Ana Luisa and Jens Nystedt
Parents Committee National Chairs
Once their son, Erik ’22, made the decision to go to Exeter, Ana Luisa and Jens Nystedt wasted no time in getting involved with the school themselves. They started by attending parent events near their home in Greenwich, Connecticut. “We've always been involved in our kids’ schools since they were young,” Ana Luisa says. “Because we had no background in boarding schools, it was helpful to touch base with other parents who were a little bit more experienced.”
The Nystedts also took advantage of the fact that they were within driving distance of Exeter’s campus. In addition to Family Weekend, where Ana Luisa remembers getting her first taste of Harkness discussion in a history classroom, they attended Exeter Leadership Weekend, the fall event open to parent and alumni volunteers, in both 2018 and 2019.
“You do feel part of the community when you see familiar faces coming back,” Ana Luisa says. “You also get to know more about how to support the school — how things work, and where the needs are.”
After Andrea ’24 joined her brother at the Academy, the Nystedts saw her flourishing just as he had. “I think both of them really appreciate the diverse student body, the ability of teachers to be almost always available, and being in an environment where they are surrounded by their friends at any moment,” Jens observes.