On Friday, January 10, five teachers were publicly celebrated after last year’s induction as endowed chairs: Mr. Cunningham ’12 as the Centennial Chair in Character, Mrs. Gorman as the Thomas R. Fuss Chair in Science, Ms. Iandiorio as the Trustees’ Chair in STEM, Mr. Kaplan ’83 as the Byrnes Family Chair in the Humanities, and Ms. Schmunk as the Donna S. David Chair in Health and Wellness.
During the Chapel, Form IV Class President Alex Chen ’27 and Form V Class President Grant Hanser ’26 conducted an interview with the five chairs. Each teacher answered various questions about their respective journeys to Belmont Hill and their experiences on the Hill.
Mr. Cunningham elaborated on his experience in transitioning into a teacher role after graduating as a student from Belmont Hill himself and detailed how much he enjoyed the aspects of brotherhood and community at the school.
On the other end of the spectrum, Mrs. Gorman explained her beginnings at Teach For America and getting out of her comfort zone to teach at an all-boys school, stating how different of an atmosphere it was for her. However, she quickly realized how welcoming the school was and shared a few funny anecdotes of her Form I students asking incredibly quirky questions.
Ms. Iandiorio also spoke about the all-boys school experience, explaining how her childhood experiences with numerous older brothers allowed her to understand the “boy code.” She also mentioned how much she enjoyed the specific humor and enjoyment her students displayed, maintaining constant energy during their classes.
Mr. Kaplan further added on the teacher-student dynamic as well as the strong bonds formed between players and their coaches on the athletic fields as well; like Mr. Cunningham, Mr. Kaplan noted that his experiences as a former Belmont Hill student held a significant impact in his life.
Finally, Ms. Schmunk talked about her memorable experiences of boys opening up to her and being vulnerable with their emotions; she expressed that she wished to continue to become a figure for students where boys felt comfortable approaching her and participating in intimate conversations.
Junior Jack Ramanathan ’26 said of the Chapel, “I went into the Chapel not expecting much, as I assumed it would be a short presentation of the new chairs, but I actually really liked the student-led interview format of the event. It was a cool way of getting to know more about the teachers’ backgrounds and their journey in coming to Belmont Hill.” Classmate Griffin Vail ’26 added, “I thought the interviewers, Grant and Alex, did a pretty good job coming up with questions that allowed the teachers to open up comfortably about their experiences and what the chairs meant to them.”
The Panel would like to congratulate the five new chairs and wishes for their success in the upcoming years with the school community!