Although it was 36 years ago, I still vividly remember my interview for a teaching position at Campbell Hall. At the time, I was teaching at an independent school in Connecticut. I had been offered a ticket to fly out to Los Angeles for a tour of the school and two days of interviews. Despite attending independent schools as a student throughout elementary and secondary school and having briefly taught at two others, I wasn’t familiar with Episcopal schools.
When I arrived at Campbell Hall, something felt different. I couldn’t quite articulate it at the time, but the community stood out immediately. I didn’t just feel welcomed; I felt like I mattered. The students and faculty exuded a unique warmth and authenticity I hadn’t encountered anywhere else. They seemed genuinely interested in meeting me, and they made me feel comfortable. After my first day of interviews, I called my wife, who was still in Connecticut, and said, “There’s something unique about this school. I can’t explain it, but it just feels special. I hope they offer me the job.”
The next day, I sat down with Tom, the man who had invited me to interview. As excited as I was about the possibility of an offer, I had one concern. “I really love this school,” I said, “but I have to ask, do I need to be Episcopalian to join the faculty?” Tom leaned back, smiled, and chuckled. “No, we don’t require any of our staff to be Episcopalian. We just want good people.”
Most families are initially drawn to independent schools for academic reasons, strong college-prep programs, small class sizes, and dedicated teachers who foster meaningful relationships with students, to name a few. But Episcopal schools, while offering all of that, bring something deeper. We foster welcoming and diverse communities rooted in values, character, faith, and servant leadership. We emphasize the development of the whole child, not just their intellect but their heart and spirit as well.
When I became Director of Admissions, one of the first things I did was meet with our chaplains and Head of School to discuss how best to communicate the school’s Episcopal identity. Given the diversity of Los Angeles, I knew many prospective families would be curious and possibly concerned about what it means for their children to attend an Episcopal school. I’m sure I am not the only Admissions Director who has pondered this question, and I needed advice on how best to proceed. What I was told was not to shy away from these conversations. Rather, I should embrace them and help people realize how they can benefit from being a part of our community. “Let these families know how our Episcopal identity can positively affect all of our families, even those that aren’t Episcopalian”, I was told.
Episcopal schools go far beyond academics, but their impact is often hard to capture in a few words. Our communities are our greatest asset, but it is a challenge to have applicant families get a sense of that in just a brief visit. As our Head of School often says, the real value of an Episcopal education comes from “marinating in the school environment.” You have to experience it to truly understand it.
How could I get applicants to realize this? What could I say to give families a good idea of the kinds of students we have at Campbell Hall? The more I reflected on these questions, the clearer everything became. At Campbell Hall, one phrase from our mission statement encapsulates our greatest strength: our commitment to “the nurturing of decent, loving, and responsible human beings.” At its core, this is what makes Episcopal schools so impactful. It’s at the essence of what I felt that first day I stepped foot on campus, and it’s what I still feel every time I walk through our campus. Everything we do stems from the same simple idea that Tom shared with me during my first interview: we just have good people.
George White is the Director of Admissions and Enrollment Management at Campbell Hall in Studio City, CA.