Amanda Brown

Amanda Brown, a new English 3 teacher joined the Burlingame community this fall. 

Originally from Massachusetts, Brown spent four years working in public relations in New York after receiving her undergraduate degree from Barnard College. However, her career took a turn while working as a volunteer English tutor for the US citizenship exam. At that point, Brown realized that teaching was her true following.

“I wanted to do something that I felt was fulfilling to me and that had some kind of impact,” Brown said. “And when I was doing tutoring, I felt like I had that.”

After discovering her long-standing passion for English, Brown continued her studies and attended Teachers College at Columbia University.

Once Brown completed graduate school, she considered her potential next steps.

“My fiance and I wanted to go somewhere new and live somewhere that was completely different from where we both grew up,” Brown said.

The Bay Area, evidently, was the perfect match. It offered dream jobs for the couple, ideal weather and the opportunity to explore Northern California.

Today, Brown finds herself in a classroom of high schoolers doing what she finds rewarding: helping her students to find relevance in the stories that are discussed in school.

“A successful class is when students are engaged, and we are having conversations that feel meaningful — that’s when it seems I’ve made a connection with them,” Brown said.