Editor’s note: The Mesics Instructorship was presented to Melissa Brousseau during Upper School Assembly in the Phillips Stevens Chapel on September 17, 2014
“The Sandra Bashore ’55 and Joseph C. Mesics Instructorship was established in 2001 to recognize a young faculty member’s initiatives in and out of the classroom.”
The new recipient of the Mesics Instructorship is very deserving of this distinction as she has made a significant imprint on the Williston community in each of the three areas of boarding school life: academics, the afternoon program, and residential life.
In her classroom, whether it be the gymnasium teaching Physical Education to Middle Schoolers or a laboratory teaching Anatomy and Physiology to high school students, she is well prepared and enthusiastic. Her success as an educator is built on the foundation of creating clear expectations, demonstrating expertise in the subject area, and providing positive reinforcement. She creates a constructive learning environment in which her students freely share their understandings and opinions. Her thoughtful lesson planning makes the curriculum engaging and relevant arousing the curiosity and interest of her students. Last year a student in her Anatomy and Physiology class wrote, “She is always calling on us, keeping us on our toes, but she is also eager to help us along. It is clear that she wants us all to succeed.”