If you ever find yourself spending an afternoon in the office of Dean Noble, it usually means you are in a bit of pickle. Luckily this was not the case for me, for last week I sat in the office of Ms. Noble, but I was not in any trouble.

I found myself in her bright, first-floor office in the schoolhouse because I had the privilege of sitting down with Kathryn Noble to conduct an interview about her life. The topics discussed in our conversation ranged from details of her childhood to her academic career and finally to what she looks forward to in life.

After our brief conversation, I felt as though I had met the Dean of Students for the first time. My eyes were opened to an individual who I had never before thought to consider of as more than the woman who emails us every night before an assembly. There is a whole lot you can come to know about an administrator if you simply take the time to speak with one. I was honored to get to know Ms. Noble, and found value in the advice she had to offer. The following is the interview that took place between me and Ms. Noble.

Describe where you grew up, and you family. Who are you closest too? What are your parents like? Etc.

“I was born and raised in Winchester, Mass. It’s just 12 miles North of Boston, a bedroom suburb of Boston.” Ms. Noble promptly replied. She lived with her parents and her siblings. “I have a sister and two brothers. My parents had four children in five and a half years, so we were very close.” Noble likes her whole family, but it is her sister who she has the strongest bond with. “My sister is my best friend, and with my youngest brother, everyone always thought we were twins.”

Is there a particular person who has had a large influence in your life, and what lessons did you learn from them?

“I think both my parents were extremely influential, but probably my father was more so, because he was really involved in athletics, so I played sports since I was really little.” Ms. Noble recalls that sports have been a large part of her life–something she loves. Another person Kathryn found to be an influence on her life was her college field-hockey coach. “You know, I butted heads with her from time to time, but [she] always held me to a really high standard. I think the people who challenge you, and push you are the people you learn most from.”

What are you most proud of in your life?

After taking a moment to consider this, Ms. Noble answered with an air of honest, and humble certainty in her voice. “I think the things I am most proud of were the things that I had to work the hardest for, and that really challenged me.” What Kathryn then listed as things she was most proud of in life were all feats that I personally could not help but regard as very impressive. “I played field hockey at the national level when I was in college and was captain. I went to law school and passed the bar [exam] in a couple states. I also think that I have had some really, really successful teams athletically.”

As a final remark, what advice would you give to students as they grow up?

The answer Ms. Noble gave really resonated with me. She wanted us to know that as we grow up, there is one thing we can do to make it a little easier for ourselves along the journey to adulthood. “To be your own best friend. That means to take care of yourself, you know? A best friend is someone who is always trying to do the right thing for you, or to counsel you to make the right choices. So, I would say to be your own best friend.”

Our conversation ended on a light note, we both wished each other to “have a good rest of the day” and I left her office. As I walked down the hall, I could not help but smile. I had been given the chance to see someone in a completely different light.

Ms. Noble has much more that meets the eye. This caring woman, who one day hopes to retire to her boat in New Hampshire because she loves the water, who played field hockey her entire life, is very available to us. She lives just up the street from the building we all go to school in. So, I would advise in taking the time to see for yourself why the chat I got to have with Kathryn Noble was the highlight of my day.