 Hi, I'm Rusty Komori, and this is Beyond the Lines on Think Tech, Hawaii. I was the head coach of the Punahou Boys varsity tennis team for 22 years, and we were fortunate to win 22 consecutive state championships. My books Beyond the Lines and Beyond the Game are about leadership, character, and creating a superior culture of excellence, which is what this show is all about. My special guest today is the highly respected leader of St. Andrew's schools. She is Dr. Ruth Fletcher, and today we are going Beyond the Classroom. Hey, Dr. Ruth, welcome to the show. Oh, well, hi, Rusty, so happy to be here. You have been doing such great things through all these past decades. I mean, I remember you being at Punahou for 24 years, and you were the head of the science department and you were the dean of the high school. How did you enjoy your time at Punahou? I loved my time at Punahou. It was an amazing experience. I thought that Punahou School educated me well as an adult, and it allowed me to educate children well, so very many opportunities to learn and grow at Punahou School. Really a culture of learning. Well, you definitely made a big positive impact at Punahou, and Dr. Ruth, can you give me a little bit about your background growing up in some of the schools you attended? So I grew up in Philadelphia, one of six children. My parents moved out of inner-city Philadelphia in a way to look for a better education for us, because my two parents, my mom and dad, never went to college, and my dad never graduated from high school, and they thought that if someone had just cared a tiny bit more about them, that they would have been able to do more in life. So when we were growing up, we were very athletic, very competitive, with three boys and three girls. My mother used to sit us in front of the TV and in front of the Olympics and said, one of you is going to go there, I just know it. And her motto was, if there's a will, there's a way, and if you want it, you can get it. So she just said, believe in your dreams and go for it. So I felt that I was very well prepared to dream and then also work hard, because she was also a little bit of a tyrant. She grew up in an orphanage for a while because her father had died when she was seven. And so she was raised by nuns. So she had an incredible work ethic and a high standard for ethics. And so she always challenged us and called us to be our best, no matter what. So that gave me just a very strong firm foundation. So then I was going into high school and my dad said, oh, no more sports for you. You need to go into the business curriculum because all girls are secretaries and you need to make sure that you have a job and when you get out of college or even high school. So I started to cry because I said, the only thing I'm good at is sports. I have to do sports. And so I talked them into it and I was the first girl to go to high school. And so I broke that barrier with my own family. And I have three brothers who all played division one collegiate soccer in college. And my two sisters and I all played collegiate sports, myself, volleyball, my sister feel hockey and my other sister softball. So I went to the University of Delaware out of high school, absolutely loved high school, had some great teachers, fell in love with science, so decided to major in science at the University of Delaware. I chose going to the University of Delaware because I was delusional in thinking that I was going to be a three sport athlete. And I thought I would be playing basketball and softball for sure, because those were my better sports. And I thought I would try out for volleyball in the fall to get in shape for basketball. And I'd only played volleyball in gym class in PE. So that's how delusional I was. However, it turned out that I was athletic and strong and I, they had a freshman volleyball team and I made it, but I didn't know very much about the game. So the gal across the hall from me taught me how to play the game at night so that I could make the team. And then I ended up just falling in love with volleyball, didn't really enjoy basketball at the collegiate level, decided not to play, and then didn't even make the softball team. I turned out that I have a, I'm legally blind in my left eye, which I didn't discover until I was 20. And so I had a very bad sickness when I was eight and it damaged my optic nerve. And so all of a sudden softball, which I had been my most favorite sport, I couldn't hit anymore. And that was my most favorite thing to do because the ball got too fast and my eyes weren't good enough. And so it was very helpful that I was playing volleyball. The ball was bigger and it couldn't move as fast. So just love sports, played sports all the way through college and fell in love with science and ended up majoring in biology and geology at the University of Delaware. Wanted to be a teacher or a priest when I was growing up. I was raised Catholic and in the Catholic church, women can't be priests. So I thought I would be a teacher when I was in my junior year. My parents were like, so Ruth, you're almost graduating from college. What job are you going to get? And I was like, oh boy. So I thought, oh my gosh, I better get a job. So I wanted to be a teacher. And that year they laid off 600 teachers in Delaware because they had too many. And I thought, oh my gosh, what am I going to do? So I picked up a geology major my senior year and because it was right during the oil boom