Sergia Hay

Prior to teaching at Andover, I was a philosophy professor for 20 years. Because I was also introduced to philosophy in high school, I'm eager to introduce Andover students to this exciting and rich field of study. I deeply believe in the liberating nature of philosophical inquiry and the view that academic challenge and rigor are amplified when students are having fun and relevant learning experiences. In all my courses, including introductory ones, I expose students to difficult primary texts to teach them different ways to read and extract meaning, and then to consider multiple meanings that may come to the surface in class discussion. These particular skills have weighty and urgent relevance today as students are constantly bombarded with a surplus of material to read, hear, and watch. The identification of meaningful content, the attendance to ideas and words with concentration and precision, as well as the ability to consider opposing views charitably are crucially needed. I recognize that my ability to develop these skills in my students is inseparably related to the ongoing cultivation of my own skills. For example, my scholarship allows me to continue to learn— to add sophistication to my understanding, to express myself more clearly, and to have solidarity with my students who are also in the process of learning to think, write, and speak well.

My own educational path was greatly shaped by a semester-long international boarding experience I had during my sophomore year in high school. This experience developed my sense of independence, accelerated my educational agency, and greatly broadened my interests. It is a privilege to work with students at such a formative time in their lives.