A leader sets the tone for the culture of a community. A leader models the ethos of a place and of a community. This could certainly be said of Dr. Donna Harris, president of Minnehaha Academy, a private K-12 Christian school in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

On August 2, 2017, unexpected tragedy befell the over century-old school when an explosion leveled the middle portion of the Academy’s high school. In the midst of losing two beloved employees and the ensuing grief and uncertainty, Dr. Harris forged ahead in wisdom, fortitude, and faith. That same steadfast faith characterized my time with Dr. Harris. In our time together, she spoke of how to see beauty at work in the wake of tragedy and how a community can emerge from such an event with renewed vigor for loving one another well.