Nov 10, 2020 | New Faculty
By Katherine Xie (V) This school year, Dr. Julie O’Rourke joins the faculty as an academic and social-emotional specialist, assisting with coordinating and developing the health and wellness programs at Pingry.
Dr. O’Rourke received her Bachelor’s degree in psychology from Drew University and then attended Boston University, where she received her Master’s and Ph.D. in psychology.
Before coming to Pingry, she worked at the Peck School in Morristown while also running her private psychology practice in Summit. Dr. O’Rourke also did consultations at schools and often taught at parent or teacher training workshops, where she was able to spread knowledge about how “wellness, the brain, and emotions work from a scientific perspective.”
Dr. O’Rourke also enjoys being a part of the federal emergency response team, where she works with first responders as a psychologist. She says that these experiences have greatly inspired her and that she is “glad to be working in a high school once again” with teens.
She has “loved being at Pingry so far” and is excited to meet more of the Pingry community. That ties into her goal, as she wants to “get to know as many members I can––especially being a new person to the community.”
In her free time, she likes to spend time with her family and enjoys cheering on her two sons at their sports games. Over the past 15 years, Dr. O’Rourke’s family has also housed over 50 rescue dogs until their adoption. She likes to be active outdoors, through gardening or walking. On-campus, Dr. O’Rourke is looking forward to spending time out at the farm and exploring the Pingry wood trails, and encourages everyone to get outside, too!
Nov 10, 2020 | New Faculty
By Allen Wu (V) This year, Pingry welcomes Ms. Denise Lionetti ’85 to the Language Department as a Spanish teacher for fourth and fifth grade.
Ms. Lionetti is no stranger to the Pingry community, as she was part of the Pingry graduating class of 1985. Here, she first cultivated her love for “other cultures and learning languages” and received the “best gift” of her life: being able to participate in a summer abroad program in Spain. Ms. Lionetti studied Italian at Rutgers University, where she completed her Bachelor of Arts and spent a year abroad in Florence, Italy.
Before returning to Pingry as a teacher, Ms. Lionetti served as a department chair and an advisor at the Seabury Hall School in Maui, Hawaii. There, she taught everything from Spanish 1 to AP Spanish. She left for a brief sabbatical and worked as an educational tour director in Italy before returning to Seabury Hall.
In May of last year, Ms. Lionetti remotely substituted in the Pingry Lower School. She cites this experience as one of the primary reasons as to why she “fell in love with the Pingry Lower School community.” This year, Ms. Lionetti is joining the school as a full-time faculty member. When asked about her experience as a Pingry teacher, Ms. Lionetti said that she’s had an enjoyable experience so far. “I am deeply moved by the resilience and dedication of everyone around me and feel incredibly blessed to be a part of such a wonderful community.”
She is also happy to see how the school has grown and changed over the years, citing the addition of 3D printers and world languages to the Lower School as examples. Ms. Lionetti also expressed her interest in becoming more involved in Pingry’s diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives and is glad to see how involved students have become.
Outside of the classroom, Ms. Lionetti has a longstanding passion for Cuban-style salsa dancing. During her time as an entrepreneur, Ms. Lionetti even held week-long salsa workshops for several public schools in Maui.
Overall, Ms. Lionetti is looking forward to an exciting school year, despite all of the challenges it has presented: “It’s really an amazing feeling to see what we are capable of in the face of adversity.”
Nov 10, 2020 | New Faculty
By Allen Wu (V) This year, Pingry welcomes Mr. Seth Goodwin to the Visual Arts department. He teaches Clay 1, Clay 2, and Sculpture, as well as serves as the faculty advisor of the new Pingry fishing club.
Mr. Goodwin first attended Radford University, after which he moved to New Jersey and attended Kean University for his undergraduate degree. There, he graduated with a B.F.A. in Studio Art with a concentration in sculpture. Mr. Goodwin then completed his M.F.A. in Sculpture at Montclair State University.
Before joining Pingry, Mr. Goodwin had acquired teaching experience from a variety of schools. After graduating from Montclair State University, Mr. Goodwin went on to teach at Montclair State University and Kean University for 15 years. During the day, he also worked as the senior preparator for the Newark Museum, where he designed and managed the building of exhibits. For the last two years, Mr. Goodwin has taken on a similar role at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
When asked about his motivations for becoming a teacher, Mr. Goodwin said that his father was also an art teacher and served as an inspiration for him. “I think that having so many great teachers through my schooling really solidified the idea of becoming a teacher for me. Once I was half-way through my undergrad, that was it. I knew what I wanted to do.”
As for why Mr. Goodwin wanted to join Pingry, he remarked that he likes the unique opportunities that Pingry provides its students. “There are a lot of colleges out there that don’t have anything as good as this studio.” Mr. Goodwin also particularly enjoys working with the students in the studio. “The students that have been in clay for a couple of years are really eager to make things. I think they are really enjoying the process and I feed off of that.” So far, Mr. Goodwin feels that he has been “greeted with open arms” by the Pingry community.
