Claire Blanchette

"Breck's Best-Kept Secret"

from June 2004 Today @ Breck

In her seventh year as Breck's Learning Consultant, Claire Blanchette is known for her commanding yet quiet presence. "Claire is one of those people who knows so much and goes about her work with such humility," says Lower School Director Peg Bailey. "She reveals herself through the way she lives, not what she says," observes Director of Guidance and Testing Peter Clark, who uses the adjective "self-contained" to describe Claire. And Upper School Director says Claire is, simply, "Breck's best-kept secret."

As a consultant to both Middle and Upper Schools, Claire works part-time (60% most of the year) and especially appreciates the variety that comes with her job. "I get the opportunity to do so many different things," she says. "I get to work with faculty from two divisions and students in eight different grades--all mixed together. It's so great to work in a place where I can literally watch a student's progress."

Dealing with individual students is one of the great joys of her position, Claire says. "I love talking to students about their goals and getting involved on a personal level. It's wonderful that we are able to have casual contact, too—seeing them in the halls or onstage in a drama production. And it can be very rewarding when a student tells me he or she remembers something we talked about that's made a positive difference."

Her career path to this position was not exactly direct. A native of LeSueur, Minnesota, Claire passed up her senior year in her hometown to be an exchange student in Argentina. She headed to the University of Minnesota intending to be a Spanish major. Once there, however, she found herself drawn to courses in psychology, anthropology and sociology—all of which turned out to be prerequisites for a social work major. "I was talking to my advisor and it became clear that I practically had a social work degree," Claire recalls. "So Spanish became my minor."

After six years counseling adolescents at Abbott Northwestern Hospital, Claire took some time off for an extended trip to Europe with her mother. Upon her return, Claire took a friend's recommendation and began work as a counselor in the Minneapolis public schools, which led her back to school to become licensed as a school psychologist. She received her master's degree in psychology at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls and began looking for work again. On a "fishing expedition," she called Peter Clark, whom she'd met while helping with some testing at Breck. Claire says she was "thrilled" when he told her Breck might have an opening, and she's been here ever since.

Colleagues say they have come to rely on her insights. "She has the gift of being able to help others think about and consider what is in the best interest of students," says Peg Bailey. "I really trust her judgment and instincts," says Peter Clark. “What she says very often reflects more sensitivity and depth than what the rest of us are thinking." And Upper School science teacher Beth Seibel-Hunt puts it this way: "Claire is always so clear about the objective and takes into account the student's whole academic picture. She leaves me feeling very secure that any issue is in extremely good hands."

When not at Breck, Claire enjoys family life with husband Duncan, who provides home health care for adults with spinal-cord injuries, and daughters Camille, 5, and Simone, 3. She's an avid gardener (both indoor and out) who also enjoys reading, biking and canoeing on Lake Harriet. She also loves travel, and happily recalls trips to North Africa, Sicily, Italy and, particularly, Greece, where she has spent time with a number of relatives who welcomed her with open arms.

Ironically, the 6' 1" Claire's younger daughter, Simone, was born with a rare genetic form of dwarfism and has a projected adult height of about four feet. "I marvel at how gracefully Claire and Duncan have handled that challenge," says Peter Clark. "Simone is very lucky to have them as parents." With characteristic modesty, Claire says simply that it "gives me a very different perspective."

It's an ability that serves her well, both at home and at work.