Newly appointed Menaul School president embraces the charge to care for tomorrow’s leaders

Celebrated educator and leader Julie Bean seeks to honor the school’s Presbyterian roots while charting its hopeful future

by Emily Enders Odom | Presbyterian News Service

Julie Bean (Photo by Emily Enders Odom)

ALBUQUERQUE — Striding across the Menaul School campus on a sunny New Mexico morning, Julie Bean radiated an exuberance and optimism that were nothing short of contagious.

Bean, who stepped into her new role as Menaul’s president and head of school on June 1, waxed enthusiastic over the Presbyterian-related school’s mission, values and ethos.

And, most of all, its people.

“Sometimes there’s just that chemistry — meeting the people, listening to the stories they told,” the seasoned educator told a roomful of fellow staff, faculty, board members, alums and visiting colleagues from the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) about the search process that landed her at the historic college preparatory day and boarding school for students in grades 6–12 located within the bounds of the Presbytery of Santa Fe and the Synod of the Southwest.

“I didn’t know about this little jewel, but the more I started reading, the more interested I became,” said Bean, who holds Bachelor of Science degrees in education and psychology, a master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling, and will soon defend her Ed.D. dissertation. “And now my vision is to introduce more and more people to Menaul.”

Bean’s most recent experience in several key leadership positions at Pennsylvania’s Wyoming Seminary, an independent day and boarding school founded in 1844 by the United Methodist Church, and as a self-employed college preparatory school advisor, has blazed her path straight to Menaul.

With a rich history that dates back to the late 19th century, the Menaul School — which started out as a Presbyterian boarding school for Spanish-speaking boys — has evolved into a co-educational boarding and day school with students and graduates from all across the world.

“Menaul is committed to educating the whole child in mind, body and spirit,” Bean said, referencing what the school calls its World Smart Education. “Menaul not only teaches kids to understand why they believe what they believe, but also to have empathy, compassion and respect for people that believe something different. If that’s what’s happening in this small community, what a beautiful world we could have out here. This is a place that is nurturing good human beings to put out into the world to be global citizens.”

Yet because educating the whole child calls for a stable, supportive environment, Bean acknowledged that there have been leadership challenges following Lindsey R. Gilbert’s retirement in 2023 after 17 years as Menaul’s head of school.

“If there’s chaos at the top in an organization, it trickles down to the faculty and students,” observed Bean, who is also a board-certified professional counselor, trained in family systems theory. “I’m here to settle the seas after a couple of years of transition. We’re taking care of the leaders of tomorrow; it’s a big responsibility.”

And increasingly the leaders that the school seeks to educate and nurture are international.

According to the school’s website, currently some 40% of Menaul’s upper school student body is made up of international students hailing from as many as 30 countries.

“Our kids get to be in classrooms with kids from Ukraine and Gaza,” she marveled.

Front row  from left: John Sitler, Menaul; Lemuel Garcia-Arroyo, Ministry Engagement and Support; Sara Lisherness, Presbyterian Mission Agency; Natarsha Sanders, PMA; Hannah Scanlon, Menaul; Joey Gutierrez, Menaul; Conrad Rocha, Menaul Board/Synod Executive, Synod of the Southwest. Back row from left: Janet Stephenson, Menaul; Wilson Kennedy, MES; Chris Ferrara, Menaul. (Photo by Emily Enders Odom)

Smiling warmly at her colleagues around the table, Bean made certain to express her deep gratitude for the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A), which contributes to Menaul’s livelihood in part through its Christmas Joy Offering.

The PC(USA)’s annual Christmas Joy Offering — a cherished Presbyterian tradition since the 1930s —distributes gifts equally to Presbyterian-related schools and colleges equipping communities of color and to the Assistance Program of the Board of Pensions.

“This is such an important relationship,” she said. “We need you as partners — not just financially, but the history between Menaul and the Presbyterian Church is very special and very important. I look forward to building on those connections.”

Joey Gutierrez in Menaul School’s Pottery Room. (Photo by Emily Enders Odom)

The Rev. Wilson Kennedy, the PC(USA)’s associate director for Special Offerings and Appeals, which administers the Christmas Joy Offering, called Menaul “a launchpad for greatness.”

“Driving through Albuquerque, seeing its rich Presbyterian history and Menaul’s place in it, is inspiring,” said Kennedy. “It’s a powerful legacy.”

And as Bean and her colleagues prepare to welcome new and returning students to campus in a few weeks, she acknowledged the challenges that the institution’s unique heritage presents.

“While we are called to honor the past, we all have to evolve,” she said. “There’s a marriage between tradition and innovation. What Menaul offers is so beautiful and unique, so rich and deep in history, but because we are growing also, we can marry the two in a beautiful way.”