Gwen is elated to join the Maybeck family this year to teach English and theatre. She grew up in Oakland and has a deep love for the Bay Area (which is why she promptly returned after finishing school on the East Coast). Gwen graduated from the NYU Gallatin School of Individualized Study with a concentration in Theatre, Empathy, and Education, focusing specifically on the integration of creative expression and collaboration in cultivating a holistic academic experience for every child. In 2024, Gwen attended the Klingenstein Summer Institute through the Teachers College at Columbia University, where she worked closely with peers and mentor teachers from around the world in an in-depth examination of “traditional” teaching practices to inspire a collective reconstruction of what education could be. Most recently, Gwen was at Black Pine Circle School. She began her career there in the 6th through 8th grade drama classes, went on to design and teach a 6th-grade Socratic Seminar course, and spent the last four years teaching 8th-grade English. Towards the end of her tenure there, she served as the Socratic Seminar Fellow and one of the Outdoor Education Coordinators in addition to teaching drama and English. She is excited by the new gifts and challenges that this next adventure will bring!

When Gwen isn’t teaching, you’ll find her hiking in the mountains, road tripping up the West Coast, bouldering at Berkeley Ironworks, playing with clay, dancing, and cuddling with her two kitties, Twix and Linus.