Meet Stuyvesant’s Newest Teachers

At the start of every semester, walking into a classroom and seeing a new teacher can be daunting. But for some teachers, the first day can be just as intimidating because it is a completely new experience for them as well. This year, Stuyvesant has gotten many promising new additions to the teacher staff. Here are some of their stories, from when they were inspired to start teaching to their hopes for their Stuyvesant experience.

Sunwoo, Chemistry, by Senjuti Gayen

Patrick Sunwoo is the newest addition to the Chemistry department here at Stuyvesant High School. Before coming here, Sunwoo taught at a high school in the Bronx for four and a half years. He taught various subjects, including Chemistry, Forensic Science, and AP Chemistry. “Pretty much everything science-related under the sun,” Sunwoo said.

Sunwoo’s decision to come to Stuyvesant was largely influenced by his friends at college; they had graduated from Stuyvesant and had told him great things about the school. From what he had heard about Stuyvesant’s reputation, he believed that its students would challenge him as an educator.

In the few weeks that Sunwoo has taught at Stuyvesant so far, he revealed, “I was blown away by how curious the students were and how much they already knew.” He recalled that at least two or three students already knew how to balance chemical equations before he even taught the lesson. He liked how students interacted with the teachers and how they were supportive of one another. “I guess you could say I like the vibe here,” Sunwoo summarized with a bright smile on his face.

Miner, Physics and Video Production, by Cathy Cai

Students lounging on the eighth floor may see a younger, unfamiliar face walking down the hallway: it’s the new physics teacher, Thomas Miner.

Miner’s interest with physics started long before he pursued teaching. “I had a great physics teacher in high school who was so inspirational,” Miner explained. “I’ve always been fascinated by the intersection of physics and philosophy, answering big questions about existence—what we’re doing here and where we came from.”

Prior to coming to Stuy, Miner taught at John Dewey High School in Brooklyn. “It was my third year teaching,” Miner explained, “and I was asked, ‘Do you want to do more AP Physics?’ and I said, ‘No, I’m done with all this left-brain stuff.’” Although he loved physics, he wanted to take a break. Thus, Miner went back to graduate school and looked for something that was creative or interesting.

It was then that he found his passion in film. “I tried a film studies class, where we watched a film for every decade through American Cinema History and really loved it,” Miner said. His goal, however, when he graduated, was always to go back to teaching physics, and film, at a better school than John Dewey. The opportunity to teach at Stuyvesant as a physics teacher was an offer he couldn’t pass up.

But Miner didn’t forget his love for film. In addition to physics, Miner is teaching a new screen studies elective. “It’s called ‘The Physics of Video Production,’” Miner explained. “It’s very much film theory, film history, and the analysis of film. How we get to where we are with technology today? What is the progression of the medium from the technological base?”

Miner was clear to draw the distinction between film and physics, however. “Everything is physics, right?” he said. “But it’s not a physics class necessarily. We don’t go in depths of how cameras or sensors work.” It’s more similar to art history, in which students learn the rules of shot composition and how the process of editing has been applied and changed through time.

“It’s a lot of work planning [and] grading, but I’m happy to do it. It’s nice to see that students want to do it too,” Miner continued. “I get emails at two in the morning. I love how they care so much. I love how they’re constantly asking questions and seeking feedback. And I love the role I get to play in that.”

Lindemulder, French and German, by Amara Shein

For the first time in years, Miguel Ramirez is not the sole French teacher. With the addition of the new Level IV French Culture course, it would be against DOE regulations for Ramirez to be responsible for all of them. That’s where Rebecca Lindemulder comes in, carrying textbooks and papers while she enthusiastically waits outside Ramirez’s fourth period French III class. She is both prepared and eager to teach French and German.

Lindemulder’s passion for foreign culture stems back to her own high school career. “I really liked [French] and I even went to France a couple of different times. I love it,” she explained. During her travels, Lindemulder fell in love with the culture, food, and the little things such as simple relaxation that France offered her. “It’s just something that I really enjoyed. I liked being able to communicate in another language as well, so I wanted to be able to impart that ability to others and inspire others the same [way].”

Lindemulder pursued her master’s degree by teaching German in Germany. Afterwards, she taught the language at a high school in New Jersey. However, she wasn’t able to spread her passion for French culture when she taught there. When she found an online posting for a French and German teaching position at Stuyvesant, her curiosity led her to learn more about the school.

“I came here and was amazed to see how friendly Mr. Oliveri was and what a nice school this is,” Lindemulder said with a smile. As for the students, Lindemulder is in awe. “The kids here are phenomenal in how they’re engaged and attentive [during] the lessons. They really want to learn, and they’re really curious and want to show me what they already know,” she said. “I love what they’re bringing to the table. I think it makes a big difference.”

By exploring foreign culture and food rather than solely teaching words and grammar, she hopes to make her classes fun for her students. “Everybody raves about Stuyvesant and how much fun it is to be here, and that’s exactly what I’m experiencing.”

Esposito, English, by Maya Mitrasinovic

Dan Esposito had an unorthodox English-related journey before joining Stuyvesant’s English department. Even before college, Esposito knew he wanted to do something related to the subject, but teaching wasn’t on his radar yet. He became a food writer, doing freelance work and working in kitchens. Then, the perfect opportunity arose: a job as a taster for an import-export company. He stayed with the company writing flavor descriptions for a little over a year, until it began to feel like an average office job—but with more food. He felt that he had gotten so far away from his original love of words, and he wanted a job where he could see his work paying off. Teaching fit perfectly into that category, so he decided to change his career path and embark on this new journey.

