As the second week of school comes to a close, it’s about time that we get to know all the new faces, and I’m not referring to the freshmen.

This year we welcome 12 new staff members to the Whitman community. The new staff members include piano teacher Heather Borsum, Learning for Independence teacher Carly Smith, physics teacher Simone Kulin, Spanish teacher Laura Brewer, biology teacher Meredith Freeman, secretary Jennifer Clark, head of College Career Center Ann Hutchens, English teacher Linda Leslie, math teacher Elizabeth Doschek, Spanish teacher Madeline Rudman, assistant principal Karen Bryant and building service worker Romon Holt. The Black & White interviewed four of these teachers about their transitions to Whitman.

Linda Leslie: The newest addition to the English department, Leslie will be teaching AP Language and Composition and regular English 11 after 20 years at Quince Orchard. For Leslie, a benefit of the move was an easier commute, but the proximity was not the only contributing factor to her decision.

“Whitman was my first choice from the very beginning, not just from its geographical location but based on its reputation,” Leslie said.

Another factor was the welcoming demeanor of all students and staff, she said.

“Everyone is more than just friendly, everyone seems to convey their excitement that I’m here, which is really rewarding,” she said.

Fun Fact: Leslie’s favorite band, ironically, is The Band.

“To understand why, you would probably have to watch a movie called The Last Waltz,” Leslie said. “This movie is epic. It’s a moment of musical history that’s captured in this film. All these artists in the very beginnings of their careers come to say goodbye to this band.”

Elizabeth Doschek: Doschek, the new algebra 1 and honors algebra 2 teacher, returned to her old stomping grounds after graduating from Whitman in 1997. After becoming a math teacher, Doschek got in touch with her former math teachers Bonnie Duvall-Butler and Susan Wildstrom—who encouraged her to substitute at Whitman before she took on her new position.

“When the position became available I thought that it seemed like a good place to work,” Doschek said.

Doschek taught at Sandy Spring Friends School for 5 years, before taking a quick break from teaching. After the time off, her new job took some getting used to.

“It was a little difficult at the beginning,” she said. “I used to be a tutor where you’re the hero, you show the kids how to do things and you get to seem like their savior, but you don’t have to do any of the hard work.”

Having gone through the Whitman pressure cooker, Doschek knows what it’s like to struggle through.

“The climate of Whitman is still the same,” she said. “Whether you’ve gotten straight A’s or taken all AP’s, you’re getting a great education. You are well prepared for the next stage.”

Fun Fact: When Doschek went to Whitman she played on the tennis team for two years.

Madeline Rudman: After living in Spain and starting a bilingual immersion program at a school there, Rudman decided to transition back to the American school system. She previously taught at Rockville High School, and now teaches Spanish 2 and AP Spanish Language and Culture.

“I just wanted to experience working with a new set of kids and a new environment.” Rudman said. “I think it’s good for teachers to learn how to work with different sets of students that have different sets of needs.”

Teaching in another country and experiencing the culture made transitioning back to America very difficult, Rudman said. This is partially due to her experiences in Spain being so different from Whitman.

Fun Fact: Rudman’s favorite summer activity is traveling.

“I like the challenge of going to places where I don’t speak the language, I really would like to go to Croatia, and the various countries in Asia,” she said. “It’s definitely on my bucket list.”

Karen Bryant: Following a busy summer involving summer training and the transition from Seneca Valley High School, principal intern Bryant took the new position to train to become a principal.

“Think of my position as a ‘grow your own principal’ program,” Bryant said. “It gives you an opportunity to learn a new community and polish up your leadership skills under a seasoned principal like Dr. Goodwin.”

As a principal intern, Bryant will hold the same responsibilities as the assistant principal, which include working with the sophomores and freshmen, the master schedule information, assemblies, and Edline reports.

“I’m an administrative touchstone if the people who run certain areas need additional support,” Bryant said.

Fun fact: As a child, Bryant lived in Spain where she took part in a co-ed little league baseball team.

“When we came back to the states, they wouldn’t let the girls play baseball, so the girls had to play softball,” Bryant said.

Although she didn’t want to play softball, she continued with it in order to pursue her love for baseball.

***Video by Taameen Mohammad and Caitlin Sullivan.***