and ended up graduating with a degree in geology and biology and then went out west for geology field camp and served as a surveyor for an oil and gas exploration crew looking for oil and gas. Well, Dr. Ruth, that is a fascinating background. I mean, with the sports, with your vision. I mean, yeah, the volleyball definitely is bigger. And Dr. Ruth, can you share with me some of the history of how St. Andrew's schools began? St. Andrew's schools started in 1867 and it was founded by Queen Emma. And it also was put into operation by Sister Priscilla, well, Lydia Priscilla-Sellin. And they founded the school to help educate young girls when they weren't being educated elsewhere. So it was a very important happening here in Honolulu. Queen Emma just thought it was very important that girls and boys be educated well. And so she started the priory. And in addition to the starting of the priory, it was at a time when the people of Hawaii were suffering great illness. And so there were many, many families that didn't have mothers. And so the nuns would actually bring in young children and raise them and adopt them so that they could grow and learn and feel like they belonged and had a home. So over the years we've grown, we have now we have a boys school, a K-6 boys school and we have a preschool, Queen Emma preschool. But the foundational pieces of loving, kindness and care will always be there. But then what's also there, Queen Emma was an Eliee, married to King Meimea IV. She, her motto was, kulea ikunu, or strive for the highest. And that's what she wanted herself to do. That's what she wanted her people to do. And that's what she wanted everyone to do. So as an Eliee, she was trained to think generations and generations ahead. So she tried to place societal structures in place so that we would thrive and her people would thrive into the future. So she brought the Anglican Church here to Hawaii. So we have the beautiful Cathedral of St. Andrew. And then she also, along with her husband, started Queen's Hospital, which is now the Queen's Health Systems. So she was taking care of the mind, the body and the spirit for future generations. And we all want to do that and help perpetuate her legacy of betterment, betterment of people. Well, Dr. Ruth, I am sure that Queen Emma would be extremely proud that you are the leader of St. Andrew's schools now. And I feel so, it's so special to be walking on your campus to know that, you know, Queen Emma and King Meimea IV, I mean, they were walking on the same grounds. And can you tell me about the significance of that beautiful cross that you have on your campus? Oh, yes. So when the cross was actually brought here and made from a coral reef from the Waimanala High Stand, which is a 125,000-year-old coral reef, and it was carved into a cross because Queen Emma wanted to found the school on Ascension Day because she had a strong faith do as a Episcopalian. And she wanted to found the school so that forevermore the Episcopal faith and the Hawaiian culture would be woven together. And love, kindness, and being hono, but doing the right thing would always be forever present here on the campus. And so in 1910, the cross was moved to its parent location, which is in Robinson Courtyard here at the Priory. It's right in front of Kennedy Hall. And every year our juniors decorate it with flowers symbol. And the meaning is threefold. First one is recognizing our founder, Queen Emma, and our founding and just so very grateful that she started the school. And then the second part is honoring our religion, honoring that Jesus Christ rose into heaven and suffered and died on the cross for people. So that he is our kind of example of the strongest humanitarian that exists at that time. And then finally, it is how the junior class says thank you to the school and honors the seniors and the relationship that they have with each other. So the whole point of the cross is to fold and weave faith, love, hope, joy, and striving for the highest that you can find inside yourself and then gift that to somebody else. Well, Dr. Ruth, I love hearing that. And you know, we both are athletes and I want to know your thoughts about why you feel sports are so important for students to participate in. I have always loved sports, but the reason I think they're so spectacular for children is in a sport you have to play, you have to practice. And then when it doesn't work, you have to pick yourself up and try again. And I think excellence in learning is excellence in trying because no one gets it right the first time. You have to practice. You have to get in shape. You have to build yourself up so that you can perform. And I think sports give you that great example of how to work hard at something, try to achieve something. And then if it doesn't work out, try again. No, you're so right about that. And Dr. Ruth, you've been doing so many good things with St. Andrew's Schools and people in the community are taking notice. And Kitty Woe did a big book donation to your school. And you know Kitty from being at Punahoe, but what do you admire about Kitty Woe? I so admire Kitty's grace and selflessness. She's such a wonderful leader. I watched her lead the board of trustees at Punahoe School for several years. And she was able to bring a very confident team together to take action to help Punahoe School be better. And she did it with enormous grace and courage and an understated strength of leadership. I totally