Interview
T
he student community of any school forms its core. It is the personality and power of its students
that can make or break a school. And Dean of Admission, Rachael Beare, is here to ensure that
Keystone’s students form, concretize and reinforce the school’s core.
As a highly accomplished and determined student herself, Rachael knows the Keystone student
profile. She stresses, “I believe very strongly that the education we provide our students will be better
if we can create an environment that appreciates the different talents students possess, and the ways
that they express their talents. Our process will allow individuals to emerge in different ways, and
allow us to observe and select candidates for the uniqueness they bring into the community.”
Rachael has been building this student community with entrepreneurial precision and an educator’s
eloquence – two qualities that make her the ideal custodian of Keystone’s student body.
In this interview, she talks about the admission process and what is signifies to parents and students.
Q:
You have worked for several leading U.S.
boarding schools, including Deerfield Academy,
The Loomis Chaffee, The Hotchkiss School, and
Lakeside, a prestigious day school. What made you
decide to come to Beijing and join the Keystone team?
A:
I have been very lucky to have the opportunity to work at
some truly fabulous schools. One of the things I gained
from these experiences is the opportunity to see many different
paths to excellence – each school sets its own tone and creates its
own example of what it means to be a great school.
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The Keystone Magazine
Keystone, in part, appeals to my commitment to education and
to my entrepreneurial nature – something that I get from my
family. My father was the Head of a boarding school in Jamaica,
which is where I started primary school. But he eventually went
on to start a Jamaican bakery business with my mother when we
migrated to the United States. As someone who is passionate
about education, Keystone is an opportunity for me to take the
knowledge that I have gained from some wonderful schools and
do something meaningful with it. This is exactly what we hope our
students will have the ability to do – to take the knowledge they
gain at Keystone and do something that is both meaningful to
them, and helpful to others.