Division Director Series: Ingrid Gustavson

This fall, Ingrid Gustavson is beginning her second year as Upper School Director at The Bush School, a profession she initially rejected because both her parents and grandparents were educators.

“I aspired to be a museum curator and got my master's in art history, interned at museums, and eventually became an assistant curator. But I realized that I didn't love it as much as I thought I would. There was not a lot of people interaction. Instead, it was mostly behind the scenes, looking at slides and saying ‘no thank you’ to artists,” Ingrid shared.

 

“So I got a job at Idyllwild Arts Academy in California, and I never looked back. I quickly realized that working with kids and being in an environment where what you do every day looks different, and you get to learn and grow alongside the kids, was pretty awesome,” she said. 

 

Ingrid brings a strategic, dynamic, collaborative, and mission-driven leadership style to Bush, shaped by more than two decades of experience in independent schools. Prior to joining Bush, she served as Upper School Principal at Rowland Hall, a Pre-K-12 school in Salt Lake City, Utah. At Rowland Hall, Ingrid led Upper School faculty and staff in  developing an innovative, student-centered curriculum and an intentional and inclusive model for student belonging and support.

 

Ingrid also worked at The Webb Schools, a boarding and day school in Claremont, California, where she served as a history teacher, advisor, coach, and dorm parent. She went on to serve in academic leadership roles at Sage Hill School in Newport Coast, California, where she taught history and French, chaired the History Department, and served as Dean of Faculty. Her academic leadership and curriculum design experience also includes a role as Director of Studies at Darrow School in New York. Ingrid holds an M.A. in Art History from Williams College and a B.A. in French and Art History from Bowdoin College. 

 

“I'm delighted to be a part of the Bush community, a well-established school, with a great reputation and a lot of really phenomenal educators. I am proud to continue the excellent trajectory of the Upper School, working in partnership with colleagues to support student learning and growth and move forward new big-picture initiatives. It's a really good feeling to be part of this awesome collective,” Ingrid said.

 

“This fall, I went on the Ninth Grade retreat for the second year,” she added. “It's a wonderful opportunity for me to get to know students a little bit better before the school year starts. I also got to be a part of the class activities, including helping to plan the creative process for the video that the entire class makes together. I participated with one of the small groups as they brainstormed and acted out their part of the video. It was super fun, and I was grateful to be able to be a part of that experience.”

Check out this video to learn more about Ingrid.