Like many young adults fresh out of school, Dr. Mitchell Salerno faced an uncertain future with no clear direction after his graduation from Wheaton College in the late 1990s. As he stared down the proverbial fork in the road, suddenly a path he had never even considered presented itself. It was a journey that led him some 1,300 miles from his hometown of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to a small town in Texas, where he discovered the life he was meant to have all along.

Almost 25 years later, Dr. Salerno’s career as an educator has taken him all over the country and back for another opportunity in Orlando, a place he and his family always planned on settling for good. As the new head of school at Windermere Prep, he is beyond excited to lead one of the most prestigious and fastest-growing private learning institutions in Central Florida.

“It’s always great to come back to a place you feel is home,” he says. “My parents are in The Villages and my in-laws have a condo here, and being near family is wonderful. My wife and I had a home in Windermere that we used for holidays or as a vacation home. To be able to come back permanently was not on the radar screen, so we are certainly thrilled to be at Windermere Prep.”

Dr. Salerno previously served in multiple administrative roles including Head of School at Monte Vista in California for the past five years and Superintendent at The Master’s Academy from 2008 to 2016. He has also been an educator in Pennsylvania and North Carolina.

Having a strong influence on young minds has been exactly the reward he was looking for, but it almost never happened. A chemistry major in college, his plan was to pursue a career in science, but after working an internship where he was stuck in a laboratory all day with little human interaction, doubt started to creep in. When he was given an opportunity to try teaching at a Christian school in Texas, he jumped at it.

“They needed a chemistry teacher and my parents said, ‘You’re 21 years old. You don’t need to have your life sorted at this point. Just go down for a year, experience something other than what you’ve experienced, and when you’re done you’ll know whether you should apply to medical school or graduate school,’” he recalls. “So I went down and taught chemistry at this little school and coached soccer and golf, and I absolutely loved it.”

Windermere Prep serves students between the ages of 3 and 18 at its lower, middle and high schools, with an award-winning faculty that utilizes an individualized and compassionate approach to help children reach their full potential. The school believes in going above and beyond traditional education by offering transformative and experiential learning, and partnerships with MIT, Juilliard and UNICEF support that philosophy.

While the campus has strong ties to the surrounding area, it also has a global feel with more than 70 nationalities comprising the student body. “I think one of the things that has struck me now that the kids are back is the incredible and beautiful diversity here,” Dr. Salerno says. “It truly is an international school. The variety of places and people that are represented, I find it very inspiring.”

Windermere Prep is known for a rigorous curriculum and offers the International Baccalaureate diploma program along with honors college prep and AP classes. Of course, like any other school, it has faced challenges since the pandemic started, but the hard times have served to showcase the resiliency of the students and the willingness of the teachers to rise to the occasion and ensure the children are still getting the education their families expect.

“Windermere Prep did a remarkable job last year and we’re already seeing a sense of purpose and a drive from our staff this year,” Dr. Salerno says. “They’re off to a fantastic start. There’s a real passion to have these kids back on campus, even though we are dealing with COVID again. There’s excitement, there’s learning and there’s a real joy to be here.”

The same can be said for Dr. Salerno, who envisions his role as not making any drastic changes but just building upon the already-strong foundation in place. Windermere Prep has experienced tremendous growth, even during the pandemic, with the enrollment nearly doubling in the past five years to approximately 1,600 students. He believes it will continue to be a home for students who want to play on a championship athletic team, take part in a sensational fine arts program, learn in an innovative world-class environment, or be part of a tight-knit global community.

“I largely see the head of school not so much as bringing ideas but rather building a strong leadership team and an excellent culture that is able to solve whatever task is at hand,” Dr. Salerno says. “There are some great private schools in Orlando but we believe Windermere Prep can be one of the best. I’m thrilled to be back in Orlando and it’s an honor to be leading Windermere Prep. I’m excited to see what our students and faculty accomplish in the years to come.”

Windermere Preparatory School

6189 Winter Garden-Vineland Road | Windermere

(407) 905-7737

WindermerePrep.com

info@windermereprep.com