By Maddy Privasky and Finley Wittkamp

Before most people even consider waking up, Assistant to the Head of the Upper School Yasi Moshiri’s day is already in motion. Her first alarm sounds at 4:04 a.m., a time she chose because she likes even numbers, closely followed by her second alarm at 4:18 a.m., the one that actually gets her out of bed. 

When asked what gets her up in the morning, Moshiri answered simply: “My preworkout.” She then heads straight to her garage, a space she calls the “Pain Cave.” She commits to an intense workout, which might include running, biking, or lifting weights, that sets the tone for the rest of her day. While it may seem extreme to some people, she values time to herself before the world wakes up. 

Photo credit: Maddy Privasky.

After her workout, her pace does not slow down. Moshiri transitions into full mom mode, getting herself and her 1st Grade daughter, Lucy, ready for the day. Arriving at school at 7:20 a.m., she and Lucy spend a few minutes chatting with Head of the Upper School Patrick Loach, Upper School Administrative Assistant Julie Miller, and Upper School Spanish teacher Hannah Curley. She then walks her daughter down to the Lower School, and then “I walk faster than I ever walk,” back up to Pitt Hall to start her day.

After proctoring the morning make-up study hall, Moshiri supports Miller with the morning rush of calls and the late arrival of students. Each morning, she writes an organized to-do list in a different color. From there, no two days look the same. On a recent Wednesday morning, she was working on the proctoring schedule for the upcoming spring exams. She even handles unexpected requests, like helping an Upper School student who lost their calculator.

She aims for an 11:00 a.m. lunch, when everything is still fresh and untouched. Miller noted, “She’s a great person to have lunch with.” She likes to leave the cafeteria quickly, before the Middle Schoolers crowd McFall. The rest of Moshiri’s afternoon is full of tasks from her to-do list. She attends meetings and checks in with Loach when necessary. At 4:15 p.m., it is time for her to start heading home. She ends the night early, aiming for a 9:00 p.m. bedtime so she can be ready for her early alarm the next morning.