Jonathan Kaptcianos

    Jonathan Kaptcianos ’09

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    2009

    Following my graduation from St.Michael’s in 2009 (and shortly thereafter a failing attempt at the Math Proficiency Exam for the National Security Agency), I completed a Master’s in Mathematics from the University of Vermont in 2012. While a second run at the NSA was more successful, my time as graduate teaching assistant at UVM and then a lecturer at Champlain College ultimately landed me on the track of secondary education. In the fall of 2013 I began teaching at Brunswick School, an all-boys independent day school in Greenwich, CT. My courses taught in the math department here include Algebra II, PreCalculus, AP Calculus AB and AP Statistics. Since then I’ve shifted into an administrative role and am currently serving as the Dean of Student Life, while still staying connected to my academic credentials in teaching one or two math courses each year.

    I credit my time at St.Mike’s, with a big emphasis on the Math Department, to both my professional growth and ability to connect with students and colleagues alike. The professors here encouraged my intellectual curiosity and problem solving abilities, while also setting an incredibly high standard of how to successfully teach challenging mathematical concepts. Be it now making the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus exciting (or at the very least, accessible) for my own students, or wishing I had held onto more of the theory from my sophomore-year Probability and Statistics class when first teaching statistical inference, I am so fortunate to have graduated with a degree in Mathematics from St.Michael’s.

    Teaching at prep-schools typically includes being involved outside of the classroom, be it coaching, advising, overseeing clubs, running field trips, etc. I think often about the genuine support I got from my math professors to be involved in the greater SMC community through athletics, student government and other facets; this is extended directly to my current role as an administrator, coach and faculty advisor at Brunswick.