Teacher Experiences

Do you know everything abut your teachers? Problably not! Before coming to Sturgis and even while at Sturgis our staff have managed to have some amazing experiences. We asked them to share some of these, here they are!

Chris Abel

Before I came to Sturgis I spent time studying, living and teaching in Kentucky, Ecuador, Virginia, the Dominican Republic & Malaysia. I surfed as much as possible, wandered around a lot, learned Spanish, visited ancient Mayan & Incan cities, volunteered helping sea turtles, street dogs, street cats & basically any other animal my wife and I came across. I've travelled in something like 45 different countries, saw the Rolling Stones 16 times and managed to survive "driving in the DR," Dengue Fever, one volcanic eruption and a large flood. I figure if that didn't kill me, the sharks on Cape Cod will surely leave me alone. Besides, I don't have to paddle faster than a shark, just faster than the person next to me. In all honesty, all of that was great, but the highlight of my life before Sturgis was meeting and marrying my beautiful, wonderful and talented wife.

Xanthippi Abel

Before settling on Cape, I taught and lived in various countries and states over my 22-year teaching tenure. I grew up in Queens, NY with a tight-knit family bond, between my twin, fours sisters, 5 nieces, childhood friends, and my dad. I never really stayed anywhere for too long, however one thing was constant, family, friends, the visual arts, and animal rescue. While teaching in the Dominican Republic I met my best friend and awesome husband, Chris, and the adventures continued. Life has presented some serious ups and downs, but solace and strength were found in many wonderful places shared with my family, dear friends, and lots of animal rescue adventures (some super sketchy : )

Tom and Kelly Houston

Below is a picture of Kelly and I during our time in Malawi, Africa volunteering with the Peace Corps as secondary school teachers from 2003-2005. On the side is a picture of me with the US Coast Guard (I am a reservist) during my activation to Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands after Hurricane Irma and Maria in 2017.

Dillon Mee

Here's a poem about riding a bus (in Baku, Azerbaijan).

On the Eighteen

On the Eighteen in old Baku city

Which crawls along the streets

Like a beetle who pauses

Curious to see onlookers by

With a hiss the doors open

And close again with a sigh

Impatient to keep the cold air

Out, while unloading precious cargo

--or loading, it’s all the same.

On the Eighteen in old Baku city

A father drops in the coin, catching

The driver’s eye before he waves

One last time to say goodbye

To the demure daughter

Whose purple jacket gets lost among

The men’s black coats

And the women’s brown furs

On the Eighteen in old Baku city

Sometimes friends greet each

Other with a kiss--or a smile

If the people are too many to

Reach. Or a shout, if it’s a rowdy

Foreigner, who knows not the

Way of things. Still, a voice might

Pierce the weary crowd or

The tick-tick-tick of a coin

upon the roof—the plea

Of a patient man overburdened with

Hope or urgency. Then the

Hollow squeal of the brakes

Resound on the Eighteen.

On the Eighteen in old Baku city

A woman with silver hair drags

Her ward tenderly towards the

Goal, so fast until he dangles

In the winds of old Baku City.

For a moment the bus stutters

Forward, and all is lost! Then it

Hesitates as the keen eye of the

Driver sees another lost soul

Looking to find its way home

On the Eighteen in Old Baku city.

Anna Botsford

I worked as a resident actor for an Educational Theatre Company in Boston called Theatre Espresso for several years. The company writes and performs true, historical dramas for middle and high school students to watch at city courthouses and then be involved in talk back sessions. It is an incredible way to bridge Theatre and History and help form socially conscious students. I performed in The Uprising on King Street about the Boston Massacre and Justice at War, the story of the Japanese internment camps, among others. Here is an image of me in Uprising...(I am on the far right in mid-yell)

Kelly Houston

Prior to teaching at Sturgis, Kelly Houston taught, coached and served as Department Chair at the School for Democracy and Leadership, located in Brooklyn NY. This school was founded by the late Dr. Jhumki Basu who was Kelly's mentor before her untimely passing. During her time in NYC Kelly also helped to write curriculum for the Museum of Natural History and has been awarded several Fund for Teachers grants which has allowed her to travel to places such as Italy, Germany and Maine to study various science subjects and create unique curriculum.

Patrick O'Kane

Before coming to Sturgis, I taught Spanish (and coached 7 sport seasons) in Rotterdam, a city in The Netherlands. One of the perks of living in Rotterdam was the opportunity to travel. This picture is from the tidal island of Mont Saint-Michel in Normandy, France. During low tide, you can walk out to the island. At high tide, the site is only reachable by boat.

