Beginning July, Meredith Myall Essalat, a graduate of Notre Dame Belmont High School’s 1998 class, will begin serving as the school’s new leader.
“I’m thrilled to return to my alma mater as the new head of school,” Essalat said in a press release. “My main goal when working with young women is to empower them. I want each student to have confidence in her inner voice and learn how to be bold enough to accomplish her dreams in this world.”
Essalat is coming to the school from San Francisco’s Mission Dolores Academy where she served as the head of school. Before that role, Essalat taught language arts and was the dean of academic curriculum at the Nativity School, a middle school in Menlo Park. She also authored the 2020 book, “The Overly Honest Teacher: Parenting Advice from the Classroom.”
After her own time at NDB, where she participated in student government, Aquacades and the yearbook club as editor, Essalat went on to study at Menlo College and earned her teaching credential while working at NDB in alumnae relations.
Now back at NDB, Essalat said she’s eager to instill the values she gained while a student at the institution while helping students reconnect with each other after navigating two years of the pandemic.
“Meredith is living proof that a Notre Dame education creates women who lead,” NDB Board of Directors Chair Tim Fox said. “We have confidence that Meredith’s background in Catholic education, combined with her passion for Notre Dame, will enable us to continue to provide extraordinary school experiences for future generations of young women. Meredith’s vision will prepare our students for leadership roles in everything they choose to do.”
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Samantha Noll of Burlingame and Sae Matsumoto of San Mateo were named to the Dean’s List at the University of New Hampshire in Durham, New Hampshire, with Noll receiving the honor for earning a grade point average of 3.5 or higher and Matsumoto receiving the highest honor for earning a GPA of 3.85 or higher.
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Pacifica’s Devyn Gallagher was named to the fall 2021 President’s List at Georgia State University in Atlanta, Georgia, for maintaining at least of 4.0 GPA.
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Jack Brudos of Menlo Park was named to the Dean’s List at Baldwin Wallace University in Berea, Ohio, for earning a GPA of 3.6 or higher.
Class notes is a column dedicated to school news. It is compiled by education reporter Sierra Lopez. You can contact her at (650) 344-5200, ext. 106 or at sierra@smdailyjournal.com.
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