Dorothy Kowal

Dot grew up in Maryland and went to public schools her whole life. “My parents really valued education,” she says. Her parents owned various businesses over the years, including a Jewish deli and a very busy market in Capitol Hill. As a high school student, Dot helped in the stores, but school definitely came first. When it came time to apply for college, Dot decided to apply to Williams College on a whim. “Someone I went to church with had applied there and he seemed pretty smart, so I gave it a shot,” she says. “I got in there and it was almost like I was in a foreign country—most students were from private schools, boarding schools, or the top NYC magnet schools. College was the first time I realized the enormity of the  spectrum of privilege. I believe my college experience informs how I approach and envision my work as a college counselor. You can’t have an honest conversation about college admissions without talking about diversity, equity, position and privilege." 

After four years in rural NW Mass, she moved to Los Angeles with two friends to work in the film business. After a number of years working both the film and music industries—including a gig with Vin Diesel, a job in Hans Zimmer's scoring studio, and working in publishing for Sony/ATV—Dot decided that the pace of life and work in LA's music and film industries was not for her. 

 

After some guidance from a friend, Dot decided to go back to school to get her MA in counseling psychology with a Feminist emphasis, eventually going on to get an MFT license. Then a friend from grad school asked her to work with her as a school counselor at Mercy Burlingame. “I had very little experience in high schools, let alone Catholic schools, but I needed a job that could make my life work,” says Dot. During that time, she got married and then moved to a job at Woodside Priory in College Counseling. While at Priory, Dot had two daughters, and found herself longing for a simpler lifestyle. This is what led her to Sonoma Academy.

Since joining us in 2018, Dot has run the college counseling department and has helped the community advance DEI work in meaningful ways. She leads our staffulty DEI Taskforce, is a faculty member of the Board of Trustees DEI committee, and has been our Director of DEI since 2019, the first person to be in this role. 

Dot has been continually amazed by our school’s culture and community. “Our students are mature, independent, and respectful,” she says. “We give students a lot of freedom, and I think it makes for responsible students who can think for themselves.” Her favorite part of working here is similar: “just as we give students trust, staffulty members also get a lot of freedom, trust and independence.”  

Dot really enjoys spending time with her family. “My kids are really little, so I don't want to miss anything!” she says. She also loves learning to play golf and sharing that time with her husband. “I'm pretty... well, bad!” she laughs. “But it doesn't matter. I know it's something I can keep at for the rest of my life. The other day, I played so badly that I almost threw my club into the woods. I think that means I'm becoming a golfer!”