With the departure of Profesora Loaiza from our Spanish Department last year, the position of AP Spanish teacher was open to new applicants. Among this year’s several new upper school teachers is Mrs. Maggie Gustavus, who will be filling the gap.

I recently had the chance to sit down with Mrs. Gustavus to learn a little more about the newest addition to our Spanish Department.

Q: So where are you from, originally?

A: I was born in New York City, but I grew up in Puerto Rico.

Q: How long have you been teaching for?

A: This will be my 19th year teaching.

Q: Where were you working before Saint Stephen’s?

A: I taught at South Forsyth High School in Cumming, Georgia.

Q: And what brought you to Saint Stephen’s?

A: My husband relocated to Sarasota, and I found a teaching job here at Saint Stephen’s.

Q: A term that you’ll hear a lot at SSES is “the Saint Stephen’s community.” What’s been your experience with that community so far?

A: It has been excellent. All of the students have been very polite. They’re self-motivated, they care about learning, and they advocate for themselves very well. The teachers and administration have also been very welcoming to me as a new teacher.

Q: Did you always want to be a teacher?

A: Yes, I grew up wanting to be a teacher just like my grandmother, my mother, and my aunt. However, after college, I went into business. I got an MBA and worked in banking.

Q: What was it that brought you back to teaching.

A: In my job in finance, I wasn’t spending as much time with my kids as I would’ve liked. I wanted a career where I could be with my family more often.

Q: And what specifically drew you to teaching Spanish?

A: That’s actually a fun story. I was substituting in a middle school English class at my son’s school and the principal walked in and asked if I spoke Spanish. I said yes, and he offered me a full-time teaching job. Apparently, the school’s Spanish teacher had a nervous breakdown and ran out of her classroom away from the school screaming. I took the job, and I’ve taught Spanish ever since.

Q: If you could give yourself in high school one piece of advice, what would it be?

A: Don’t be so serious.

Q: What would you want to tell your new students about what to expect in your class?

A: Expect to work hard and learn a lot.

Mrs. Gustavus will be teaching Spanish 3, Spanish 4/5, AP Spanish Language and AP Spanish Literature classes in the Upper School. She displays a great passion for the Spanish language in her teaching and has already settled into her new role here at SSES very well. We are excited to welcome Mrs. Gustavus to the Saint Stephen’s community and we look forward to seeing where she takes the Spanish Department in the coming years.