Half of Ms. Kellie Forester’s wall is taken up by a huge cork board, covered in waxy crayon drawings that appear to be done by a child. One drawing, pinned right in the middle of the board, reads, “Happy Mother’s Day.”
“I think being a parent of daughters has really influenced not only my career path but the type of environment that I want to be in,” Ms. Forester, Westridge’s new Advancement Coordinator, said. Even Ms. Forester’s hobbies revolve around her daughters. “[My daughters and I] love to roller skate and watch movies together.”
Ms. Forester came to Westridge in November 2023. She works to manage fundraising and donations given towards Westridge in order to keep Westridge financially stable. She also works hand in hand with the Westridge Parent Association (WPA). Born in Arizona, she attended the University of Arizona, studying theater education. After graduation, Ms. Forester moved to Chicago and eventually Los Angeles, where she taught theater to elementary and middle school students for over twenty years.
However, when her oldest daughter started kindergarten, Ms. Forester became interested in fundraising after realizing that the school relied on it to provide a quality education. “I began to realize how there was much of a need for fundraising. There was such a difference between what I was used to working in public schools in Illinois versus what I saw was available for the public schools here in LA. So I really dove into the fundraising for the parent association,” she said.
Ms. Forester moved to Westridge because she loved the idea of an all-girls school. “I love being in an environment with so many inspirational women leaders, and [I feel like] I’m able to [add on to a] lot of that,” she said. Since her daughter attends Westridge, she added, “And now my daughter is doing it here [at Westridge.] It’s such an amazing opportunity for her.”
