Q & A With New Board Chair, Kristy Taddonio Mullins

I think of a place that saved my life, really. Denver Academy was the first place that allowed me to truly be myself – I was welcomed just as I was. It was and remains an environment and a community that supports how an individual’s brain works. And for me, having that support for how I learned best really developed my confidence as much as my academics.

I would not be where I am without the support from the teachers at Denver Academy. When I started there, my confidence was at an all-time low because of the struggles I was facing due to my learning disability. I really didn’t think there would be an opportunity for me to be successful in college, let alone in the business world. However, DA showed me my strengths and helped me select a college that would also provide me with the help I needed to be successful.

Beyond that, developing my self-advocacy and knowing my learning style has continued to empower me in a business setting. Building on the foundation I developed at DA, I continue to have the tools to navigate documents and information in a way that works for me. I am confident in my abilities as a businesswoman because I’ve been able to remove barriers to information and learning.

I am humbled and honored to be able to serve in this capacity, to really give back to the school after everything they did for me. It’s also an incredible feeling to be able to help guarantee that future generations will have the same opportunities I did. To develop the tools to be successful learners has lifelong benefits and I’m thrilled to play a role in more students having access to that.

I’d love to see a large enough endowment fund to allow more students to experience the magic of Denver Academy. We need to continue to build a campus that reflects the abilities of our students, allowing them to thrive in a setting that’s ideal for their learning styles.

Additionally, I want us to be able to continue offering competitive wages to our faculty to ensure that we are attracting and retaining the very best educators for our students. To me, that’s a fundamental part of creating the kind of community we are all proud of and I think to remain there, it’s important that we keep the students and staff at the center of our work.