Getting ready to apply to a new school can seem daunting and full of unknowns. You may be asking yourself questions such as, “What do I need to do to prepare my child? What is my first step? What should I be looking for in a school? What are schools looking for in my child? How do I know if the school is the right one?” Those are all great questions that I want to answer for you!

Childhood at Westridge should be a first draft. Temporally, it is step one of the rest of their lives as thinkers and creators and leaders. It isn’t about perfection, or end products, or risk-free-ness. It’s about mistake-making for growth, some real messiness, trying things and experimenting, formation and development, patience. Taking chances in a space and place of fertile ground for development. Striving and rising. Changing and being changed. The developmental arc of each child is long and no two are exactly alike. Much like a first draft, students are young, and their pixelation is continually forming.

The Westridge campus came alive as students, families, and employees gathered during Convocation to celebrate the start of the 2024-2025 school year on August 28. Convocation, held on Herrick Quad, included remarks from ASB President Kayla A. '25 and Ms. Kassar and introductions of new faculty and staff joining our community this fall. Ms. Kassar discussed Westridge's focus on deep listening—to and from both students and faculty—and how it shows caring, encourages a culture of participation, and affirms our humanity.

Westridge alumna Zandie Brockett 张桂才 ’05 is a curator and the creative director and executive producer of West of Here, a creative agency she founded to work with vanguard artists, realize perspective-shifting live experiences and original content, and provide cultural advisory to brands between Asia and the West. She was formerly the director of community and culture at NeueHouse, a private social and work space for creators, innovators, and thought leaders. She has spent her entire career building bridges between creatives and the general public, referring to herself as a ‘cultural infrastructure builder.’ She also currently sits on the DEIJ (diversity, equity, inclusion, justice) committee of the Westridge Alumnae Board and is a member of the alumnae Asian American affinity group.

We are proud to share Zandie’s Q&A this Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Read on for a peek at her experience as a Westridge student and her career trajectory building on her identity as a third culture kid.