Alumni Spotlight: Kennedy Coverdale '11 and Peter Ricker '11
In March, Kennedy and Peter returned to GSFS, where they taught a math class to the 8th and 7th grades, respectively, as part of their Senior Project for the Science Leadership Academy. They each had to research, plan, and lead lessons that introduced new mathematical concepts to the students, followed by writing a paper and conducting a school-wide presentation reflecting on their experiences.
Peter: I decided to teach at GSFS was because I wanted to give back. I received a very good education there so I wanted to pay it forward. I feel very welcome at GSFS and I want to be a teacher so I figured this would be a good opportunity.
How
did you feel it went?
Kennedy: Same thing Peter said: it went a lot better than I expected. I thought as a guest teacher the students would not take me seriously, but they did. They followed through on everything that I taught them and seemed to have just as much fun as I did.
Do you have a new appreciation for your GSFS teachers now that you've experienced being in their shoes?
Kennedy: I have a respect for all teachers now! It was
Who are GSFS teachers you remember?
Kennedy: Andy Jickling is the reason I'm interested in science. He introduced science as a fun thing. Also, he blew up things for us which is just the best. All of our other teachers were amazing, but science with Andy was one class I was excited for every day.
Peter: Sandra. Like Andy, she made learning fun. She knew how to interact with the students and made our classroom a positive space. Plus we got to go to Costa Rica with her which was the best thing ever!
Kennedy: Going to Costa Rica was the highlight of my time at GSFS! It's so rare for kids in Middle School to go to another country for a field trip. The entire experience – meeting our pen pals, picking out our shirt color, fundraising – everything was wonderful.
What
about your GSFS education prepared you for high school?
Peter: English classes and science classes were both great
and really prepared me for SLA. Definitely the Spanish program at GSFS prepared
me for high school and helped me get placed in a higher class.
Kennedy: Greene Street prepared me
as a writer. I remember my English teacher when I started at SLA told me that I
was writing well above a freshmen level. I agree about Spanish – the immersion
we do at Greene Street put me on an advanced track and helped pave the way for
my career, what colleges I applied to, and where I could get in.
Why does
staying connected to GSFS matter to you?
Kennedy: Greene Street is where my real education began. I
started in 1st grade so it's where I learned most of the skills that I have now
and that carried me successfully through high school. It's like my home. Coming
back for Alumni Day felt great.
Peter: I got a really good education at GSFS. I like to come
back and see the teachers and catch up with them once in a while. I see them as
mentors and people to look up to.
Next year Peter will attend Goucher College, where he will major in education. Kennedy will attend the University of Delaware, studying biology with a possible minor in psychology.