Savannah Moynihan

As a Sturgis student myself, I went to Honduras twice to visit our sister IB school in Tegucigalpa. There I saw extreme wealth and extreme poverty minutes away from each other, separated by iron gates and guns. I handed sandwiches to nutritionally deficient parents with blank stares and stickers to children with cleft palates who waited hours outside a hospital to get an appointment. I learned that not all schools have indoor hallways, and McDonalds has different menu items depending on the local culture. I fell in love with the music, the dancing, the home-made breakfasts, the Chinese-Honduran dinners, and I made the best of friends.

In college I studied abroad for a semester in Costa Rica and learned the ways of "Pura Vida". I came to realize that time and the concept of "now" are relative terms, that not every city uses road names, and giving directions by historic landmarks that no longer exist is the norm there. I was served pasta and tomato sauce with tuna in a tortilla for breakfast. I changed my mind from papaya being 'perfumed feet' to craving it. I got yelled at for feeding a monkey. I had to get comfortable sharing the shower with cockroaches, colonies of ants and even a full size iguana. I went to cowboy parades and saw horses dance. I spent hours chatting with my Mama Tica about anything and everything, and was inspired by the undying joy of life in her.

During visits to Mexico and Panama I went to some of the most beautiful beaches; Bird Island was so "movie-like" and magical it made me question reality. I saw more ancient ruins, swam through a cave full of bats, and had more great conversations, asking people about their personal histories, why they were doing what they were doing, etc.

After college I spent 5 weeks traveling to 9 different cities in Spain by myself. I stayed with strangers and rode in strangers' cars (thanks to Airbnb and Blablacar), had interesting conversations and even made great friends. I danced bachata until the sun came up. I learned that I am braver than I thought, but also that Paella is meant to be shared, and I would not care to travel without a paella-partner again.

My travels opened my internal world up and helped me discover passions and parts of myself I never knew I had. I adapted to new ideas and perspectives on everything from time, to religion and life itself. I cannot recommend highly enough traveling abroad and submersing oneself as deeply into cultures as possible.

Natalie Sheeler

There was never a dull moment during my five years teaching and living abroad in Shanghai (上海), China. While it is an ancient city, walking through the French concession, riding on 300 mph high speed trains, or meandering through traffic containing 27 million people, you wouldn't know it. Living in China taught me so many things about humanity, about how to laugh at myself, how to humble myself, and how to be endlessly flexible. If I can figure out how to backpack through Asia, teach 80 first grade students a coordinated dance, play charades with my janitor and boss to explain my needs, and how to ride to work on a bicycle in the rain without ruining my outfit, I can do anything. And now, I apply those skills in my next adventure - doing just about anything having to do with music here at Sturgis while parenting my five year old son, Caleb and border collie dog, Dot (or Diandian who came from China).

Ashley Morales and Brett Morales

Before making our way to Sturgis, we had an opportunity to teach in Accra, Ghana. We truly appreciated our time there and learned so much about aspects of the culture and language. Here are just a few highlights as to what makes Ghana so magical:

- Ghanaians are truly the friendliest people we have ever met

- Twi is the language of the Ashanti people and most commonly spoken in the southern and central regions Here are a few phrases we learned: Akwaaba! - Welcome!, Chale - friend, Eti sen - How are you?

- Kente cloth is truly inspiring and showcases some of the most beautiful patterns in the world

- The food is delicious (redred, groundnut soup, fried fish, fufu), but be careful with jollof rice (it's up to the cook how spicy it is!)

- Many names are given based on the day you were born (Friday - Kofi, Saturday - Kwame)

- Drum circles are a common practice and so much fun to observe and/or participate in

Here is a picture of our neighborhood called Abelempke. We also had an opportunity to travel to Mole National Park and Kakum National Park where we saw elephants in their natural habitat. We hope to visit soon!

Dia Prantis

This is a parallel to Sturgis. I'm a hike leader for the AMC where I co-lead all-season hikes, snowshoeing, and cross-country skiing trips for groups mostly in the White Mountain region of NH. I've volunteered with the AMC and been a board member for the Southeast Chapter for about 5 years. I just started keeping track of New Hampshire's 48 4,000 footers and would like to accomplish this list by summer of 2023. This is me on Mt. Osceola after climbing up the "chimney." Thinking about a week-long hiking trip in Europe next!

