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This article was originally published in the summer 2013 Harker Quarterly.
Sandy Padgett, longtime member of the upper school faculty and founding director of Harker’s college counseling program, tragically passed away on April 22. In May she was honored in a special memorial event held in the upper school quad.
During the ceremony many of the moving comments received from her former students were shared. Her invaluable contributions to Harker, and to the lives of so many, were recalled.
“This has been a sad and tragic loss for the community. We continue to provide support to our students and staff, and we hope the outpouring from our community about Sandy’s impact in their lives is a comfort to her family,” said Chris Nikoloff, Harker’s head of school.
Harker community members were devastated when they learned that Padgett was killed in a domestic incident in her Redwood City home. School counselors, as well as grief counselors from The Centre for Living with Dying, assisted the administration in breaking the news to the faculty and students.
Padgett had an illustrious career guiding students. Before joining Harker in 1998, she taught AP English at San Carlos High School; was a counselor at Palo Alto High School; was a career placement counselor at Occidental College; and was a college counselor at the American School in London, the Westridge School in Pasadena and the Buckley School in Sherman Oaks.
In lieu of flowers, Padgett’s family has requested that donations be sent to The Sandy Padgett Memorial Endowed Scholarship Fund, established in her memory. Checks can be mailed to the Sandy Padgett Memorial Fund, Harker Advancement, 500 Saratoga Avenue, San Jose, CA 95129. Please note “Sandy Padgett Memorial Fund” in the check’s memo line.