Welcome Dr. Edwards

As we advance into the swing of the 2021-2022 school year, you have probably noticed a few new faculty faces in the halls. In the spirit of St. Angela and “building community wherever we go”, it is about time we start getting to know the newest addition to the English Department: Dr. Edwards.

While Dr. Edwards is new to us, she is no stranger to the classroom setting as an example of pursuing higher education to fulfill one’s immense love of learning.

Dr. Edwards received her undergraduate degree at Rutgers University, followed by her master’s at Lehigh University, and her Ph.D. at Temple University. Students interested in any of these schools are encouraged to ask Dr. Edwards about her time there. Having an alumna of three highly-ranked colleges in our region is a wonderful asset.

Aside from her own studies, Dr. Edwards also has experience teaching at another high school prior to coming to Ursuline. Outside of school, she loves to spend her time in nature and also spent some time as a national and state park ranger in the past.

When asked what drew her to take a teaching position at The Academy, she spoke highly of the Portrait of the Educator, a unique feature that she could only find at UA.

Specifically, Dr. Edwards was persuaded by Ursuline’s emphasis on establishing connections and building relationships between students and teachers. She described how at most other schools, administrators preach that “what happens outside the classroom is not the teacher’s problem”. Our Portrait of an Educator says the exact opposite.

Ursuline policy encourages teachers to look at the whole student as a well-rounded person, rather than just a name on a scantron. This aligns well with Dr. Edwards’ personal teaching philosophy.

Like any great English teacher, Dr. Edwards is a voracious reader. She is excited to return to reading for pleasure after reading mostly non-fiction resources to research for her dissertation.

She pleaded adamantly about the fact that she does not have one favorite book in particular, but has a few top titles that rotate in and out of her favorites each time she reads them. Right now, “The Color Purple” by Alice Walker is at the number one spot on her list of most-loved selections.

Within the much larger umbrella of the English language, Dr. Edwards specializes in composition and rhetoric as well as African American literature. Her favorite class of all time was an African-American literature course taught by Amiri Baraka at Rutgers. Baraka was a famous American poet who was associated with the Black Arts Movement. Having a class taught by a remarkable figure of the era she studied really made the content of the class come alive for Dr. Edwards. She describes the course as an experience she could never forget.

In her short time at UA thus far, she says her favorite thing about her position is her incredible colleagues- affirming that saying such is not a cliché, but a truth that she is very excited to have realized.

She gave specific shoutouts to the English department and other humanities teachers who ensure that the Ursuline curriculum overlaps between subjects. She is very impressed with the alignment of the history and English courses this year, something that the faculty has worked tirelessly to perfect.

When asked what her favorite quote was, Dr. Edwards was quick to respond with: “What we hope for in literature is an epiphany of truth”. The statement speaks not only to her own experiences in English but to her wishes for her students and the Ursuline Community.

As we reflect on the potential for an amazing school year ahead of us, we are tremendously excited to have Dr. Edwards along for the ride. Make sure to stop in and introduce yourself in Room 14 of the Upper School!