Though biology teacher Monica Ventrice and Head of Science Department Kim Hudson collaborate with one another as Pinewood faculty, their journeys were very different, revealing that career paths are rarely linear or uniform. Both now teach biology at Pinewood, despite having taken very different paths to get there.
Ventrice’s passion for science started in high school, although she wasn’t aware of it yet.
“I didn’t know I had a passion for science; it was more of a fascination with the outside world,” Ventrice said.
Starting out as a political science major in college, Ventrice switched to marine science, later deciding she wanted to go for a teaching credential after tutoring for basic biology classes.
“I got a job at Pinewood pretty quickly after getting my teaching credential,” Ventrice said. “The small class sizes sounded nice, but I hadn’t had private school exposure before that.”
On the other hand, Hudson’s journey to Pinewood took a different route. Growing up in England watching BBC and National Geographic documentaries, she went to college as a biological anthropology major.
“After I graduated, I immediately went into a credential program to teach in public schools,” Hudson said.
She then began looking for a teaching job after she had gone back to school to get her master’s degree.
“I decided that I liked teaching so much that I didn’t want to be out of it for six or seven years,” Hudson said.
While applying to several public and private schools, the first call she got back was from Pinewood.
“When getting a tour of campus, I just kept thinking how nice all the students were,” Hudson said.
Moreover, she appreciated the teaching autonomy she was given.
“I was going to have my own classroom,” Hudson said. “I was going to have a lot of autonomy about what I taught, so I felt like I was going to get treated like a professional.”
After pregnancy leave and later returning to Pinewood, Hudson said that she deeply appreciated the quality of her daily interactions.
“What keeps you is the students,” Hudson said. “You form this community, and you make connections, and you get to talk about something that you really like.”
Hudson and Ventrice both have come to notice the biggest difference about teaching at Pinewood: resources.
“We can talk to [Scott] or [Eve], and if it’s humanly possible to say yes, they will, and that’s huge,” Hudson said.
Pinewood’s Science Department has undergone many changes over the years, but Hudson and Ventrice both agree that their differences in area specialization are what makes them work together so well.
“We compliment each other really well,” Ventrice said. “Our strengths and weaknesses make us quite a force, and we can always consult with each other.”
