St. Andrew’s-Sewanee School is delighted to announce the appointment of Dr. Karla Vargas-Kennedy to be the fourth head of school for St. Andrew’s-Sewanee School, effective July 1, 2027.

After a thorough search process that resulted in campus visits by four highly qualified candidates, the Board of Trustees approved the recommendation of Dr. Vargas-Kennedy Sept. 17.

“We were fortunate to have so many qualified candidates interested in leading SAS as our next head of school, and we’re deeply grateful for the thoughtful, dedicated work of our search committee throughout this process,” said Jay Fisher, vice president of the board and chair of the search committee. “Dr. Vargas-Kennedy’s boarding and Episcopal school experience combine to create an excellent skill set and natural fit for SAS.

“Those who have worked with her in the past have the highest regard for her leadership and managerial skills along with her unique ability to connect with students. She is well-positioned to be a great leader for the school.”

Dr. Vargas-Kennedy has served as assistant headmaster for enrollment at Woodberry Forest School, an all-boys, all-boarding school in central Virginia, since 2020. In this role, she oversees enrollment strategy, financial aid, and summer camps. As a senior leader at Woodberry, she also contributes to the school’s long-term planning. Before joining Woodberry, she led enrollment at Foxcroft School, an all-girls boarding school in northern Virginia, where she helped bring the school to full enrollment for the first time in more than a decade. She previously served as director of enrollment management at St. Andrew’s Episcopal School in Jackson, Miss.

“I am honored to be named the next head of school at St. Andrew’s-Sewanee, and I’m grateful to the Board of Trustees and the search committee for their care throughout this process,” she said. “I will take time to know this community well, to hear its stories and its hopes, and to work alongside all of you on behalf of the students who come here. I also look forward to sharing the story of this remarkable school with others.”

Dr. Vargas-Kennedy’s career in boarding school education began at Chatham Hall, an Episcopal school in southern Virginia before she began teaching Spanish and serving as a dorm parent at Mercersburg Academy in Pennsylvania. Her higher education experience includes serving as director of financial aid at Cornell Law School and the University of Chicago Law School, and later as assistant vice president for enrollment at Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio.

Byron Hulsey, head of school at Woodberry Forest School, said, “I’m very happy for Karla and deeply grateful to her for her leadership as assistant headmaster of enrollment management here at Woodberry since her arrival in the summer of 2020. We will miss her wisdom and expertise, her deep understanding of the world of enrollment here and beyond, and her unflagging commitment to bring best-fit boys to Woodberry Forest.”

Karl Sjolund, who has served as SAS head of school for the past decade, announced in February that he would be leaving at the end of the 2026-27 school year.