Where were you before Eltham College?
I moved to South East London from Cambridge, where I was based for the last 5 years. After graduation, I worked for the European Parliament which I really enjoyed, though it was a turbulent and challenging time in the run-up to Brexit. I combined this job with private teaching, freelance translation for a Berlin-based company and freelance choral singing. It was a real mix of work that kept me very busy!
What have you enjoyed so far about starting here?
I love the fact that every day is different – and every day I laugh! It’s a real privilege to be working with such wonderful, supportive colleagues, and I’ve enjoyed getting to know my pupils and finding out their hobbies outside of the classroom.
What are you most excited about undertaking with students?
I am particularly looking forward to being able to take pupils on language study trips to Europe. My own interest in languages started when I spent a week in a French boarding school on a school exchange. It initially felt daunting and quite intense, but very quickly all the vocabulary learning and grammar exercises that I’d been doing in school made sense, and I’m still in touch with the friends I made that week. I passionately believe that immersion is key in getting a real feel for another language and culture, and in a post-Covid, post-Brexit world, this will be more important than ever.
Something students and staff may not know about you?
I love music and I sang with the Choir of Trinity College Cambridge for five years. I was really fortunate to do lots of CD recordings, broadcasts, and took part in a number of performances all over the world. These included a beautiful amphitheatre on the Italian island of Ischia, concert halls in Tasmania and Toronto, cathedrals in New York and Hong Kong. It was an extraordinary experience that I am very grateful to have had!
