Friday Feature: New faces of Thayer

To get to know our new faculty and staff a little better, we asked them to answer a few questions about themselves. 

Today, we learn more about:

• Penn Teaching Fellow and Middle School English Faculty Shannon Ryu
• Upper School Math & Computer Science Faculty Johnna Farnham
• Upper School English Faculty Emma Staffaroni
• Upper School History Faculty Brandon Springer

Meet Shannon Ryu

In order, what’s your favorite food, favorite book, and favorite movie? 

Favorite food: Soondubu (Korean soft tofu stew)
Favorite book: Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
Favorite movie: Everything Everywhere All at Once

If you could invite one historical figure to dinner, who would it be? 

Nina Simone. The baroque-style piano solo in “Love Me or Leave Me” showcases her artistry and activism: the genius combination of fugue and jazz was both sonically mind blowing and an act of resistance against the notion that a Black woman could not be a classical pianist.

What’s the best advice you ever received? 

Assume the best intent in others, and own your impact.

What do you know now that you wished you’d known in high school?

There’s no rush to grow up. You have the rest of your life to be an adult, so allow yourself to be a kid.

What’s your idea of the perfect day?

It’s June. I’m at a charming little beach in a quaint New England coastal town with my closest friends. We swim and sunbathe during the day. At night, we sit around a campfire and roast marshmallows as fireflies and stars speckle the darkness. There may or may not be singing. My legs are covered in mosquito bites, but I don’t notice.

Meet Johnna Farnham

In order, what’s your favorite food, favorite book, and favorite movie? 

Favorite food: Steak
Favorite book: Origametry: Mathematical Methods in Paper Folding by Tom Hull
Favorite movie: The Imitation Game

If you could invite one historical figure to dinner, who would it be? 

Georg Cantor

What’s the best advice you ever received? 

Find one thing to smile about every day.

What do you know now that you wished you’d known in high school?

I wish I would have known to embrace every activity I participated in. You can truly only get out what you put in, so put in as much as possible to the opportunities you are given each day.

What’s your idea of the perfect day?

Gardening in Vermont on a sunny day and harvesting vegetables to cook for dinner.

Meet Emma Staffaroni

In order, what’s your favorite food, favorite book, and favorite movie? 

Favorite food: Anchovies (yes, really)
Favorite book: Fun Home by Alison Bechdel
Favorite movie: Amélie

If you could invite one historical figure to dinner, who would it be? 

James Baldwin

What’s the best advice you ever received? 

Keep a journal.

What do you know now that you wished you’d known in middle school? 

That I’m enough.

What’s your idea of the perfect day? 

A long cuddle with my dog; losing track of time with a book on my porch; a meandering walk in the Arnold Arboretum; some messing around on the piano; and then probably a raucous BBQ with friends & family where we’d exclusively eat anchovies (just kidding!).

Meet Brandon Springer

In order, what’s your favorite food, favorite book, and favorite movie? 

Favorite food: My favorite food is tacos in any form.
Favorite book: My favorite book is On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong.
Favorite movie: My favorite movie is probably Fiddler on the Roof…or maybe The Birdcage.

If you could invite one historical figure to dinner, who would it be? 

I would probably get dinner with James Baldwin. In Paris. It is said he had excellent taste.

What’s the best advice you ever received? 

I’m not sure if this counts as advice, but it is something that I think about a lot and have taken to heart. I was talking to my closest friend a few years ago and I was telling him about a mutual acquaintance from work and I casually referred to this mutual acquaintance as “my friend.” He said “your friend?” In his mind, I had equated my relationship with this mutual a acquaintance to our relationship to each other. To him, a friend was someone with whom you can be completely honest and vulnerable. Someone with whom you share meaningful connection. And my relationship with this mutual acquaintance was not that. So, I suppose the advice here is don’t be cavalier about who you call a friend. And find people with whom you can be your most authentic self. Those people are your friends. Hold them close.

What do you know now that you wished you’d known in high school? 

Be yourself. Take more risks. Loosen up and live a little.

What’s your idea of the perfect day? 

Sleeping in. A cup of hot coffee and some sort of breakfast sandwich. Reading my book on the beach in the sunshine for hours with a cool ocean breeze blowing on me. Taking a trip to a farmers market to pick up groceries and then cooking a big dinner (at some sort of beach house that I own in this perfect world).