agree with you. And Kitty is one of my longtime tennis students. I'm so proud that she's my protege. And my best friend, Justin Cruz, he did a book donation to your school as well. And how special is that for you and your students? It is incredibly special. It was so kind of him and Kitty. So here we have your great book. And little did Justin or you know that our K-6 elementary school, mostly our four to six graders, are very fascinated with the news. And so the girls, the Priory Girls started a news show called Priory in the News. And the boys started Pulse of the Prep, Pulse of the Prep. And so what they've done is they actually have been watching Justin to try to get on how to be a good newscaster. And so to have him gift a book, which they don't know they're getting yet, by the way, they are they're going to be so excited about that. No, that's so good to hear. I mean, Justin, I mean, he's he's been doing the news with us for so so many years now. So it's it's interesting how he's inspiring a lot of your students. And he probably didn't even know it because we didn't reach out and tell him. We just we saw good newscasters and we said, well, why don't you watch Justin? Well, that's so funny. Well, he's going to watch the show. So I know that he's going to feel very flattered about this. And and Dr. Ruth, I know that you read both of my books. I want to ask you, how did you like the books? I just love them, Rusty. I am so impressed with how you wrote them and also with how you coach. It's I don't think I would have ever known that about you had I not read the books, but you have such mental strength and such strategy when you're coaching. And the details were just so impressive. I knew some of the students that you coached and how you analyze their game and help them win. Oh, it was just fabulous. Just loved it. Well, you know, Dr. Ruth, I mean, if there's so much time and planning and preparation that goes on behind the scenes, as you know, to be successful in anything, but losing comes a lot easier. I mean, that's that's the thing about, you know, it's hard to win one championship or two or three. But, you know, the key is how do you sustain success? And and that's really what I wanted to share in the books is is achieving success, but also sustaining success. Now, Dr. Ruth, I want to ask you to about creating a superior culture of excellence, because I talk a lot about that in the books, and that's exactly what you do at St. Andrew's School. In fact, when I was walking on campus with you last week in the previous week, there seems to be so many happy students that you guys have there. Why is that? Well, I think one of the major reasons is that we have a philosophy that everyone can be great and and that you take a child from where they are and you move them forward and it's always about the growth because everybody has natural gifts and talents in my estimation and that everyone has something that they can be great at. If you if you give respect, worth, dignity, value to people, I think they rise through your expectations because they feel loved, they feel belong, they feel secure. And once that is in place, then you can actually use that as a foundation to push off of and soar. And you don't mind getting feedback that you need to grow because you feel safe and secure. No, I like hearing that from you. And that that was so evident when we're walking on your campus. I mean, the students are just really happy. It's such a great environment, great culture. And and I know that you are you like to honor the Hawaiian heritage at St. Andrew's schools. Why is that so important to you? Well, here, well, first, I think that we were founded by Queen Emma and it is her legacy that we get to be in this place. I also think that the Native Hawaiian people were the first people here on this island and I want all of our students to understand and know about their Hawaiian culture and heritage and this sense of place. I also think that indigenous people have a very wonderful approach to living on the land or understanding the Aina so that they don't overtax the environment and live with the environment. And I want our students to understand that we are part of the planet, not separate from it. And the Hawaiian culture, our Hawaiian heritage teaches us that in very many ways. I also think the Hawaiian culture, the sense of aloha, the love and kindness, that spirit of aloha, it is not common. It is rare. And I think it is the love is what I think allows human beings and life in general to propagate. And so how can we all love each other and get along, collaborate, cooperate and build societies that then love each other? Yeah, no, I totally agree with you there. I mean, when I see you guys honoring the Hawaiian heritage, I mean, and then really your explanation there about the reasons why, I feel that I mean, that's so important to really, for the current students, but for the whole community, right? Yes. I think there's what I'm interested in doing here at St. Andrews is building up people so they have the courage to do what is right, but have the ability to lead themselves, manage their emotions very much like you described in your book with so many of your people that you were training. And if we can manage our own emotions and then understand somebody else, then then we can lead and I think we need more leaders. And I think we need more aloha, we need more loving kindness in the world, but not just loving kindness