Ms. Reegan Whipple is the newest addition to Sturgis’ Spanish department. The Stormwatch team is thrilled to welcome her into the Sturgis community. I recently interviewed Ms. Whipple to learn a bit about her background and experience at Sturgis so far.
1.) Could you share a bit about your background & what brought you to Sturgis?
I grew up in Plymouth my entire life and attended Sacred Heart in Kingston, MA from kindergarten to 12th grade. I then went to Providence College where I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish and a Bachelor of Science in Health Policy and Management. I then moved to Virginia and worked in health policy consulting for a private firm in D.C. I returned to my hometown and am now a little more than halfway through my Master of Education in Teaching and Curriculum.
2.) Have you been involved in the IB program before? If not, how has your experience been so far?
I have never been involved in an IB program personally before but my best friend in high school attended an IB school in Boston and it always fascinated me. So far my experience with IB exposure at Sturgis has been wonderful and I am looking forward to continuing to learn about the IB process in a hands on way.
3.) Now that the first month of the school year has passed, how do you like teaching at Sturgis so far?
I absolutely love teaching at Sturgis. My students are phenomenal and the faculty and staff are amazing. I am very grateful for the opportunity to teach in such a collaborative and kind learning environment.
4.) What inspired you to learn and eventually teach spanish?
When I first started taking Spanish in 7th grade I wasn’t so sure about it. In high school, a Mexican foreign exchange student arrived in my homeroom and we became instant friends and still are to this day. One of the reasons we connected so well was because I could speak her home language. In that instant, I realized just how powerful language could be and how many doors it could open. I decided to teach Spanish because I believe in the importance of bilingualism and want to provide my students with the potential to have some of the wonderful experiences I’ve had being able to speak two languages.
6.) What hobbies do you enjoy doing outside of school?
Outside of school I enjoy ballroom dancing. I have been a competitive ballroom dancer since I was 14 years old. I also enjoy pretty much all outdoor activities and working on my family’s cranberry farm as well as playing piano and guitar.
The StormWatch team sends Ms. Whipple our best wishes for the upcoming school year!