How does a woman with a doctorate in developmental biology from Stanford end up dealing with advisory issues at Paly? Joan Wrenn, Paly’s teacher advisor coordinator, will be retiring at then end of this year after 15 years of dedicated service to Paly.

“I majored in biology and ended up getting a doctorate in biology from Stanford,” Wrenn said. “I was a research scientist for 20 years in developmental biology.”

Wrenn was born in the small town of Lorain, Ohio and migrated West to attend Stanford for graduate school and work. She met her husband in school and he had a stable job “so we just stayed,” Wrenn said.

When the head of her lab left, Wrenn switched labs; however, a lack of funding made her look for other options.

“I became somewhat tired of the noxious chemicals I was working with,” Wrenn said of her lab work.

While working at Stanford, her children attended Paly and she noticed that most Paly students didn’t get to know a counselor and vice-versa. She served on a committee that was worried about the advisory program.

“There were concerns at Paly about the way the guidance was being done [at Paly],” Wrenn said. “The job [starting out] was a much lesser job than I have now.”

The job was the first of its kind at Paly as nothing like it had ever been done before. She was completely new at the job.

“I had no more qualifications than any other parent,” Wrenn said.

In the 15 years of Wrenn’s stay at Paly, she, along with Susan Shultz, has coordinated a TA for every single student that goes through Paly. She’s responsible for assigning TAs and gathering the college paperwork for the “school report,” the recommendation the teacher advisor writes.

“She’s watched it [the TA program] grow the last 15 years,” Shultz said. “It’s been very successful.”

Shultz cites Wrenn as the underlying force that kept the program going.

“Working with her has been absolutely wonderful,” Shultz said. “I think she’s the major reason why the TA program runs so smoothly.”

Students acknowledge the hard work Wrenn has put in to her job to get the amazing TA program that Paly has.

“She’s an enormous help [in] organizing myself considering I don’t have any idea how college applications work,” junior Henry Becker said.

After retiring at the end of this year, Wrenn has many plans to keep her newly freed schedule busy.

“[I plan to] sleep in, visit my kids, travel other places, do a little work on the house, and have fun on my own time for a change.” Wrenn said.

Everyone in the Paly community will miss her.

“We are all incredibly crushed she’s leaving,” Shultz said. “I’m still in denial about it.”

“She’s been a wonderful contributor to Paly and the students,” teacher advisor and history teacher Jack Bungarden said. “She will be greatly missed.”