Vella , the new Director of Admissions and then moved to the role of Assistant to the Upper School Head , first with Eric Chapman and then Ali Aoyama . Miriam was ready for a new change . Here , she managed Upper School substitute teachers , organized all the parent-teacher conferences , reviewed the boys ’ reports , and managed Upper School communication with parents . As she did in Admissions , Miriam brought her professionalism , attention to detail , and general good nature to the Upper School job . And , of course , she knew every boy by name .
Four years after she arrived at Saint David ’ s , Miriam married our very own Coach Román . What a happy and blessed match that was ! Now , she was really part of the family ! Beyond Jorge , Miriam developed many close friends over the years and I know she considers Saint David ’ s her second home . Judy and Walter Kramer ( Judy was a former Saint David ’ s administrative assistant ) were like a second set of parents to her and Jorge . These friends all use the same words to describe their dear Miriam - generous , positive , patient , collaborative , trustworthy , fun , kind , empathetic , caring , thoughtful , adventurous , resilient , organized , good hearted .
Miriam went beyond her described job : hours on front desk duty , editing the Handbook and Directory , helping out with Horizons in summer and winter , aiding the Headmaster ’ s office with graduation and award ceremonies , stuffing envelopes or printing labels . The list is endless , what a gift she was to Saint David ’ s !
A few little tidbits about the Miriam who we know and love : She is a huge walker and was often known to walk from her home in Riverdale , across the bridge to 89th Street . She has also walked the Camino De Santiago pilgrimages four times despite on-again off-again knee and foot pain for many years . She loves the theater and regularly goes
Miriam and Jorge Román to the Irish Repertory theater . For a short time , she gave acting a quick try , but it was not for her . She is a disciplined and regimented person who cares about her health and regularly brings to school either her lunch in a plastic container filled with just the right amount of broccoli , chicken and brown rice or her breakfast in a mason jar filled with just the right amount of yogurt and nonfat granola . She limits herself to only chocolate with the absolute highest dark content ! Miriam loves music and was listening to Andrea Boccelli before most of us knew who he was . She has recently switched her allegiance to Adele . Finally , Miriam is very much the glue in her family ; she adores them . Not an evening goes by when she does not email her siblings in Ireland .
Indeed , we all got lucky when Miriam joined Saint David ’ s . For these past 24 years , she has been a gift to all who have been fortunate enough to cross her path . Personally , I am thrilled she is moving on to a new adventure and a new challenge living in Valencia , Spain , with her wonderful Jorge . She will be missed by so many . But for me , I know that our friendship is forever and for that I am truly grateful . •
Julie Sykes is a trustee , alumni parent , the Founding Executive Director of Horizons at Saint David ’ s , and former Director of Admissions for Saint David ’ s School .
Summer 2022 • 15