Beloved Great Hearts Leader Returns to Serve at Arete Prep
Arete Prep September 4, 2025 -
When Dr. Mary Frances Jeffries retired in 2023 after nearly a decade of service at Archway Veritas as headmaster, she thought she had closed a fulfilling chapter of her impressive career in education. But in true Great Hearts fashion, the network had a way of calling her back. This time to serve as interim headmaster at Arete Prep.
A native of St. Louis, Missouri, Dr. Jeffries earned her Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Santa Clara University, a Master of Arts in Education from National University, and a Doctorate in Organizational Leadership from Pepperdine University.
“I joined Archway Veritas in 2015 as the headmaster,” Dr. Jeffries shared. “I had moved from Colorado and that was my first experience at Great Hearts. But I’d always heard wonderful things about the network. I’d been in education all my life but just felt that when that opportunity was brought forward to me, I just had to grab it.”
She served Archway Veritas with distinction as a beloved leader and mentor until her retirement. Stepping away was refreshing, but she admits that Great Hearts is never too far from her heart. “You know, you always hear them say that you really can’t leave Great Hearts. Somehow, they just pull you back in.”
That pull came in the form of a call from the Executive Director of Upper Schools, asking if she would consider filling in at Arete Prep as interim headmaster. “Mac Esau called and said we have this unique opportunity for covering a school while the headmaster is on maternity leave,” she recalled. “I just felt called to do it,” she explained. “I mean, Great Hearts is just such an amazing network. I’d heard terrific things about the Arete community, and I hadn’t been at a prep school before, so I thought it would just be a unique opportunity, and if there was any way I could give back to a network that’s just been so good to me, you know, I’m happy to do it.”
While Dr. Jeffries brings more than twenty years of experience in education to her interim role, returning in a new context presented challenges. Her career has included teaching elementary and middle school, serving as an Instructional Coach, Director of Curriculum for a K–8 Christian school in Southern California, and adjunct professor for Northern Arizona University’s School of Education, but never in a high school setting. “And so, I was a little nervous if I could do that, but the concept of being able to step in so that you can help carry the load off of the established leadership team is a good one,” she shared.
She credits the experienced staff for their patience and support as she adapts to the unique aspects of a prep academy. “I’m also asking a lot of questions, not knowing some of the things about prep school… just different programs that Archway has no oversight in. So, they’re patient with my questions and they know I’m just seeking to better understand so I can better support,” she shared, adding, “If I didn’t have them, I think I’d be more just a deer in the headlights and not quite sure where to step in and insert myself.”
Reflecting on the experience, Dr. Jeffries is both humble and grateful. “It’s funny what comes back to you, and it does feel good to be able again to contribute, kind of use that part of your brain that’s been in a hiatus for a while,” she said.
For Dr. Jeffries, returning wasn’t just about stepping into a role. It was about serving a community she deeply loves. And for the academy she now supports, her leadership is a gift. It is just one more reminder of the lasting legacy she continues to build within Great Hearts.
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