By Suha Choi’22
While many of us may have seen the eleven new faculty members in the recent installation ceremony at virtual chapel and/or in our zoom classes, these interactions are surely different from the relationships we build by learning and living with them at a closer distance. Hanging out with the faculty at night, petting their dogs, having conversations about random topics– perhaps it’s the little, subtle experiences like them that define our sense of community. In our attempts to keep these interactions alive, the St. Marker asked the new faculty members about a few things that give us a better idea of who they are as people. Here are some of their responses.
Mr. Bergdahl
(A photo with Agatha, the youngest of his five children!)
What is the craziest or weirdest fact about you?
“The craziest fact about me is that I got my first driver's license in Uganda, 7 years after taking driver's education in my home state of New Hampshire. I had to learn to balance a clutch on the hilly streets of Kampala.”
How did you spend your (socially distanced) summer?
“I spent the summer at my in-laws' house, hiking, teaching online summer school, and watching Magnum PI every night (the original series).”
What is your favorite part about teaching?
“My favorite part of teaching is making connections between topics, finding links to other academic subjects, and just generally exploring epistemology- the nature of truth.”
Mr. Chen
“There's one with me imitating Franklin the Turtle at the Franklin Children's Garden in Toronto, one with me and my husband doing Winnie the Pooh on Halloween, and one with me trying a whoopie pie for the first time.”
What is the craziest or weirdest fact about you?
I once sang in front of President Xi Jinping and former French President François Hollande.
How did you spend your (socially distanced) summer?
Besides designing for the hybrid courses, I started cooking more challenging recipes and I think I'm not half bad!
What is your favorite part about teaching?
Seeing my students smile in the classroom :)
Mr. Friedman
(A photo from the Wadi Rum desert in Jordan- where Mr. Friedman lived in the past 3 years!)
What is the craziest or weirdest fact about you?
“Once while trail running in protected woods, some poachers mistook us for deer and shot at us. A slug went in between my legs and a pellet hit my friend's leg (he is fine now).”
How did you spend your (socially distanced) summer?
“I spent my summer training for a pair of track meets that never happened, hiking, and learning to climb. I also got to spend a lot of time with my high school-aged siblings, who I hadn't seen much of in a long time. We cooked a lot of good food, played a lot of cards, and sat around a lot of fires.”
What is your favorite part about teaching?
“My favorite part about teaching, particularly at a boarding school, is witnessing the different sides of kids. Getting to see the personality of a student in the classroom vs in the dorm vs on the field is a cool opportunity to bring out their entire character.”
Ms. Kelly
(Ms. Kelly in the left and her sister in the right!)
What are some of the craziest facts about you?
“I've lived in 11 different homes and apartments in my 26 years! I also have a "double jointed" scalp (very odd, I know). And lastly, I have 17 cousins!”
How did you spend your (socially distanced) summer?
“This summer I was up in Maine with my family (mom, dad, and younger sister). My older brother and his family came to visit which was great because I got to see my adorable nieces and teach them how to swim a bit! I tried to spend as much of the summer outside as possible sailing and boating, swimming in the ocean, and hiking. Whenever I had to be indoors I was baking and helping my sister make tiktoks.”
What is your favorite part about teaching?
"It's hard to pick just one part of teaching to be my favorite, so I'm going to cheat a little bit and give you two. One of the best feelings to have as a teacher is to help your students achieve an ah-ha moment, a moment when they finally understand the problem or topic after struggling with it. Learning is never an easy process and it feels amazing to help someone overcome their struggle and find clarity. My other favorite part of teaching is getting to know my students in small ways throughout the year--small jokes here and there, talking about sports games or our favorite TV shows. I think students learn best when they know they are respected and valued by their teacher and these little moments help build those relationships."
Mr. Kennealy
What is the craziest or weirdest fact about you?
“A few of my old teammates and I once broke the world record for the fastest mile run in swim flippers.”
How did you spend your (socially distanced) summer?
“Working as a program director at an overnight XC running camp in Maine.”
What is your favorite part about teaching?
“Seeing students change and grow from the beginning of a school year to the end. Also laughter!”
Dr. Kress
What is the craziest or weirdest fact about you?
“One of my uncles is a rock star with a long beard.”
How did you spend your (socially distanced) summer?
“I spent most of my summer in Brooklyn, NY, my home before coming to St. Mark's. We lived a block away from Prospect Park, a big park with lots of green space and activity. We spent a lot of time there picnicking and playing in the grass with my daughter, watching her learn to walk and eventually run over the weeks!”
What is your favorite part about teaching?
“Students! I love getting to know my students on an individual basis and learning what makes them tick. I especially love when I can see a student get excited about a topic or subject and pursue it beyond what we are doing in the classroom, or connect it to another interest. For example, for a literature class I taught at NYU last year, a studio art major submitted a video art project in lieu of a final paper on the environment/climate change and it was amazing.”
Dr. Russo
What is the craziest or weirdest fact about you?
“People who meet me today often assume that I had a super multicultural upbringing because I have lived around the world and I speak Spanish at home with my family. But in fact, I grew up completely monolingual. I didn't even own a passport until I was 19 years old! I did not start studying other languages until my sophomore year of high school!”
How did you spend your (socially distanced) summer?
“My husband and I had to move our family (twin daughters who were just 3 months old, and our dog, Chia) across the country from TX to MA. Due to Covid, our flight was canceled, and we could not drive here safely in our own car (unless we wanted to visit every rest stop along the way to change diapers!) We ended up renting a 30 foot RV so that we could travel safely. It took us weeks of planning and seven straight days of driving to get to St Mark's. It was by far the most difficult journey I have ever made in my life, but the memories are legendary!”
What is your favorite part about teaching?
“Learning another language is a scenario where it's natural to feel a little vulnerable, anxious, and self-conscious. I enjoy that part of my job as a language teacher is not just to help students learn the language skills themselves but also to help them gain confidence in embracing this kind of a learning experience, where they have to make mistakes in order to learn and they must get comfortable putting themselves out there in a spontaneous, imperfect, unedited way.”
Ms. Moreta
What is the craziest or weirdest fact about you?
“I am an only child, I love to travel, I love Dunkin' iced coffee, and I have a sweet tooth!”
How did you spend your (socially distanced) summer?
“I spent a lot of time with my family; we took long walks, watched movies/tv and cooked together. I also hiked with friends and ate a lot of ice cream.”
What is your favorite part about teaching?
“I love working with students and seeing them grow in their language journey!”
Mr. Worthington
What is the craziest or weirdest fact about you?
“I’ve lived in 4 different states (NJ,NY, MA,CT).”
How did you spend your (socially distanced) summer?
“I spent most of my summer outdoors, hiking, running, and hanging out with family and friends.”
What is your favorite part about working in the admissions office?
“My favorite part is working with prospective students and helping them make life- changing decisions.”