After working at Kent School for 43 years, Diana Yammin, the Director of Studies, retired at the end of December 2019. Her tenure at Kent has included many impressive feats, from helping guide Kent’s academic transition to a co-ed school to continuously aiding students in enrolling in the perfect academic program. 

Miss Yammin first started up on the Hill when Kent was still separated into two gender-specific residential campuses. She worked as the Assistant to the Dean of Students. According to Miss Yammin, she realized she enjoyed “the administrative part of education in schools.” She then worked as the Assistant to the Director of Studies for the Girls Campus, and, after Kent consolidated into one unified campus, she became Director of Studies for the entire school. Several years ago, she was also appointed Assistant Head of School for Academics. 

As the Director of Studies, Miss Yammin created the master schedule every summer, constructed exam schedules, made sure report cards and comments were in order, and helped find each student the right set of courses where they could both challenge themselves and succeed. Miss Yammin details some of the highlights of her career as “seeing Kent School evolve from a two-campus school to a truly co-ed, one-campus school… making it a single campus was truly a big plus for the school allowing it to enhance all of its programs and to make many physical improvements as well.” 

Reflecting back on her career at Kent, Miss Yammin remembers “it always being enjoyable, coming into work every day smiling and looking forward to what each day would bring.” She describes her Kent School experience as a family affair. “There have been so many wonderful students and colleagues I have gotten to know over forty years.” 

Father Schell has worked closely with Miss Yammin over the years, speaking to her almost every day for the last three decades. He says that he “has never known anyone who worked as hard as Miss Yammin for the benefit of Kent students and faculty. She was always on the task of making Kent better… she is very meticulous about addressing individual circumstances, and she is, therefore, one of the architects of the modern Kent. She made the school the great place it is today.” 

Father Schell describes how Miss Yammin has been his right hand for all things academic. “She is the most reliable and effective advisor I could have ever hoped for.” Her legacy will be as “the keeper of the high standards of Kent School.” Father Schell believes “she should be very proud of Kent being one of the top schools in the country, and the main reason for the school’s reputation is the high quality of the academic program.”

Kent is indescribably grateful for Miss Yammin’s dedication to the school throughout her entire career and wishes her all the best in retirement.