This past fall, Alexis Richardson Pagnia joined Castilleja as the new Upper School Dean of Students. Within just a few months here, she has already begun to foster a warm culture of collaboration between students, teachers, and administrators.
Richardson Pagnia grew up in a small, rural town in Virginia, with just one high school in the area. With the school’s limited resources and opportunities, Richardson Pagnia witnessed the impact her mother had on their community through her work as an educator. This inspired Richardson Pagnia to pursue a similar path, guided by the desire to empower students from all backgrounds.
After attending the University of Virginia, Richardson Pagnia went on to work on the admissions side of education, first as an Undergraduate Admissions Counselor at UVA and later as the Associate Director of College Counseling at Crystal Springs in Hillsborough.
Along with her college counseling work, Richardson Pagnia served as the director of Crystal FIRST, a program designed to help first-generation students with the college application process.
“My goal has always been to create educational opportunities for students regardless of what their background is,” Richardson Pagnia explained. “That’s what led me into the independent school world.”
As she shifted from working in college counseling at Crystal to her Dean of Students position here at Castilleja, Richardson Pagnia remained grounded in her values as an educator: “One of the things I learned from my mom, who was a teacher for many years, was meeting students where they are and making sure that you understand their background, their perspectives and finding a way to bridge the gap.”
This philosophy drives Richardson Pagnia’s dedication to the Castilleja community, as she constantly seeks to get to know individual students before placing demands on them. Most importantly, she emphasized that trust is key in building working relationships with students.
“My biggest priority so far in this first semester has been getting to know the students. When you know the students well, you know what they need, and then you can support them and advocate for them. That’s the best part of my job,” Richardson Pagnia said.
When asked about what she has learned from her colleagues throughout her career, Richardson Pagnia brought up the danger of perfectionist culture. As someone who identifies herself as “very type A” with all her “ducks is a row,” Richardson Pagnia emphasized the importance of giving herself permission to be human.
“Find the patience to be yourself as you figure things out, and then find the same patience with students as well. That lesson has been really helpful for me,” Richardson Pagnia said.
Through her work as a former college counselor, Richardson Pagnia understands that this perfectionism often stems from college admission. But at the same time, she also knows that success comes in many different forms; there isn’t just one correct “Castilleja way” of approaching success.
So, in the midst of finals and college applications, Richardson Pagnia encourages us to remember the larger picture: “You are only young once, and you are only in high school once. So enjoy it and have fun and learn as much as you can. You have your whole life to reinvent yourself and figure things out.”
