Sanford Spotlight Podcast

Join us as Head of School Mark Anderson visits with outgoing Sanford employees Tech/Communication Director Cheryl Fleming and Athletic Director Joan Samonisky.

Middle School Dean Max Schneider shares his thoughts about teaching, learning, kids, and life at Sanford School.

Find out from the Director of Summer Programs and Assistance Director of Admissions and Performing Arts chair Jeff Molush about the 2021 Summer Enrichment offerings, including many new ones. 

Learn about Caitlin Brooks, Sanford's Association Athletic Director, Field Hockey Coach, Girls' Lacrosse Coach, and Health Instructor. She discussing her coaching philosophy and more.

The transcript for Welcoming Home Alumni podcast.

Head of School Mark Anderson chats with the three current colleagues and also former students from the class of 2016—Mesha Mosley, Freddy Ryle, and Justin McLellan—about returning back, how Sanford prepared them for college and advice for students going to college.

Episode Guide

1:00: Head of School Mark Anderson introduces Mesha, Freddy, and Justin.

5:20: How does it feel returning back to Sanford?

9:08: Are there skills you learned and practiced at Sanford that prepared you for college life?

13:45: When you think back on your time as a student and the Sanford you see now, what changes have you noticed?

24:00: What advice would you give juniors and seniors entering the college search process in this environment?

28:23: What message would you send to the rest of you classmates from the class of 2016 about their Alma mater?

Download the transcript for this episode here or read below.

Welcome to Sanford Spotlight. The podcast that helps you get the greatest benefit from your Sanford School experience. Listen in to learn about Sanford's people, programs, news and events. Today's host is Sanford Head of school, Mark Anderson.

All right, we're live. We are live. And welcome to Sanford Spotlight. It's been a while since I've done a podcast episode. This is actually our first version of 2020 with COVID. And wanted to fire up the podcast once again, and bring some guests to the table. It's been a busy fall, so we've missed podcasting, missed so much of what we had been doing in previous years. But we're going to get back to a bit of normalcy.

And I'm excited to welcome three guests who know Sanford so very well, three of my current colleagues and also former students, who are Sanford alums. A little mini version of a Sanford Alumni Reunion in the class of 2016. So we could just bounce around the table, if you could introduce yourself, and what you're doing at Sanford this year.

So I'm Mesha Mosley. I graduated in 2016. My older brother also went to Sanford. He graduated in  2014. I went to USC,  Southern California, not South Carolina, and graduated, after graduation in 2020, COVID hit. So now I'm back in Delaware and I'm here at Sanford while I get my Master's degree and pursue my career in sports reporting.

Excellent. And what are you doing for us this year, Mesha?

I am an Upper School teacher's aide. So I help do anything really the Upper School needs, sub, front desk, coverage, helping hand, anything really.

Making sure all those upper schoolers are staying socially distant?

Absolutely.

Washing hands and all that other good stuff. Awesome, thanks for being here today.

And my name's Freddy Ryle and I also graduated class of 2016, the best class to come to Sanford.

[INTERPOSING VOICES] 

One of them, he tried to be one.

That was politically correct right there.

I went on to George Washington University, where I studied sociology and creative writing, also graduated in 2020 in a COVID year. And I'm fortunate enough to be back teaching eighth grade English in the Middle School. So yeah, glad to be here.

Back where it all began.

Back where it all began.

Quite literally.

I'm Justin McLellan, also a 2016 grad. Like Mesha, my older brother went here and graduated with Mesha's older brother in 2014. I just recently graduated from the University of Notre Dame. And I am back here at Sanford as working in the communications and technology department, so helping out with all the technology changes that we're undergoing this year, and on the communication side as well, which means that I'll probably be editing this podcast after we record it.

And thank you in advance for your hard work.

Of course.

Actually, Justin was also in my classroom first thing this morning. So he's got a double dose of me. He was helping me in the leadership class I teach, helping me set up the Swivl, and giving me a tutorial so that I could get that going, so my remote learner could see and hear better. So all of that worked well. Well, I want to thank you all for joining me today and having a conversation. But I also want to thank you just for joining us this fall.

