Meet the Faculty: Skylar Stepankiw
Skylar Stepankiw is one of our new faculty members for the 2024-25 school year, and comes to Brewster after working closely with an award-winning cancer diagnostic and research lab at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. Why the career switcheroo? “I grew up on a private school campus, and I wanted to be able to go back to where I feel at home. Brewster seemed to be just the place for me.” With her passion for science, she truly enjoys helping her students share the excitement of learning. We asked a few get-to-know-you questions of this great addition to our Science Department.
Q. How did your own boarding school experience shape you as a teacher? What makes boarding school life special and engaging to you?
A. I grew up at Canterbury School in New Milford, Connecticut as a faculty kid! I think that this experience prepared me for the 24/7 job that is being not only a teacher but a dorm parent. [Editor’s note: “Ms. Step” as the students call her, lives in Kenison.] I am here to support my kids in the way that I was supported during my time as a student. I think the connections and support you get at a boarding school are unmatched anywhere else. This is the most influential time in these students’ lives, and what a blessing it is to get to be a part of it.
Q. What are you teaching this year?
A. I am teaching Biology and Freshwater Biology.
Q. Ooo…that’s such a great class, especially since Brewster has Lake Winnipesaukee at its doorstep! Which lesson or topic has excited your students the most this school year?
A. They were so excited to dissect hearts this year! They were so prepared and engaged with questions and curiosities for how the anatomy of the heart was connected, and getting to actually see it in person as opposed to digitally was such a great experience for them.
Q. What is your favorite spot on campus?
A. My favorite spot on campus is the Pinckney Boathouse. When it's warm, it is so calming to look out over the lake and just take a moment to take a breath.
Q. You’re not alone in that sentiment. All of us are lucky to live, work, and learn here with the lake as a backdrop! Okay, surprise question: What toppings go on your perfect pizza?
A. I like to keep it simple with just cheese on pizza!
Q. What has made you really laugh recently?
A. With all the snow we have gotten, my dog, Marlo, has been having a field day rolling around and burrowing into the snow. He is always doing something to make me laugh!
Q. You have some fun hobbies like paddleboarding, reading, crocheting, and hiking. What is something you'd like to learn, do, see, or experience in the coming year?
A. I really want to start summiting some of the mountains around here. We are so close to places like Mount Major that it feels silly not to.
Q. Can you share some great life advice someone has given you that you want to pass along to Brewster students?
A. I think some of the best life advice I have gotten is “wherever you go, there you are,” which is to say that you cannot escape who you are. You have to be comfortable with yourself and learn to love who you are.