So far, Stuyvesant has lived up to Esposito’s expectations. He grew up in Westchester and was a member of Iona Prep’s Speech and Debate team, through which he competed with Stuyvesant students, so he already had experience with the school. The fondness stayed with him for all these years, so when the opportunity arose, he decided to apply for a teaching job here.

The amazing things he had heard from Stuyvesant students years ago stayed true: his new students are excited and ready to learn, and as they engage with the material, Esposito can re-engage with himself. And he loves it.

Esposito is excited to see how the rest of the school year plays out. He hopes that he’ll be able to build good relationships with his students and that they’ll learn things they never expected to learn. When prompted, Esposito described himself as “interested.” “I think a lot of people describe themselves as interesting, but I think it’s always more important to be interested in what’s going on around you,” he explained. He’s already learned so much from his students in such a short time, and with his interest in both their ideas and their success, he’s sure to have a great year.

Kincaid, English, by Maya Mitrasinovic

It had been eleven years since Kate Kincaid was a Stuyvesant teacher, and she couldn’t wait to come back. She started her career in English with a job in editing and proposal writing, and after attaining a graduate degree in creative writing, she decided that she wanted to teach.

Her first teaching job was at a middle school in Spanish Harlem as an academic intervention teacher (individually assisting students with learning a new skill or building strength in a skill), while she was substitute teaching at Stuyvesant. At Stuyvesant, she met [Assistant Principal of English Eric] Grossman, who called her as soon as an official teaching position in the department opened up. She stayed at Stuyvesant for a year and a half before going on maternity leave. Once her youngest kids entered first grade, she knew that she wanted to return, and was lucky enough to find a position open. “It feels like coming back home,” she gushed.

Kincaid feels that though Stuyvesant hasn’t changed very much in the past years, she has changed, and that makes her experience as a teacher very different. She thinks that she is a better teacher now, due mainly to the facts that she is better with kids and is more comfortable in her abilities than she was eleven years ago.

This is not to say that Kincaid’s transition has been stress-free. It’s hard to not be there to put her kids on the school bus in the morning, but she feels like she’s beginning to get into a routine again.

She’s working on being more organized, but still true to herself. “I don’t try to pretend I’m organized. I come in as I am, like, ‘this is me,’” she said. Kincaid wants to make sure that all her students are engaged—not just the “superstars” and big participators. Her openness in the classroom helps to create a welcoming community, for both her bright-eyed, eager freshmen and her worn-out, but sophisticated, seniors.

Staley, English, by Paulina Klubok

Judd Staley, one of Stuyvesant’s new English teachers, decided to become a teacher because of an advertisement on the subway. Though he had always loved literature and excelled in English, majoring in it college, Staley didn’t know what profession to pursue after college.

Since then, Staley has taught in four NYC Department of Education schools. His last school, the Urban Assembly School for Wildlife Conservation in the Bronx, where Staley had been for the last five years, had a very different atmosphere from that of Stuyvesant. “In the Bronx, I was dealing with a lot of severely underprivileged kids—not that the kids here are privileged, but it seems like their needs are different, and it’s a big adjustment,” Staley said.

Despite the changes. Staley said his first week was great, citing his colleagues as his favorite part. “I really love the English department here and am enjoying getting to know everyone and learning a lot from what other teachers are doing,” Staley shared.

Staley, however, is very aware of the pressures placed on Stuyvesant students and hopes that in his first year, he can help his students deal with the stress. Staley hopes to find his place at Stuy this year—to get used to the rhythm and expectations of the school—and he aspires to “hopefully next year, really know what I’m gonna do,” he said.

Stuzin, English, by Vincent Jiang

For some students, Lauren Stuzin is a comforting familiar face. Once a student teacher for English teacher Megan Weller, Stuzin has returned as a full-time teacher, now with her own European Literature and American Literature classes.

For most of her life, Stuzin had been surrounded by English. Her father loved classical literature and often read Shakespeare to her as a child. Her love for English only grew in high school when her English teacher inspired her to read Shakespeare, which became her favorite period of literature. She then majored in English as a Cornell undergraduate, serving as the editor-in-chief of a student publication there, before pursuing her master’s degree at Columbia Teacher’s College.

Aside from her love of English, Stuzin also gravitated toward working with younger students; from being a ski instructor to a camp counselor, every job she had involved working with kids. “Being with kids makes life better,” she said.

Her first teaching experience was at I.S. 289, a middle school near Stuyvesant. Though it was fun, she discovered that she enjoyed the high school setting more.

Stuzin had her first taste of Stuyvesant as Weller’s student teacher, but when Weller unexpectedly went on maternity leave three weeks earlier than expected, Stuzin found herself thrust into leading the class without a guiding mentor. “First day, I was really overwhelmed,” she said. “I was just sweating the whole day, running around, trying to organize myself, and I think I started new books with all my classes that day; it was very hectic.”

As she grew more comfortable, however, she grew to love the school and the students here, leading to her seeking a full-time position. On the first day of the new year, she admitted she was a bit nervous, but she quickly grew accustomed to the rush of running her own classes.

Stuzin is looking forward to teaching “Macbeth,” her favorite Shakespeare play. “I would like to inspire any students that I have who may feel like English is not their thing, because I think it’s everybody’s thing; I think it’s relevant to everyone, reading and writing both,” she said.