I feel like the alums who have come back to Sanford in so many different capacities this fall, it's been such a fun story for me, and one that not only am I so proud of all of you having known you when you were adolescents and teenagers, and to see what would fine young people you are, you're really helping us big in a great way. Folks are so happy that we're here and successfully running and operating in-person. And people have asked, well, how are you able to do that. Part of it is because we have brought so many hands on deck. The jobs that you're doing, whether you're teaching, or a teacher's aide, what you're doing in communications and technology, it's all so valuable.

And I feel like the alums of various ages, those who are college graduates like the three of you, but also the recent high school graduates who are either taking gap years, or doing online learning, and just needed something else to keep them busy, they are littered throughout our divisions and extended day. And it has just made everything smoother. And as a person who knows virtually all of those people, I think, yes, I do know them all now, it just-- it gives me tremendous pride.

And I wanted to say that and know that we're just so happy to have you all here. And it's working out really well. How is it for you all being back here? Coming back and being in these buildings again where you spent four years, Mesha. Fred, you were here for five years. Justin, you were here for a little bit more than that. How was that experience when you first came back? How is it now being back at your Alma mater?

Well, when I first came back, I was excited, really happy, really looking forward to meeting all the students and new faculty. But I low-key felt out of place. I'm like, wow, things have changed, but a lot of things have stayed the same. A lot of new faces, for sure. But now after a couple of months, I'm getting adjusted well. it's not really an adjustment, because I'm used to it, but I've been able to make relationships with a lot of new people. And it's been fun.

That's cool. Freddy, what about you?

I love being back, man. I love being back more than I did as a student. I can’t lie. And I think it is really teaching. Honestly, I think it's the role more than anything else. I felt confident coming back. I always thought that I would be a good teacher. I always thought I would be good at it in terms of the relationship that I knew I could build with students. But I always was a little hesitant to know if I felt like teaching would really feed my soul. I think there's a difference between being good at something and truly enjoying it.

And I think it's, so far, has surpassed my expectations of the level on which I thought I would enjoy. I truly love working with the kids. They're so funny every single day, especially eighth graders. They're like right before they're too cool for school, but they think that they're so mature, because they're the oldest in the building. So yeah, just working with them and just seeing how their mind works every day has been fun.

Good for you.

And yeah, and I enjoy seeing all the old teachers that I had, and stuff like that. It's different having a student teacher relationship and a colleague relationship. So everybody's been super supportive and--

Teacher right next door to Mr. Pell. Are you able to rock? Hey, Bruce. How are you this morning?

He was one of my teachers. Yeah, it was surreal for a long time too, like Mesha said, just getting adjusted in that way.

It's the first names for me.

Yes, I still don't do it. I don't do it on time.

Justin does.

Sanford faculty member Clint Williams talks with next-door neighbor and Head of School Mark Anderson about life at home and school during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Three Sanford administrators—Associate Head of School for Advancement Jaime Morgan, Director of Athletics Joan Samonisky, and Facilities Manager Kevin Needham—talk with Head of School Mark Anderson about plans for the school's new sports center. The facility, which is scheduled to open in November of 2020, was made possible by the largest individual gift in the school's history—a $1 million donation from the Struthers family.

In this special edition of Sanford Spotlight, recorded during Spring Break, Head of School Mark Anderson talks with his daughters, Stella '22 and Finely '24, about their Sanford experiences.

Sanford Boys’ Basketball Coach, Assistant Athletic Director, and Dean of Students Stan Waterman and Sanford Girls’ Basketball Coach Marcus Thompson ‘85 share their Sanford stories. Learn more about their experiences as coaches, parents, and leaders, and hear their thoughts about the upcoming 2020 state tournaments.

Episode Guide (33:29)

1:05 - Marcus Thompson’s bio 
2:05 - Stan Waterman’s bio
4:07 - Preparing for the upcoming DIAA state tournaments
5:13 - Current team rosters and lineups
7:58 - Sanford’s competitors in this year’s tournaments
10:04 -Challenges that today’s coaches face 
12:02 - Advice for student-athletes and their parents
15:27 - Transitioning from Sanford to college
17:00 - Things you might not know about Sanford basketball
18:46 - Three misperceptions about Sanford basketball
29:44-Thoughts about the new Struthers Family Sports Center