This year several new teachers have been welcomed to the Academy family. From Calculus to Latin, these teachers have a lot to offer the school and their students with their talents. A few–Todd Bohlander, Laura Howard, Amber Castro, and Olivia Rivas–share their stories as they begin their Academy journey.

Todd Bohlander, Latin teacher, interviewed for the Academy before and was offered a part time position teaching Latin. However, “at the time it didn’t fit what my family needed,” he said. 

Afterwards, he went on to other schools, but when he saw again that there was an opening at the Academy for a Latin teacher, he took the opportunity, and he shares that his experience so far has been very positive.

“Everyone has been very hospitable. People are very friendly, the school is well run,” he says. “If I had to pick a favorite part, it would be how welcoming both the faculty and the students have been.”

“My favorite part is always the students,” he says, “when they come to understand how languages work, how their own language works, the great many things we have inherited from the ancient Romans and from the way they speak and think.”

One exciting part of his Latin journey at the Academy specifically has been teaching AP Latin. “I’ve never gotten to teach it before and so I’m really enjoying coming to understand the specifics of how the College Board wants an AP class taught, and it’s getting at the types of thinking and analysis,” he said, “And AP students are really good at what they do.” 

Bohlander is a former member of the U.S. army. He has three kids, and his top two favorite colors are dark blue and dark green, and as for food, “I’m a sucker for a good pizza,” he says.

Laura Howard, AP Calculus and Algebra II teacher, came to the Academy after her husband began teaching at Jesuit. So far, she has been enjoying teaching at the Academy and the experience of an all-girls school. 

“My experience has been very positive,” Howard says. “My girls are good and polite young ladies and hard workers.”

“I like to do calculus because it’s challenging,” Howard said, “I like to teach a challenging thing to the students and help them build upon the knowledge that they have and stretch that knowledge.”

Originally from Alabama, Howard says that she is loving Tampa so far. “I love the way Tampa looks,” she says, “I live in South Tampa and I love the lush foliage.”

Howard has two dogs, a miniature dachshund and a Shih Tzu, along with two sons. Additionally, she attended college at Auburn University, her favorite color is red, and her favorite food is Italian. 

Algebra I and CP Statistics teacher Amber Castro joined the Academy faculty after graduating from USF in May. With a degree in math, Castro applied to several schools in the Tampa area, including her Alma Mater Tampa Catholic, before coming to the Academy. “I decided to come here for a change,” she said, “I like the supportive work environment and the girls, of course.”

As a math teacher, Castro enjoys it when she can “build up confidence in math,” she says. “A lot of the girls I’m teaching, math isn’t their thing maybe, so to be able to change that perception–math doesn’t always have to be boring.”

Castro shares that her love of math combines well with the learning environment of the Academy. “I like how much fun I can have with it. There’s a lot of little activities I can do. The girls really like grudge ball games for review, they’re really into teaching each other stuff, so that engagement.”

She also says that she has loved meeting new people in her short time at the Academy. “All the students have such different personalities, all of the other teachers I’ve met are all very much supportive but they all have their own personalities, so you get to learn little bits here and there.”

A Tampa native, Castro’s favorite part about the area is the mix between urban and suburban life. “I like that it’s a city, but then if you go 30 minutes anywhere–30 minutes to the beach, 30 minutes to Carrollwood and the park area, 30 minutes to Brandon and more farms–so I like that it’s kind of a mix of everything.”

Castro has two dogs named Mac and Cheese, and her favorite color is blue, and her favorite restaurant is Cava. “If you ask me to go to Cava, the answer is yes, I’m going,” she says.

On her professional journey at the Academy, she says, “There has been a lot of growth for me as a teacher, but I also think it has been so fun. Every day is new, the kids are new, they’ve got new energy, what we’re learning is new, who you’ll see and talk to is new, so I love it.”

Olivia Rivas, the new AP Macro and Microeconomics teacher, is enjoying discovering new elements of teaching her subject. “I like finding different ways to teach it and kind of make it fun,” she says. “I think economics has a bad rep for being kind of dry, so that’s one of my favorite things.”

Rivas shares that her favorite part of teaching economics at the Academy is her students. “[The students] as a collective make all of our days,” she said, “Teaching is a lot, so when [students] come into class with [their] smiling faces, that’s the best part of the day.”

Additionally, Rivas is the head coach of high school flag football, head coach of middle school tennis, and assistant coach of high school tennis. She also played professional tackle football. Her favorite food is spaghetti bolognese and her favorite color is green. In her free time, Rivas enjoys going to the movies with her friends and she loves to travel. “Nine times out of ten if we have a school break I’m out of time,” she says.

Finally Rivas says that she would categorize her experience as a full-time teacher as “amazing.” “Everyone’s really welcomed me with open arms,” she says. “Everyone is willing and open to me asking questions about certain things.”

Less than two months into the school year, the Academy’s newest faculty are already leaving their mark. Whether it’s sparking a love of latin, reimagining economics, building confidence in algebra, or challenging students in calculus, each teacher brings a unique element to the school. While their journeys are just beginning, students and fellow teachers are excited to see what they do next.