amy’s style was defined by calmness and grace. She held her colleagues to high standards while also caring for us and advocating to make our jobs better. We were so excited to have her.
Little did Amy know that eight months into her new job, the world would be turned upside down. In March 2020, shortly after Semester 44 students returned from their winter expedition, Amy, along with Head of School Danny O’Brien and our board of trustees, made the impossible decision to send students home in the face of the oncoming pandemic. As I look back on it now, I realize that it was Amy’s adaptability, positivity, and resilience that got us through the difficult months and years that followed.
As Director of the Semester (and later Acting Head of School during Danny’s sabbatical) Amy did everything she could to take care of her team. She believed–rightfully so–that the antidote to pandemic-era isolation and burnout was levity and fun with coworkers. From white water rafting to kickball to backcountry hut retreats, Amy was always planning the next all-staff activity or get-together. These team bonding moments were uplifting, especially in the wake of mask mandates and social distancing.
With Danny’s departure in the summer of 2022, Amy stepped into the role of Interim Head of School while our board conducted a national search for our next leader. During this year of transition, Amy helped HMI not just survive, but thrive. Amy rolled up her sleeves and did what needed to be done. She became an expert in such diverse topics as fundraising, property insurance, and our septic system. Looking back through old emails from Amy I laughed out loud when I read one titled: “Urgent! Happy Valentine’s Day!” The email kicked off a school-wide thread about our favorite aspects of working at HMI. This was a classic Amy–always working to keep morale high during challenging periods.
Although Amy and her family have left the frozen tundra of Leadville for the sun-drenched beaches of Orange County, California, her legacy lives on. Those of us who worked with her will miss her thoughtfulness in the face of crisis. Her people-first leadership style. Her excitement about learning to ski and chili cookoffs. Amy, we are grateful for the work you did to make our school a better place. Thank you.
This article first appeared in the Fall 2023 / Winter 2024 HMI Newsletter