After nine years of working at the school, registrar Robert Wise will retire at the end of the 2023-24 school year.
Prior to his time at SHS, Wise was a Princeton graduate and spent 27 years operating his own tech consultancy titled RMW Consulting, where he worked in marketing and project management. After stepping away from that field in 2015, Wise began working at various jobs at Saratoga High, and eventually stepped up as a substitute attendance clerk for the school for two years. In 2017, he became the school’s registrar, whose job consists of maintaining student records, providing student services and more.
“I wanted to re-dedicate my life to something more meaningful than helping people chase money,” Wise said. “I’ve enjoyed every minute I spent working here, and I’m glad I made the switch.”
In his time here, Wise has made a hugely positive impact on SHS. A large portion of his job is to organize all of the data for the school, a tedious and difficult process that can be accomplished by few. From sorting out student MOSAIC schedules to overseeing class size statistics, it is clear that Wise’s skill with spreadsheets and data analysis has served the school greatly for the past seven years.
“Mr. Wise is who I go to whenever I need help with Aeries, Excel or Google spreadsheets,” attendance secretary Mandy Armes said. “He has the best stories and a great laugh. We’re gonna miss him a lot.”
Ultimately, Wise decided to retire this year due to one reason only: his wife’s retirement from her job at Kaiser.
“Obviously, I’m not going to let her retire by herself,” Wise said. “We’re building a house in Colorado right now, and we’re planning to move in after the year ends. I’ll be looking for a simple job, something that requires helping people, which I really enjoy.”
According to Wise, there are numerous things that he will miss at SHS. From the rallies and quad days to the students and staff, leaving the school has caused mixed emotions for him. He has always enjoyed watching the energy and enthusiasm that students put out for the activities, especially during Homecoming week.
“I’m gonna miss a large number of things at this school, from the activities to my co-workers here in the office,” Wise said. “It’s really been a wonderful experience for me.”
