Email

603-563-8584

Development, World Language Instructor

B.A. Smith College

La Universidad de Cordoba, Espana

When people ask me how long I’ve been at Dublin, I ask how much time they have to listen. The short answer is, I’ve been working here for three years as a teacher, dorm parent, newsletter editor, advisor and coach. The longer answer is, I’ve lived on this campus since I was one year old, since my mother started working here. I grew up on this campus, playing with former Headmaster Horgan’s children. The students here were always like my big brothers and sisters - I had dozens of arms to fall into. I also attended Dublin as a student before heading to Smith College, where I studied Spanish, English, Central African History, Sociology and Art. I spent a year abroad in Southern Spain, where I had the opportunity to travel extensively throughout Europe. I worked in early childhood education as part of a Head Start program during my college years. The transition to working at a high school has been unexpectedly illuminating in many ways; I’ve come full-circle.

What book has made you think the most?: "The Waves" by Virginia Woolf and "La Mujer Habitada" by Giaconda Belli

If you could be a superhero, what would you want your superpowers to be?: To go back in time. There are a lot of people I'd like to meet, and a lot of people I'd like to say goodbye to.

If your life had a theme song, what would it be?: Joni Mitchell, "River."

What teacher has had the most impact on you? How were they special?: Juan Pedro Monferrer Sala, my professor of Islamic Studies at La Universidad de Cordoba in Spain, was disorganized and unpredictable, but incredibly interesting. He was constantly assuming that we'd all read every book about Islam ever written before entering his course, and every lecture of his was filled with obscure references to texts and quotes that left our minds spinning. When he found out that none of us had ever read the Qu'ran front to back, for example, he was flabbergasted. His high expectations of us kept us working hard and made us feel capable of reading and understanding anything.

Mr. Hosmer, one of my English professors at Smith, was extraordinarily intimidating. Throughout my initial weeks in my first course with him, I went into every class feeling nauseous with simultaneous terror and excitement. He picked on us ruthlessly, but so long as we worked our hardest and thought deeply, he treated us with grudging respect. I walked out of every class with him feeling electrified with ideas and questions, my body and mind tingling, incandescent.

How would your friends describe you in 3 words?: Perfectionist, loving, curious.

You are hosting a dinner party and must invite 3 famous people. Who would you choose and why?: Gloria Steinem, because she's a hero to all Smithies; David Grossman, because I just read "To the End of the Land" and I have many questions I'd like to ask him about the process of writing it; and Jon Stewart, because he makes me laugh at things that would normally make me cry.

If Hollywood made a movie about your life, whom would you like to see play the lead role as you?: Marion Cotillard.