Whatever the students are feeling, that may feel very big to them and I’m not going to try to diminish it.
Katie Brule
Katie Brule still vividly remembers the apprehension that set in as the Michigan summer days before the start of ninth grade ticked away. “It was that feeling of — this is a whole new world,” she says, seated at a table outside her Dunbar Hall residence.
“I didn’t know what kind of clothes to wear or how to do a combination locker and wanted to make sure I had friends to sit with at lunch.” Those personal yet universal memories helped shape Brule’s approach to her new role as ninth grade program coordinator and how she supports preps in their first days on campus.
Brule succeeds English Instructor Tyler Caldwell, who held the position for four years. “I try to bring that awareness,” she says. “Whatever the students are feeling, that may feel very big to them and I’m not going to try to diminish it.”
Brule, an instructor in English and girls varsity basketball coach, knows her role extends beyond the opening days on campus. “Those first few weeks are so fun, but the preps tend to grow up really fast,” she says.
“I’ve been thinking about how to encourage them to grow and become independent in a way that builds toward adulthood, without losing joy and enthusiasm.”
Coordinating prep-specific events throughout the year and conducting regular check-ins with advisers of ninth graders, Brule also works directly with the students to keep them informed of resources available to them on campus. “Making them aware of the network of support available is important,” she says.
“The Learning Center, The Writing Center, peer tutors and the library in general are all great academic resources; also reminders about sleep and working with our nutritionist Tina Fallon, so they learn how to properly feed themselves.”
In addition to making sure the students remain physically well, Brule’s holistic approach to the position includes an emphasis on mental health. She partnered with the Health and Human Development Department to select this year’s common read, the book assigned to all incoming ninth graders. Written for a young adult audience, This Is My Brain in Love by I.W. Gregorio discusses topics of mental illness and self-acceptance.
“I think it’s important to have these types of conversations early,” Brule says. “If we can have this open and honest dialogue between the faculty and students, we might be able to break the stigma and change some of the culture around not feeling like you can ask for help if you’re struggling.”
Gregorio visited campus in October to share her motivations for writing the book and engage in a lively Q&A with the prep audience. The author is also a practicing surgeon, and Brule hopes the students recognized her varied pursuits.
“Sometimes young students will come to Exeter and think, this is my lane, this one thing will get me into college,” Brule says. “And I’m hopeful that I.W. Gregorio’s conversation with them will help them think about their time here a little differently.”
– Adam Loyd
This article first appeared in the Fall 2023 issue of The Exeter Bulletin.
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