Villa Joseph Marie, the Catholic college-preparatory school for girls located at 1180 Holland Road in Southampton, has been on a journey since March to find the most qualified individual to fill the role of interim president. The school’s board of directors announced that Dr. Karen Kenkel has been appointed.
Kenkel attended a Catholic high school and earned her BA degree with distinction from Stanford University. She later went to Cornell University, where she earned her MA in German studies and Ph.D. in German studies, with minors in history and film.
Among her many awards and honors, she was awarded a Berlin Fulbright Fellowship and membership into Phi Beta Kappa. In 1994, she became an assistant professor of German studies at Stanford University. Starting in 2008, Kenkel taught elementary school for several years before becoming an instructor at Stanford Online High School, where she designed and taught high school- and college-level courses in philosophy, history, English and film. While there, she also served as head of humanities and philosophy, and acting head of instruction.
Since 2016, Kenkel has been the founding director of the Quest Forward Academy, part of a network of schools supported by the Opportunity Education Foundation, which is funded by the Catholic entrepreneur Joe Ricketts. As the founding head, Kenkel has managed every aspect of the high school, including friend- and fund-raising; admissions; marketing; innovative curriculum development; and staff recruitment, training and supervision. She also created new systems, policies and procedures, and cultivated a strong leadership team that allowed her to focus on strategic initiatives and community outreach.
As interim president of Villa, effective July 19, Kenkel’s focus will be to provide the foundation to achieve Villa’s vision, as outlined in the school’s strategic plan. She will also actively participate in student and alumnae activities, and reach out to the community, as she has done so well throughout her career.
In addition, she will manage the inspiration of Villa’s student population, increase diversity and facilitate the improvement of the school’s infrastructure.
Now in its 89th year, Villa Joseph Marie currently serves over 400 students in grades 9-12. For more information, visit vjmhs.org or call 215-357-8810.
