Often, students focus on the front end of Seattle Prep – their teachers, classmates, coaches, etc. – but what goes on behind the scenes? Registrar and Assistant to the Academics Office, Mrs. Elizabeth Andrews (Prep Class of ’97), has a large impact on students’ everyday lives at Prep.

When asked to describe her responsibilities as registrar, Andrews said, “I organize the grades and transcripts, coordinate testing such as AP Exams, PSAT, and Final exams, and help schedule classes.”

Building schedules is the longest process of the year for Andrews. Andrews starts the process in December and finalizes student schedules in July. Starting in winter, teachers provide class recommendations, and students turn in their course requests. Next, Andrews explained, “we work out a huge puzzle of placing the classes into the right day and time to try and get the students as many of their first-choice classes as possible.”

Andrews feels a lot of satisfaction when schedules finalize, and students are happy with their schedules for the following school year. However, schedules are not the only long-term project that the registrar’s job entails. During the year, Andrews also coordinates back-to-school nights, Prep PSAT testing, Semester 1 finals, AP exams, re-enrollment, and working with incoming freshmen placement testing. With the many events needed to be scheduled, accommodating requests for class changes, building schedules, and conveying information to students, Andrews is “pretty busy most of the year!”

As an alumnus, Andrews enjoys seeing the similarities and differences of what Prep was like when she attended in the late ‘90s. Another favorite part of her duties is “hearing from alumni who need their transcripts for new jobs or education opportunities.” This part of her job allows her to have a long-lasting impact on the students of Seattle Prep and gives her an insight into the success of alumni. Andrews also enjoys the collaborative aspect of her big projects through managing all data in Veracross with other members of the administration staff and business office.

One administrator Ms. Andrews works closely with is the Assistant Principal for Academics, Ms. Kheriaty. They meet regularly to work on big projects together, including the master schedule, testing, events, class changes, etc. Overall, they “collaborate on the systems and processes we have in place to help support all academic programs, classes, and teachers at Prep” (Kheriaty).

Kheriaty also explained the administrative support Ms. Andrews provides as Assistant to the Academics Office. She said, “Ms. Andrews supports my work in many areas, including managing Academics Office communications, JotForms for things like course selections, appeals, course applications, AP exams, and graduation data, and she coordinates academic calendars and schedules.”

Like other faculty who are Prep alumni, the Prep community draws Andrews to her job as registrar. She summarized her favorite part of working behind the scenes at Prep as, “Prep has a great community of teachers and administrators and, I really enjoy working with them.”