Mary and Bobby Albis

Here is s picture from when Mary and I coached water polo together.

Diana Young

Ms. Young before Sturgis…

A number of experiences have influenced me and guided me to my current career path at Sturgis, here are a few!

I found my love of Theatre in high school. I’d always been a dancer, but my friends introduced me to our local community theatre, and that was a game-changer. I found a lot more community and camaraderie in my local community theatre, and luckily, thanks to my dance background, I often got cast as a featured dancer. Here’s a photo of me in The Wiz, which I have been in TWICE - both times, as a dancer personifying both the Tornado, and THE YELLOW BRICK ROAD! Two of the other ladies in this photo are still my best friends - they were even bridesmaids at my wedding!

I went to Salve Regina University, where I was one of two Theatre and Secondary Education majors at the school. I studied abroad in Cannes, France, where I took all of my classes en francaise, and even performed in a play, in French, that was written by one of my professors! It was called La Molecule, and was about the various trials and tribulations that couples go through because of the “love molecule” that wreaks havoc on our hearts! Here is a photo of one of my excursions in France! This photo was taken in Eze, one of my favorite places.

After a student teaching experience that left me a little shell shocked, I graduated and I decided I needed a break from teaching in a school, so I applied and was hired as the Education Intern at Trinity Repertory Company in Providence, Rhode Island. This is where I really developed my philosophy and techniques as a teacher, and as a theatre lover.

After Trinity, and after several part time teaching positions, I went to Emerson College and received my Master’s in Theatre Education. I love being a student, and if money was no issue I would probably just keep going back to school and get as many degrees as I could! My graduate school courses were some of the best I’ve taken, and I am so glad I went for my master’s degree!

Fast forward a few years later, and Sturgis posted an IB Theatre teacher position! Sturgis seemed to really fit with my philosophies of education, and their support of the arts really encouraged me. I have been here for 8 years, and I have no regrets!!

Bob Wojtowicz and Jolanda Ferguson

Prior to arriving to Sturgis in 2013, we had been in Colombia where I taught at a British day school in Bogota, and Jolanda taught at both my school and at a bilingual school just north of the city. Our twin sons, Graeme and Ian, who were twelve when we arrived, are both college students now. Prior to our experience in Bogota, I taught at boarding schools in Maryland and New Hampshire and had started my teaching career teaching English with the Peace Corps in Poland where I met Jolanda. A native of Massachusetts, Jolanda also taught and worked at a boarding school just north of San Francisco before her Peace Corps experience. She also taught at the same school where I taught in New Hampshire but took time off after the birth of our sons and home schooled them prior to our tenure in Colombia.

Ari Mendez and Camille Manrique

Before coming to life on Cape Cod, we lived in Barranquilla, Colombia where we had a Dive Center. After school, we would teach people how to scuba dive and would go to Cartagena or Santa Marta every weekend to dive with groups of our students. We also got to travel all over and discover incredible scuba diving spots. This is something we are really passionate about and would love to continue teaching people on the Cape to scuba dive.

Since we have been working here at Sturgis we have also gotten the opportunity to share our love of travel with students by going to Europe (on several occasions!) and Costa Rica.

Melissa Rais

Leading up to this moment of my life, as a teacher at Sturgis West and as a 4-year newbie to the Cape, I was teaching in Barranquilla, Colombia. Prior to that, I taught in New Orleans, Louisiana and had many experiences that have made me who I am today.

Additionally, I have enjoyed traveling around the U.S. , Colombia and Europe, many times as a chaperone for student travel, other times for my leisure. I believe that travel is an essential part of being a resourceful language teacher, who also is passionate about teaching culture and music as it relates to language so much.

I have had the honor of working with students in Colombia both as an English teacher and outside of the classroom doing community service. This too, has made me grow immensely and has made me value everything that Sturgis has to offer.

During my time teaching in Colombia, I overcame a huge fear and ended up getting certified in scuba diving (I am using the wrong hand sign here, as a thumbs up means that you are ready to go up, not that you are enjoying it!)

I also climbed up to the Palomino river and floated down using an inner tube. Here I saw wildlife and sights that I had not seen before, even in my own country!

Traveling is definitely a passion for me so my first year at Sturgis, I was given the opportunity to chaperone a group of students during a trip to Europe, Italy and Spain for the most part and it was a wonderful experience.

I am in love with language and culture, all of them. And that's when I knew, that the I.B. and the environment at Sturgis would be a perfect fit for me and it has been so far!

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