The School recently welcomed Stephanie McCully as a new Middle and Upper School Spanish Teacher.

How did you find your way to Brimmer?  

I found my way to Brimmer through a interest in moving from Richmond, Virginia, which is where I’ve been the last 10 years.  I had heard about this wonderful school in Boston, and my search agency did an interview, and they said that they would be interested in having me come to the campus to tour and interview. When I got here, I was astounded by how wonderful the students were,  by how impressive their Spanish was, and by how kind everyone was. 

What subjects and what grades do you teach? 

I teach Spanish, 6th and 8th grade Spanish, two sections of Spanish in the Upper School, as well as AP Spanish and Advanced Seminar.

Where did you learn and study Spanish? 

I grew up with someone who spoke Spanish–my next-door neighbor–but when she moved away. I was very young, and I did not even take Spanish until middle school, and I remember I fell in love with Spanish in my sixth-grade Spanish class. I loved it and studied it all through high school. I majored in Latin American literature and college, and then I went up teaching English in Argentina, Guatemala, and Colombia, and studied in Mexico and Spain. Then, I went backpacking through Western Europe, and made my way back to the United States where I’ve been teaching Spanish the last 11 years here now. 

What in that sixth-grade class made you fall in love with the language, and do you use any of that when you’re teaching today?   

I think that the thing that I fell in love with was being able to communicate with someone in more than a superficial way. When you speak to someone in their language, you’re able to connect with them in new ways, and I was so interested in getting to know more about other people’s culture. My sixth-grade teacher was also from Argentina, which helped me to develop this desire to go there.

What’s your favorite part of teaching Spanish? 

Definitely working with the kids. My favorite thing about teaching Spanish is seeing students grow and being really  proud of themselves when they can do something they didn’t think they could do.

What other things outside of school do you find interesting?  

Anyone who knows me now knows I’m a running nerd. I love to talk about running, watch running, and to follow runners. My interests are a little bit specific now: I’m trying to really get to know the Boston area. I have been trying different restaurants, different parks, and new museums. I just love the city.

Are you a member of the Brimmer cross country team and if so, how do you contribute? 

I am the Upper School [Girls Cross Country] Head Coach. We do have the middle schoolers who sometimes come with us to do their races and they’re amazing.