New Teacher Spotlight: Mr. Bugge

At the beginning of every school year, several new teachers join the Brearley community. This year in the high school, we welcomed our new business teacher, Mr. Bugge. Before becoming a Brearley Bear, Mr. Bugge earned his undergraduate degree in business from Michigan State University. This is his fourth year teaching. Below is a short interview and introduction to Mr. Bugge and what he hopes to accomplish through his classes this year.

Q: What are your expectations going into your first year teaching at Brearley? “Just going in with an open mind. I would say having a teaching background and knowing students and their learning abilities is important. Also, getting accustomed to the school culture and the community culture, and letting people get to know me as a teacher and as a person.”

Q: What stood out to you about Brearley during your first few days of school? “How positive, close, and tight-knit Brearley is. The previous school I came from had close to 2,000 people, and here everyone is inclusive: the teachers know the teachers, the students know the students, and the students know the teachers.”

Q: What was your first impression of the people at Brearley, both staff and students? “Everyone was nice. I didn’t really know what to expect. I didn’t grow up in Union County, and I didn’t know the area. It is a good environment with good students, teachers, and staff.”

Q: Why did you choose to go into business, and why become a teacher? “When I was younger, I was always interested in money and how companies operated. That interest sparked in high school. I took similar classes then, and it was really interesting. I wanted to be a teacher to share my knowledge because my business teacher was a big reason I went into the field and why I'm so interested in business. I also come from a family of teachers—my mom was a teacher, my dad was a teacher, and my sister is a teacher—so I wanted to do the same.”

Q: What are your favorite topics or lessons to teach, and why? “I really like the personal finance class. I like everything about it. At my previous school, that was my favorite class to teach.”

Q: What do you hope students will gain from taking your elective courses? “I hope they develop a healthy understanding of business—what it is and what it means. I hope I spark a passion in some of them so they might carry business into their lives. I also want them to understand smart financial decisions as young adults, because money influences many choices, such as whether to attend trade school or college, how to use specific savings accounts, and more.”

Mr. Bugge is excited to be teaching at Brearley, and we’re excited to welcome him to our community. If you are interested in taking a business or career-prep class, consider enrolling next year. For now, let’s give Mr. Bugge a warm welcome to David Brearley!