Hailing from New Jersey, Astrid Allen is the Dean of Students for 9th and 11th graders and was previously a Spanish teacher for over 15 years. Allen went to Villanova University for her bachelor’s degree before moving to Boston, Mass. for graduate school. Allen loves the student life at the high school and enjoys surrounding herself with the high school’s community.

Did you always know that you wanted to be a teacher?

When I went to Villanova University for undergraduate, my major was Spanish and I thought I was going to become a Spanish professor or a lawyer. Then, I didn’t get into law school and wanted to figure out what I wanted to do with my life. I started a teacher preparation program at Rutgers University, which led me to a master’s degree in Spanish, leading me to become a Spanish teacher.

How do you like being a dean?

It is not at all what I thought it was. I thought deans just dealt with discipline and kids who were in trouble. From the other side of it, I get to know kids through the four years of being with them. I get to meet their families and be with them in the good times and the bad times. I get to really support their whole person and connect with them in their time of need.

Who do you look up to?

My mom is mostly my big inspiration. My mom came here when she was 17 from Colombia, and she had to support her family, work her way from the ground up, really find her career and her passion and be the strong person for her family. I learned a lot from her about having a smile on my face, doing hard work and not being overwhelmed by everything that’s hard or sad but just to keep moving forward.

What values do you try to teach kids today?

I believe everyone is a citizen, a scholar and a caretaker. You don’t have to just be one thing and you don’t have to have one label for yourself. You can reinvent yourself so that you can accomplish your goals and if you have dreams you can work hard to get there. Maybe your dream isn’t exactly what you thought it was going to be, but it may be something that brings you passion and joy for your future.

What’s your favorite part about the high school?

My favorite part is obviously the students, they change every year, and they are all so fun. I really love all the teachers that I work with, I’ve been here for almost 20 years so I feel like I have friends and colleagues in every department. It’s just such a fun place to work. Even when it’s hard, you can just laugh and have a good time with people.