During this school year, Pingry has faced many challenges due to the pandemic. Art classes in particular have been impacted due to their hands-on nature. “I think that especially clay is a really difficult course to teach and for students to take because it is very dependent on things in the studio,” Mr. Goodwin said. To deal with this particular challenge, he has sent kits of clay and tools home with students. Through some experimentation and resourcefulness, he found that take-home half-sized potters’ wheels work well in creating small pots.
Mr. Goodwin continues to make art outside of the classroom, primarily working on sculptures, sculptural furniture, and woodworking. Besides art, Mr. Goodwin also enjoys kayaking, mountain biking, and doing other outdoor activities with his nine-year-old son.
Nov 10, 2020 | New Faculty
By Evan Wen (IV) The Pingry counseling department is excited to welcome a new counselor for both high school and middle school students, Ms. Maurisa Thomas.
Before coming to Pingry, Ms. Thomas received a Bachelor’s Degree in history and secondary education at The College of New Jersey before working as a high school history teacher. After this, Ms. Thomas realized she wanted a different connection with her students and decided to go back to college for a master’s degree. At the New Jersey City University, she received a Master’s Degree in mental health and school counseling. She then returned to The College of New Jersey to receive a post-master’s degree. Upon completing her education, Ms. Thomas interned and spent four years as a public middle school counselor.
At Pingry, Ms. Thomas will be teaching Wellness 7, a course that focuses on social interactions with peers as well as physical and mental wellness. In addition to teaching this course and counseling, Ms. Thomas is interested in getting to know students better and will be visiting advisory groups along with Dr. Rosen.
So far, Ms. Thomas has enjoyed being able to work with a large group of students from both the upper and middle schools. Her goals for the year are to break the mental health stigma and reach out more. In addition, she plans on getting to know the culture and community by attending events such as the Fall Play and sports games. Outside of life at Pingry, Ms. Thomas enjoys listening to music, reading leisurely, comedy shows, nature, and all around “enjoying life.”
“Don’t be afraid to visit me,” she said. “You don’t need to have a big mental health challenge. If you just need someone to talk to you can always visit me.”
Nov 10, 2020 | New Faculty
By Max Watzky (IV) This fall, Pingry welcomed Mr. Eric Bulakites to the Middle and Upper School language departments. He will be teaching French 1B in the Middle School, as well as French 2 and French Film in the Upper School.
After receiving his bachelor’s degree in French and Sociology from Georgetown University, Mr. Bulakites went on to do graduate studies in French at Johns Hopkins University. While earning his undergraduate degree, Mr. Bulakites studied abroad in Paris for two semesters; although Mr. Bulakites was already interested in French film and culture before university, his time in Paris was what “ultimately convinced [him] to become a French teacher.”
Before coming to Pingry, Mr. Bulakites taught English to French students and served as a high school theater and elementary school teacher in Washington, D.C. Mr. Bulakites enjoys Pingry’s “small class sizes and flex time,” which he explains has “[helped] him get to know [his] students better.” He hopes to “help [his] students engage with material outside of the classroom,” and he emphasized the importance of using media to help students gain a fuller understanding of the language and culture. This year, Mr. Bulakites’ main goal is to “get involved with Pingry’s clubs and athletics;” however, in the future, Mr. Bualakites also hopes to “organize a French medical class, maybe with some help from the Science department.”
Outside of the classroom, Mr. Bulakites enjoys the outdoors and is eager to help with environmental sustainability efforts and organizations at Pingry, such as the Middle School Green Group. Mr. Bulakites’ experience and passion for French will undoubtedly prove valuable for the community, and we wish him the best of luck this year!
Nov 10, 2020 | New Faculty, Uncategorized
By Mehr Takakr (III) Mrs. Stephenson is new to Pingry this year as the associate athletic director on the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) team. She will be the first athletic representative on the DEI Board, and her role will be to include more student/athlete perspective on decisions about the school.
Mrs. Stephenson received a Bachelors of Science in Sports Management from Delaware State University, and later attended DeVos Sport Business Management Program at the University of Central Florida to get her MBA and Masters in Sports Business Management. Before arriving at Pingry, Mrs. Stephenson also worked for the NFL in the player engagement department. There, she helped athletes determine what they wanted to do after their athletic career and guided them through the next steps to take. She also helped out with college athletics and worked at the Birmingham Crossplex.
Mrs. Stephenson grew up in Maryland and has family in New Jersey. She “loves being so close to home…which is one of the many things I love about this job.” She also enjoys working with younger people again and being able to impact their lives directly.
So far, she already loves Pingry and its “college-like” environment, noting that “it brings [her] back to when [she] was in college.” Moving forward, Mrs. Stephenson’s most important goals for this year include acclimating to the school and ensuring that students have the best experience possible. She is also helping to layout a framework through the DEI to ensure that all different types of people are included in athletics.
