Lauren Hammond '77
B.A., Studio Art, University of New Hampshire

A 1977 graduate of Brewster, Lauren Hammond returned to Brewster in 2002 as a faculty member, working as a college office counselor and instructional support teacher. She is now an instructional support teacher on the freshman Team Cooper. "I was interested in a change of career after having been a graphic designer for 15 years. I knew Brewster had a good teacher-training program, and I have always been interested in the way people learn.

"As an alum from the seventies, I can say that things have changed a lot; Brewster attracts a much more serious student and the school's teaching practices are much more effective. What hasn't changed, however, are teenagers and the impact that the school has on their lives."

"If the students do not realize it now, most likely it [the realization] will happen later, and they will look back and say 'wow those where some of the best years of my life'. The people here really do care about making a difference in their lives. That has not changed."

Ms. Hammond's philosophy on teaching: We all learn in our own special way, when a student can make a connection between two things he or she is learning in school or make a connection to the outside world, that's when true learning takes place. It could be a connection between chemistry and cooking or history and geography. These connections help to boost understanding as well as create a curiosity for further learning. Developing curiosity and the ability to find out what you need to know, is what makes a life-long learner. Reading and writing is the foundation of it all and the more you do it the better you become. It takes hard work and discipline, which needs to be developed. Our culture has so many distractions and contradictions, it is easier to turn on the TV and tune out the world instead of reading a book and creating one in your head.

During the summer, Ms. Hammond pursues her interest in painting, drawing, and illustrating. She also enjoys traveling, spending time on the water, and being with her family, which includes a son and a daughter, both of whom attend Brewster.