Nancy Aranda
Director of Admissions

Before working in my current position as Director of Admissions, my career was in Early Childhood and Elementary Education as a classroom teacher. I discovered my own passion for teaching in 1978 as an undergraduate in the department of Human Development and Family Studies at Cornell University where I took an elective course that placed me in the campus laboratory nursery school. After graduation, I spent a number of years working with very young children, first in a child care center in Freeport, and then in a respite care program for families under stress in Hempstead.  In 1986, as a wife and mother of a young child, I returned to school full time to get my Masters in Elementary Education.

I came to Westbury Friends School in 1989, first as a substitute teacher, and then as a full time Pre-K teacher. While at WFS, I've also taught First through Third Grades, spending most of my time in Second Grade. Twice in the past 18 years, I ventured off, first to found and direct an early childhood program for an Episcopal church in Valley Stream, and again for five years to teach in a Long Island public school district. Although both experiences were wonderful, I ultimately decided that it was here at Westbury Friends School that I could practice the art of teaching with the integrity and collegial support that attracted me to the profession in the first place.  In the spring of 2008 I decided to leave the classroom to take an administrative position here at WFS, and have very much enjoyed supporting the school and its mission from this new perspective.

When I'm not working, I spend all the time I can with my husband of 26 years. We enjoy the beach, breakfast at the diner (morning, noon or night!), relaxing at home and spending time on the phone with our grown son and his fiance. My interest in digital photography keeps me in touch with the beauty in the world around me!

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