Head of School’s Notebook

November 10, 2023

On the eve of Veterans Day, I feel compelled to reflect on the members of our Cate community who have devoted their lives to serving the United States Armed Forces. One alumna in particular, Boyden Rohner ’95, will be receiving the Cate Distinguished Alumni Award tomorrow in recognition of her service in the US Navy and now as a senior leader in the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. Our motto of Servons uplifts and aligns our school community with the spirit of Veterans Day and Boyden’s incredible career. 

Synchronistically, I had an extended email exchange this week with a former Cate employee who knew Mr. Cate well. I asked her to summarize his vision for the school in one sentence and she said,  “Servons…to be of service to the students, and through the students to the community, both local and worldwide.” I often think about Mr. Cate and what he would think of the school today. As I look at all the ways we serve our students, we are creating for them a model that we trust will be recreated in their own lives beyond the Mesa. In doing so, we are a small school that makes a big impact in the world, and I am certain that Mr. Cate would rest easy knowing that his vision endures.