Interactive Timeline Traces Key Moments of Kelly’s Legacy

In 2003, Doreen Kelly became Ravenscroft’s 14th Head of School and the first woman to lead the school in its North Raleigh era as a PreK-12 institution. In an interview with the Upper School newspaper, the Nevarmore, she said her job is “to cement this community — and to do that is to encourage people to reach their full potential.”

In just two years — 2012 and 2013 — the Board of Trustees voted on a five-year strategic design that set the stage for the $15M Embrace Possibility campaign; the community celebrated the 150 years since the school’s original establishment with a series of special events; and the groundbreaking Lead From Here framework was created in partnership with the Center for Creative Leadership.

In 2020, the school successfully navigated the unprecedented challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. In the years that have followed, intentional programming supporting student wellness and diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging has made the school community stronger than ever.

With Doreen Kelly stepping down in June after 21 years as Head of School, we’ve documented some of the moments — big and small, challenging and joyous — that have defined her extraordinary tenure and transformed our school community. Enjoy a walk through the years of the timeline, hear from colleagues and alumni in a video tribute, and find links to more stories that explore her legacy — all in the interactive presentation below.

Thanks to James McFarland of the IDE Department for designing this presentation.

Click “Present” to begin. Content may require a moment to load. For best viewing, expand media to full-screen.

Navigate the dates in chronological order using the arrow keys along the bottom of the screen, clicking on links for additional details on topics that interest you. This mode of navigation will take you to each feature of the story in order including, at the end, timeline highlights of Learning, Leading and Serving.