in its soft sense, in its hard sense, in that it's very difficult to do the right thing because it may not agree with others and how do you have the courage to stand up to others to do what is right for the long run? You talked in your book about it being a marathon that success and greatness is a marathon, I agree. And so how can we help everyone to see more than what is right in front of them? See further into the distance, into the future, what's next? So they have the courage to do what's right. No, that's so good, Dr. Ruth, and talking more about leadership, what do you feel are some of the key things that the greatest leaders do? It's a great question. You ask hard questions. I think the greatest leaders listen and not only listen, they hear, they hear what is said and what's unsaid. And then they understand nuance so they know how to move forward. And it's not easy. And I think great, great leaders. I would think of Gandhi, just Dalai Lama. I mean, these there are unbelievable leaders of people. I could only aspire to that and I'm too human to make it there today. But what I would say is that greatness comes in small packets and that you can start greatness as a child, you can start it as a teenager. And it's really respecting the worth and dignity of each person, their cultural perspective and trying to help them help others so that the world can actually be better. No, I love hearing that. I think, like you said, Gandhi and the Dalai Lama. I mean, that I completely agree with you. And you became head of school in 2016. Dr. Ruth, how what have you learned about yourself during these five plus years as a leader? Mostly, I've learned I need I need help from others. I can't do it myself. It is too big of a job and that I have to make sure that I put people around me that are highly capable so that they can do their job so that we can all rise together. That's been the biggest learning. I think because when you're raising up an institution, everyone has to come with you. You can't do it alone. It's it's it's not a one woman or one man show. It's really everyone and having layers of support and a clear mission and vision and clear values so that everyone moves in the same direction. Yeah, that's right. No leader can do things on their own. And Dr. Ruth, what are some of the challenges that that you're dealing with at St. Andrews schools? I think as a small school, we are always worried about thriving, not just surviving. So when you're a small school, you can't be so tuition dependent because we very much value the education of a small class size so that we can give attention to each of the individuals in the classroom. And so we always have to balance our small size with the needs of being a business so that that push and pull of thriving as a business and thriving as a school is challenging. So that's that's where I spend most of my energy. And Dr. Ruth, when you reflect back on your life so far, what's an important lesson you learned? So many. Well, one of the one of my favorite mentors was Jim Scott at the host school. And he taught me two things in a very over 20 some years. And the first one was be hard on the problem, not the person and I always appreciated that because it showed a gentleness of spirit. And then the next one was. Always. Take an idea to completion. That that's what a leader does. The otherwise, it's just a dream. They have to take your idea to completion. And then and then you can actually accomplish something. Oh, that's that's really good words of wisdoms from Jim Scott there. And and Dr. Ruth, what what is a future goal of yours for St. Andrews School? Well, I have so many. However, my my biggest one is to pull the school up and out so that people recognize what we are doing here and how we are building such strong individuals that are going to benefit society, because I feel like the future starts with our children and education is the best gift that you can give a child. And I think that at St. Andrews Schools, you can build your person from the inside out and then they'll be strong adults and be healthy in mind, body and spirit. And I don't think any parent under the sun wouldn't want that. I completely agree with you there, Dr. Ruth, that's so good to hear. And and I want to ask you one more question before we wrap up. What gives you fulfillment? You know, it's interesting trying my best. I think that I I always have to be giving it my best. And then I then I can sleep at night and I feel good in all of my relationships. And that that's what gives me my fulfillment. No, that's good to hear. And knowing you, Dr. Ruth, I mean, that's so true because I mean, you have such a high high standard, a high level of excellence. And yeah, I mean, for you, it's it's all about giving your best. And I know anything just anything less is going to drive you nuts. And and Dr. Ruth, I really want to thank you for taking time to join me on the show today. Well, thank you and thank you for these. These inspired me to start working out harder and do that one percent more. So you're coaching me, Rusty. Thank you so much. Thank you, Dr. Ruth, and thank you for watching Beyond the Lines on Think Tech, Hawaii. For more information, please visit RustyKamori.com. And my books are available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. I hope that Dr. Ruth and I will inspire you to create your own superior culture of excellence and to find your greatness and help others find theirs. Aloha.