This year, Sturgis East would like to give a warm welcome to our newest Spanish teacher, Ms. Camille Manrique. She moved all the way from Colombia to our little town of Hyannis, in order to teach Spanish and other Colombian cultures to the students of Sturgis East. Recently, I was able to ask Ms. Manrique a few questions and found out that she was very excited about moving to Hyannis and beginning her wonderful journey as a Sturgis teacher.
First, where else have you worked and is this your first IB school?
I have worked at three International Schools prior to Sturgis. Two of those were in Bogota, Colombia, and the last school I worked at was in Barranquilla Colombia. The other schools were accredited by agencies like SACS, NEASC and CIS. I went to an IB School when I was younger, but this is my first experience working at an IB School.
Seeing as this is your first IB school, is it what you’ve expected so far? Has it met any preconceived notions about what the school was going to be like?
Knowing the level of IB schools beforehand, I had an idea of what to expect from students. However, I have been pleasantly surprised by Sturgis students. They are engaged and respectful, not only to their teachers but to each other. You get a sense from them that they want to be in your class and want to learn. I am very happy that this is the case because it makes teaching even more enjoyable.
What inspired you to teach Spanish?
Having been brought up between Colombia and the United States, transmitting either one of my cultures is a big part of my life. In Colombia, I taught English and my American culture along with it. It makes sense to now teach Spanish and my Colombian culture as well.
What are you looking forward to most this the school year?
I am looking forward to seeing my students become more fluent in Spanish and enjoying not just the language but the whole new culture that comes with a language.
What is your favorite thing about Sturgis so far?
I have really liked my students. They are extremely nice and, since I am new to the Cape, have even given me advice on what to do on the Cape. I also like my colleagues. They have been extremely welcoming, and I love the diversity of the faculty because I feel I can learn from my colleagues.
How did you hear about our school, and what attracted you to work here?
I was considering relocating to the US and was researching schools on the East Coast. When I came across Sturgis, the “IB for All” philosophy was what interested and appealed to me. My mother is from Wellesley, MA, and had a home on the Cape growing up, and we had always visited. So, living on the Cape and working at Sturgis seemed like an excellent place to go!
Thank you, Ms. Manrique, for joining the Sturgis community! We hope that you continue to enjoy Sturgis and have a terrific school year!