With the start of a new school year, The Talon wanted to get to know our new Graded faculty members. And what better way to get to know them than through interviews? Did you know Mr. Kent was interviewed for a position at Graded before any of our current students had been born?

I asked five of the new faculty members a few questions so that the Graded community could get to know them better. Our new staff all hold different citizenships and have worked internationally for many years in a variety of different places. This article will allow the Graded community to find out more about the new faculty, their past experiences, their thoughts about the school, and some of their personal interests.

The Talon: Where are you from originally?

Mrs. Kantor: I was born in Vienna, Austria, and I grew up in Seattle, Washington.

Mr. Grey: Originally, I grew up in Michigan.

Mr. Nacional: I’m from New York.

Mr. Kent: I’m an Ozzy born in Melbourne, Australia.

Mr. Markey: I’m originally from Chicago.

The Talon: How long have you lived abroad?

Mrs. Kantor: All together in my life, maybe like 5-6 years.

Mr. Grey:  I’ve been abroad for the last nine years, spending 4 years in Moscow and 5 in China.

Mr. Nacional: This will be my 6th year living abroad.

Mr. Kent: I’ve lived abroad around 18 years, with all 3 of my children being born abroad and raised overseas.

Mr. Markey: I have been living abroad for almost 10 years.

The Talon: What are your first thoughts about Graded?

Mr. Grey: The thing that stood out the most was the outdoor blend; by being outside all the time, I feel like I’m in ‘Beverly Hills 90210’ [one of the  90’s hit TV shows].

Mr. Kent: I was very impressed with its friendliness. It’s a school with a great reputation. In fact, my first job interview 20 years ago for an international school was with Graded.

The Talon: If you could have any superpower, what would it be?

Mr. Grey: The chocolate touch,[everything you touch turns to chocolate] however a modified version, which means I could control it.

Mr. Nacional: The ability to read minds. I was going to say flying, but then you would get cold and lonely.

Mr. Markey: The power of flight. How awesome would it be to be able to fly around?

The Talon: If you could be any age forever, how old would you be and why?

Mr. Grey: I think back to when I peaked, which was in the 6th grade… so I guess 11 years old.

Mr. Nacional: 29, so I’d never have to worry about turning 30.

Mr. Kent: I think the late 20s or early 30s because you’re old enough to make good decisions, but young enough to desire adventure and take some risks.

The Talon: If you could live in the past or future, which one would you choose?

Mrs. Kantor: Could I choose the present? Because it’s one of my goals in life to just live in the moment.

Mr. Grey: When I see videos of the 60s, 70s, and 80s, I do wish I had a chance to live during those times because it was a unique period to live in.

The Talon: So you would be 11 in the 60’s forever?

Mr. Grey: With the chocolate touch.

The Talon: What’s your favorite movie, tv show, or song?

Mrs. Kantor: I like a show on HBO called Insecure… it’s probably not a show for teenagers. Favorite song… Gee, that’s tough; I have a lot of favorite songs. Well,  there is a band from Seattle called Black Stacks, and they have a song called I Love My Life, which I love …

Mr. Grey [replying to Mrs. Kantor]:  Now I’m loving to get to know you.

Mrs. Kantor: [then explains how] Hip-Hop was my life at some point.

Mr. Nacional: TV show Rick and Morty for sure.

The Talon: What was your favorite subject in high school?

Mrs. Kantor: Probably English, because we read a lot of plays and things and so, [puts on a British accent] I’m really good at pretending I’m English, so I would always get called on to read all the parts.

Mr. Kent: History. Hands down, by a long shot.

The Talon: If you could go anywhere fictional where would you go?

Mrs. Kantor: Narnia … or Hogwarts, they both have talking animals, and at Hogwarts, I would have an invisibility cloak.

Mr. Nacional: Continuing with the Rick and Morty theme, I’d say dimension C-137.

Mr. Markey: I would go to the late 1800’s on a whaling ship, like in moby dick (although I probably wouldn’t survive).

These interviews are a great way for us, as a community, to further our knowledge of the world around us. With our new faculty coming from all over the world, we know we are in good hands! Hopefully, you were able to get acquainted with them a little through this article; discovering their favorite movies and TV shows, learning about what superpower they would like to have, and so forth. If you would like to know anything else about the new faculty, stop them in the hallway, and ask them any of the following questions:

https://conversationstartersworld.com/questions-to-get-to-know-someone/

Note: some of the dialogue has been edited for clarity and length.