Nov 10, 2020 | Eva Schiller, New Faculty
By Eva Schiller (VI) The Pingry College Counseling Office is thrilled to welcome Cynthia Santiago to their team!
Mrs. Santiago graduated from Muhlenberg College in 2001, with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. She later joined the Muhlenberg Admissions staff, where she served as Senior Associate Director of Admissions and Coordinator of Multicultural Recruitment.
When asked what inspired her to switch to college counseling at Pingry, Mrs. Santiago explained, “I recruited for Muhlenberg at Pingry. I always loved my time coming here and held in high regard the students that I would meet here. So when it came time to think about leaving admissions, it was important for me to find a place that had a good community, and Pingry fit that bill!”
Now a few months in, Mrs. Santiago has made herself an integral part of the community. In addition to co-advising with Mrs. Morales of the Admissions Office, she has gotten involved with Pingry’s Latinex Affinity Group. “I’m open to any other opportunities!” she added, smiling. In the coming weeks, she hopes to “get to know as much as possible,” despite the various challenges that COVID-19 is posing.
When she’s not at Pingry, Mrs. Santiago has plenty of hobbies to keep her busy. “I crochet, and if I’m not doing that, I also spend time with my family,” she remarks. “I’ve got two little ones, and we do bike riding, hiking, and other outdoor activities as much as we can.”
Describing her experience thus far, she exclaimed, “I love it! It’s been great! Everyone is so friendly and very welcoming, and I love that I’m part of the community.” She would also like to remind the student body one last thing: “My door is always open!” Welcome to Pingry, Mrs. Santiago! We wish you the best.
Nov 10, 2020 | Eva Schiller, New Faculty
By Eva Schiller (VI) This year, the Lower School Faculty is welcoming Ms. Gabriela Reyes as a K-3 Spanish teacher!
Ms. Reyes attended Universidad Metropolitana in Caracas, Venezuela, where she received a Bachelor’s Degree in Education. Since then, she has obtained five years of hands-on teaching experience, including her most recent position as a Lower School Spanish Teacher at Leman Manhattan Preparatory School. Speaking on her past experiences, Ms. Reyes said she has “had the incredible opportunity of instructing a diverse group of students, as well as working extensively in several school settings.”
At Pingry, her “main objective includes engaging students with various learning needs through enhancing their Spanish skills in the advanced level of proficiency in speaking, reading, writing and listening.” She also hopes to “help students fulfill their potential, support the development of a new language in children by offering new working strategies,” and help her students “understand and appreciate the cultural diversity.”
Outside of the classroom, Ms. Reyes has a variety of hobbies and interests. “I love outdoor activities, especially playing volleyball at the beach, cooking, and baking cakes to share quality time with family and friends,” she remarks. She is also a fan of Harry Potter.
Welcome to the community, Ms. Reyes!
Nov 10, 2020 | New Faculty
By JP Salvatore (IV) Ms. Marcy Cohen is joining Pingry’s health services and counseling department as the new learning specialist! Upon meeting her for the first time, it was immediately clear how excited she is to be at Pingry and get to know the students.
Ms. Cohen attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison, receiving a Bachelor’s degree in sociology. Later, she went on to receive two Master’s degrees: one in elementary education from The College of New Jersey, and another in educational leadership at Simmons College. She then remained in Massachusetts, teaching at the Pollard Middle School in Needham, before returning to New Jersey to join the Pingry faculty.
Now, a few weeks into the school year, Ms. Cohen is already enjoying her new role. She is “impressed with all the students that she has worked with and is excited to bring her knowledge to the school.” Although Ms. Cohen does not teach any courses, she is very involved in the Pingry community. She works 1-1 with students to help them stay organized, acts as a resource for the community, helps teachers accommodate the various needs of their students, and offers a friendly face in the hallways. Her inspiration for becoming a teacher was her “passion for helping kids reach their full potential,” as well as her gift for connecting with the students.
Lastly, a few fun facts to get to know her better: She has two young daughters, aged 5 and 2, she is a Knicks fan, and she loves to explore the New Jersey outdoors. Welcome to the community, Ms. Cohen!
Nov 10, 2020 | New Faculty
By Anjola Olawoye (IV) The Pingry Music Department welcomes seasoned musician Ms. Glynnis Gourhan as a part-time strings instructor. She will teach Upper School Strings as well as facilitate strings enrichment for Lower School students.
Mrs. Gourhan received her undergraduate degree from Rutgers University, where she was part of the Women in Art music research team. Their mission aimed to “bring to light how women have participated in art music through history, and recognition to the scholars who are actively studying them.” She was also involved with conducting interviews and producing short documentaries that showcased women in classical music history.
Outside of Pingry, Mrs. Gourhan has taught orchestra at the Paterson Music Project, the Ridgewood Symphony’s Festival Strings, and the New Jersey Youth Symphony.
Throughout the school year, she hopes to prepare students for various concerts, such as the Winter Festival and Spring Concert, as they are an opportunity for students to showcase their musical talents and abilities for the rest of the community.
