After more than a decade in international business, Paul M. Krieger ’64 felt the call to the education field based, in part, on his fond memories at Oak Knoll.

“At Oak Knoll I had caring teachers in every grade, supportive coaches and the finest of experiences. I learned fairness, kindness and respect for adults and peers; all of which has served me well these 62 years. I learned about the power of traditions which create and hold a communities together,” he said.

Reflecting back on his time at Oak Knoll, Krieger vividly remembered nativity tableaux, the May Day celebration in which each student was responsible for bringing a daily crown of flowers for a statue of the Virgin Mary – each class had one then, he said.

“I remember the smell of the flowers to this day,” he said.

After graduating from Oak Knoll, Krieger would attend Stuart Country Day School and Newark Academy before earning a bachelor’s degree in history from Gettysburg College, and ultimately, pursuing a 12-year career in international marketing and sales.

Despite this success, Krieger felt a calling to instill the same values he learned from Oak Knoll, Stuart Country and Newark Academy in the next generation of learners.

“I had a desire to have more of an impact on youth. I had outstanding independent school experiences, which had a positive impact on me,” Krieger said. “I wanted to teach, coach and mentor young people.”

Krieger made the switch in 1989, serving as assistant director of development and alumni affairs at the Hill School in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, and never looked back.

At Hill School, Krieger also taught AP Economics and U.S. history, in addition to being the assistant director of admissions and well as the founder and director of the school’s summer sports camp.

He next served as head of the Montgomery School’s middle school in Chester Springs, Pennsylvania, before becoming principal and later headmaster of Christ School, an all-boys boarding school in Asheville, North Carolina, where he remains today.