Meet our Principal Sarah Rhee

“I love being part of the Invictus family! We support and challenge each other in service to our mission.”

One of the keys to our safe, structured, and joyful culture at Invictus Academy of Richmond is the high quality of our leadership team. In our most recent staff survey, 100% of our staff indicated that they receive regular feedback from leadership which directly promotes personal and professional growth on a continual basis. Modeling this type of self reflection and social-emotional learning is of paramount importance to us and critical to helping shape a future of leaders who communicate with confidence. 

Another key to our positive culture at Invictus is the depth of relationships we form between students, teachers, staff, and families. Getting to know each other is the first step in creating trust, establishing goals and forming the bonds that define our school community. This is why we decided to interview our principal, Sarah Rhee. We asked her a few questions to help you get to know her better. Read our interview below.

Sarah Rhee - Invictus Principal

When did you know you wanted to be an educator?

I moved to the United States as a young child, and my family worked tirelessly to keep me in a strong public school system. As I grew older, I began to realize the extent of my family’s challenges, much of which centered on financial insecurity. This motivated me to study hard and aspire to attend college, hoping to land a job that would offer a better future for myself and my family.

When I got to college, it was a transformative experience. I fell in love with learning, became part of a community with similar values, and received the guidance I needed to develop my career path. Within such a supportive environment, I thrived, earning scholarships, landing internships, and receiving job offers.

Realizing how impactful college was for me, I thought about how grateful I was to attend college – and how wrong it was that not everyone has this opportunity. I knew so many people like me who grew up in poor immigrant households. They weren’t able to attend a great school and didn’t get the same chances to grow as I did. 

My last year of college, I decided to become an educator to help those like me and other young people in underserved communities have access to a great education.

Who was your favorite teacher and why?

Mrs. O, who taught me high school pre-calculus, was my favorite teacher – but not at the time! I struggled with math as a student, and had convinced myself that I couldn’t do it well no matter how hard I tried. Mrs. O showed me that I was wrong.

Mrs. O pushed me relentlessly, constantly requiring me to re-do assignments and complete test corrections any time I made a mistake or gave a half-hearted attempt. I was often extremely frustrated with her, and would say things like: “I’ll never use pre-calculus in my life anyway, why bother?” I now know this was because she was teaching me not just math, but critical thinking, problem solving, and above all, a belief in my own potential to always be better. To this day, there are few things I am as proud of as passing Mrs. O’s class!

How does the Invictus mission and vision align with your personal values?

Our mission is that 100% of our students will thrive in the colleges of their choice, solve relevant problems, and communicate with confidence. I think about the “100%” often. To ensure that every student at Invictus receives the education and opportunities they deserve is an ambitious goal, and it requires true community and teamwork to accomplish. It means that all individuals in our school community – students, family, and staff – must work together, in close partnership, with deep care for one another.

This commitment to building a strong community founded on teamwork and authentic relationships is a value that is deeply personal for me. Throughout my life, the support of family (including my parents and siblings, but also my friends and mentors) has allowed me to overcome challenges and accomplish goals that otherwise would have been unattainable. I love being part of the Invictus family! We support and challenge each other in service to our mission.

What do you love most about your role as Principal?

I joined Invictus as a founding teacher. Since then, and now in my role as Principal, I have the great joy of seeing our students grow each year. I clearly remember the summer I met our first group of 7th graders and their families, weeks after they had finished elementary school. Now, they are 10th graders, leaders of our school, just one year away from applying to college! I’m constantly in awe of our students and their progress year after year – not only in academics, but also in their character as they grow into values-driven young adults and leaders in their communities.

What else would you like us to know about you?

I’m excited to support our student athletes as we build out our high school sports program! I love exercise, but was never an athlete when I was growing up. For fun, I enjoy running, hiking, cycling, yoga, weight lifting, and rock climbing. 

I met my husband through teaching. A former middle school teacher in San Francisco, he is now a doctor of physical therapy (and a big fan of Invictus).

I’ve taught adult learners at San Quentin State Prison, in addition to having been a teacher of English and U.S. History for middle school and high school grades.

Come Get to Know Us

Everyone at Invictus is dedicated to serving you, the families in our Richmond community. The decision of where to send your youth to school is incredibly important. If you would like to learn more about Invictus, please check out our blog to learn about our high quality teachers, the new AC and ventilation systems that helped us return to school safely for Fall of 2021, Invictus Clubs, and more. 

Prefer to speak with a real person? Feel free to call us anytime at 510.939.3377

It’s not too late to join us! Begin your student’s journey at Invictus. Enroll your 7th - 10th grader today.

Information available on grades 11 & 12 for interested families.

ABOUT INVICTUS

Invictus Academy of Richmond prepares 100% of students in grades 7-12 to thrive in the colleges of their choice, solve relevant problems, and communicate with confidence. Founded in 2018 with a dedication to uplifting students in the Richmond, CA community, Invictus earned recognition in 2020 for its students making some of the strongest academic growth in the country during the pandemic, as measured by NWEA MAP data in the BES Network. Start your student’s journey with our excellent teachers, systems of emotional and academic learning, peer tutoring, and parent partnership by visiting us at www.invictusofrichmond.org