By Kate Marine (III)
Ms. Lisa Longo Johnston joined the Pingry community this fall as a new member of the Upper School English Department. She is teaching English 9, as well as senior electives Ethical Dilemma and Shakespeare.
In addition to earning her bachelor’s degree from Lafayette College and her master’s from Rutgers University, Ms. Johnston has had almost 15 years of teaching experience in a wealth of different subjects, including History, Communication, and Political Science. Most recently, Ms. Johnston worked as the Assistant Dean of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences at Northampton Community College in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.
Since coming to Pingry in the fall, Ms. Johnston has had a very positive experience with both the school and its community of students and faculty. From the autonomous academic spirit of students to the Honor Code, she has consistently admired the community’s “common commitment to the advancement of authentic, purposeful learning,” as well as the students’ “fearless embracement of course topics and willingness to think critically about the world around them.”
In her classes this year, Ms. Johnston aims to help her students “realize their potential in a way that promotes their long-term love of learning,” but with a renewed emphasis on joy and connection during these emotionally-trying circumstances. Ms. Johnston is incredibly grateful for such a warm and energetic welcome to The Pingry School, and she is looking forward to what her years here will bring.