Some journeys to The Independent School begin with a tour. Others begin with a conversation with a friend. For Admissions Director Sumer Crane, it began with watching her own children thrive here.

In this reflection, Sumer shares how her family first found TIS, what she has discovered since joining the team, and why helping other families find their place here has become such meaningful work.

Here is Sumer’s story, in her own words.

Some things come full circle in the most beautiful ways. Our family came to The Independent School the way the best things find you, through people you love, who couldn’t stop talking about what this place was doing for their children. What I didn’t expect was that I would fall just as in love with it as they had and that I’d get the chance to be here every single day.

My son Levon is in 2nd grade here. My daughter Sunday is in Kindergarten. Watching them grow inside these walls, being known, being challenged, being celebrated for exactly who they are, that’s not something I take for granted.

Since joining the TIS team, I’ve been given a gift that not many people get. Because of the nature of my role, I’ve had the chance to get into every corner of this school, from Early Learning all the way through Upper School. And what I’ve found at every level is the same thing. Children who are truly seen. Kids who are celebrated for their individuality. Students who are met exactly where they are and stretched to their full potential. And woven through all of it, a genuine culture of kindness where kids are taught to be good humans right alongside being academically exceptional. That’s not an accident. That’s the heartbeat of this place.

What makes this work even more meaningful is the team I get to do it with. Working alongside Jessica, our incoming Head of School, Lindsey in marketing, and our division heads Erin, Monica, Krayshawn and Jodi, these are women who don’t just believe in this mission, they’ve raised their own children here. Moms whose kids are thriving at TIS or have thrived here and gone on to do incredible things. There is something so powerful about working with people who are motivated not just by the job but by something that hits so much deeper than that. We’re not just colleagues. We’re a community.

And that’s exactly what I want more families to feel. My mission is to share the magic of TIS and connect families who are looking for exactly this. Because I know what it feels like to find a place where your child is seen for who they truly are. I know the relief of that. The exhale. The moment you just know you’re home.

That feeling is what we get to give people here. And I am absolutely thrilled to be the one who gets to share it.

Sumer Crane

Director of Admissions

316-686-0152 ext. 418