Dr. Erin Michelle Crocetti is a woman who gets things done. You can see her determined resolve in her stark blue-gray eyes and almost hear the wheels turning behind them as her mind works swiftly and intelligently. She is hyper-aware of what is going on – what needs to happen – and then takes the steps to make it all happen. She is a powerhouse, so it’s no wonder that she has been appointed director of admissions and marketing at The British School of Beijing (BSB), Sanlitun, after working almost exclusively as a mother for a decade. Dr. Erin Crocetti, Director of Admissions and Marketing, The British School of Beijing, Sanlitun I first crossed paths with Crocetti back in 2021, after we had both been in Beijing for about a year, when she agreed to be my source for an article. Afterwards, we struck up an online friendship like so many expat parents do, where we would exchange stories of our kids’ lives and the trials and tribulations of online learning in the unspeakable era. Her three children have been consistent participants in practically every Jingkids initiative, sending in videos of reading bedtime stories, singing their favorite Christmas carols and showing off their best drawings. Her eldest, Rosa, was particularly great at contributing stories – from covering the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics ice hockey quarter finals game to sharing the experience of how she got her first pair of glasses. It is clear that the Crocetti offspring have inherited their mother’s drive and community spirit. The Crocetti family is no stranger to the expat life, having lived in Papua New Guinea and Sri Lanka before Beijing. Crocetti herself has kept busy throughout motherhood, consulting for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) even as she raised her two daughters. Even then, by the time the family arrived in Beijing, Crocetti was ready to get back to work full-time. But then came the news that she was expecting her third child, so she put her career plans on the back burner while she busied herself with being fully present as a mother. She stayed active in the parent association at BSB Sanlitun, the school Rosa attended, engaged with Aurelia’s Italian school, and enjoyed precious time with her new baby. Then Covid changed everything; Aurelia’s Italian school shut down for good and Crocetti found herself basically home-schooling the kids. When life resumed, Crocetti found herself idle at home with all three kids at school. Pursuits such as taking the CELTA course and re-learning Italian were not enough, so she decided then it was time to make her move. Lo and behold, an opening at BSB Sanlitun appeared. At first, Crocetti was not sure that she could take on the duties of director of admissions and marketing, even though she has a Ph.D. and had worked closely with schools before through her experience with NPOs. But after making a list of how she did qualify for the position, she convinced herself to throw her hat in the ring. After four interviews over three months – one in person in Beijing before tele-interviews with Shanghai and London – Crocetti was offered the job. By then she had done all her research (which she loves) about Nord Anglia, and the more she learned about the institution, the more she saw that it was a perfect fit. She was already deeply involved in the school community and knew the existing parents well; she loved the idea of going to work where the kids are, and she greatly appreciated how the school did things. A few months into the job, things are looking good for the Crocetti family. Crocetti herself is absolutely thrilled to be back in an office (it has been 20 years!); she adores her team of four women who are each powerhouses themselves, and the kids wave happily whenever they see their mom around school. There have been transitions of course. Mondays are a particular challenge with the kids’ after-school schedules that require a complex flow chart to keep track of which parent or ayi will pick up/drop off which kid at which class. But Crocetti’s husband Giuseppe and ever-helpful ayi, as well as neighbours and friends, have all stepped in and offered help. You know you’re special when the whole community around you is willing to lend a hand when you are in need, and all it takes is for you to say “yes.” That was one of the hard parts for Crocetti during the transition: going from the one who offers to help working parents pick up their kids if they were late, to the one receiving the offer. But saying “yes” has freed her from the guilt and limitations of her newly full days. Plus, it’s helped her to realize where she’s truly needed at home; it wasn’t at homework time, as the kids have now gained the self-discipline to do their homework without mom’s guidance. Crocetti does lament that her home cooking hasn’t been missed since her ayi took over the cooking duties, but she realizes that that’s probably a good thing.
The majority of opportunities that become a reality
have been discovered over coffee.
- Dr. Erin Crocetti
Crocetti has this piece of advice to offer other parents out there, whether they are thinking of transitioning back to the workforce after a parenting hiatus or whether they are thinking of transitioning into full-time parenting: “Talk to everybody and ask them anything! Make connections. The majority of opportunities that become a reality have been discovered over coffee.”