Meet the Head of Upper School

Meet Aline Garcia-Rubio ’93, Head of Upper School

“What matters in the end is our capacity to continue to learn—having the mindset of being able to pursue anything”

Aline Garcia-Rubio is committed to maintaining a school culture where lifelong learning is the norm, with teachers leading the way. Teacher modeling, she says “generates an environment in which there is high intellectual capacity, curiosity, and insight. And the kids feel that.”

Aline spent her junior year of high school at Catlin Gabel as a foreign exchange student from Mexico City. After receiving her medical degree from Universidad La Salle Mexico City, she was recruited by Punahou School in Hawaii to teach biology, human anatomy, and physiology. She returned to Catlin Gabel in the fall of 2006 as a teacher of advanced biology and integrated science.

At Catlin Gabel, she has also served as Science Department Chair for the Upper School; Science Curriculum Leader for the entire school; Upper School Assistant Head; and Upper School Dean of Students. She has been Head of Upper School since 2017.

"School, and then high school, is life itself," Aline says. "It's not just a springboard onto something else. That's part of what we're doing: We're preparing students for the next stage, but we're also doing this stage very well. We're creating an excellent environment for them to be in while they navigate this stage of their life."