Next year, the Breck community will lose five amazing faculty members: Ms. Gentry, Ms. Hoffman, Dr. Clapp, Dr. Baker, and Profe Stowe. Each one has made their own profound impact on our school and will be missed dearly. To appropriately send each of these faculty members into their next chapters, Eileen Mortimer ‘27 interviewed them about their experiences at Breck and beyond, and the Bugle’s Editorial Team contributed their fondest memories and best stories about each one.
Ms. Gentry has been a beloved teacher at Breck for twenty-seven years. Before coming to Breck, she taught high schoolers on the east coast. When she first came to Breck, she was hired as a middle school math teacher, which was an area she didn’t previously have experience in. She said that she now “bow[s] down to middle school teachers,” as it is a very difficult role to have. Ms. Gentry went back to teaching high school four years later, where she taught until last year, before taking a position as a faculty research fellow in the Peter Clark Center.
Next year, Ms. Gentry will retire, and she is not exactly sure how she will spend her time. She would like to take on a part-time teaching job, but she doesn’t want to have a commute. She says she will “see what the universe throws [her] way for next year.” She might even decide to tutor Breck students!
Once she retires, Ms. Gentry will miss her colleagues, who she said bring out the best in her. She will also miss Breck lunch—especially the salad bar, because she loves all of the choices she has there. As for traditions, she will especially miss seeing the first graders sing to their senior buddies at Baccalaureate, along with upper school assemblies because they are so student-centered.
Students from all grade levels have absolutely adored Gentry’s commitment to the betterment of her students’ learning. Gentry always finds ways to make math enjoyable for everyone in her classroom, whether it be fun practice problems or calling upon the math gods for advice. Her liveliness and joy will be greatly missed in our community, and we hope that she continues to stay connected to Breck. She’s made a lasting mark on Breck, not just through her teaching, but through her humor, kindness, and genuine care for her students. The hallways won’t be the same without her, but we’re excited to see what adventures come next. Thank you Ms. Gentry!
Ms. Hoffman has taught at Breck for three years as a chemistry and biology teacher. She also coaches both cross country and track, and is a leader of Breck’s HOSA chapter. Next year, she will be moving to Saudi Arabia with her husband and her dog to teach chemistry at the American International School in Riyadh.
Ms. Hoffman will miss the students a lot next year, especially her advisory, which “holds a special place in [her] heart.” She will also miss the camaraderie among staff, the support of the science department, and the opportunities Breck has given her to grow as an educator and a coach. As for traditions, she will miss community partnerships and time spent together as a division, because “those shared moments build a sense of unity.” Her favorite Breck lunch is the cookouts, because she thinks that “there’s something about being outside in the sunshine that just makes the food taste better.”
Although Ms. Hoffman has only been part of the Breck community for a few years, her impact has been deeply felt. One of her advisees, Annie Grossman ‘26, shared how much Ms. Hoffman’s presence has meant to her: “Ms. Hoffman is easily one of my favorite people at school. She is always there for me to talk about anything—whether I’m upset, happy, or worried—at any time of the day. Advisory is always one of my favorite parts of the week because she has created such a warm and inviting space that all of us look forward to every single Thursday. I am truly so grateful for everything Ms. Hoffman has done for me over the past three years, and even though I’m selfishly so upset that she won’t be here for our senior year, I know she is moving on to bigger and better things, and I wish her nothing but the best.”
Ms. Hoffman is an outstanding teacher and advisor who cares deeply about each and every one of her students. Her kindness, compassion, and ability to create meaningful connections will be greatly missed at Breck next year. Thank you Ms. Hoffman!
Dr. Clapp is also leaving Breck this year after three years of dedication. Dr. Clapp is known for bringing energy, humor, and heart into every endeavor. She has worn many hats at Breck—Class of 2025 dean, Mock Trial faculty coach, Girls Golf coach—and in every role, she has brought her signature spark and unwavering dedication to her students.
In the classroom, Dr. Clapp made economics come alive. Her contagious enthusiasm turned a “most mundane topic interesting,” as Veda Rao ‘26 puts it. “Her energy made it impossible not to engage.” Whether she was drawing from personal experiences or throwing in a story to help the concept stick, Dr. Clapp always found a way to connect. Her goal was clear: She wanted her students to succeed and she never stopped cheering them on.
As a senior dean, Dr. Clapp not only brought guidance and help, but humor and empathy. She knew when to be serious, when to listen, and when to cause laughter—sometimes all in the same conversation. Her leadership helped shape the Class of 2025 in ways they will carry on beyond graduation.
Outside the classroom, Dr. Clapp took on new challenges with the same passion. She stepped into Mock Trial knowing little, but emerged as an effective coach. Even more, she became an advisor that the team loved learning from and interacting with. “She really put effort into learning an activity she was unfamiliar with to help her students,” said Graham Bailey ‘25. Dr. Clapp always made Mock Trial fun and had the team’s back at every moment. Dr. Clapp brought this presence to golf matches and practices—always full of encouragement, commitment, and that unmistakable Clapp spirit.
Dr. Clapp has left a mark on Breck that goes far beyond academics. Her presence, her laugh, her fierce support of students, and her drive will be missed dearly. Dr. Clapp is a role model, advocate, and friend. She will always be a part of the Breck community, and it has benefited greatly from having Dr. Clapp.
Dr. Baker has been at Breck for four years as the Upper School Director. He was drawn to Breck because of the school’s reputation and because he already knew Dr. Hernández from their time in the same doctorate program at Vanderbilt. Next year, he will be the Head of School at Church Farm School, an all-boys boarding school in Exton, Pennsylvania, thirty miles west of Philadelphia. He notes, it will be “a completely new experience”, but he is excited to take on the new role.
Next year, he will miss many things, but the first thing that came to his mind was the students, because he loved “watching [them] grow up and build relationships.” He will also miss the relationships with his colleagues and that “it is a relationship driven school, and that when people talk about community here, they actually mean it and it means something.” He also commented that Breck was a great school for his daughter Dylan who graduated in 2022. He has a lot of Breck traditions that he will miss, including all school chapel, singing the Alma Mater after games, assemblies, student elections, and the Baccalaureate and Graduation ceremonies. He will also miss Italian dunkers, his favorite Breck lunch. He loves Italian dunker day so much that he shares it on his Instagram story.
Editors Catherine Walker ‘25 and Bee Kern ‘25 specifically shared that they “have gotten to know Dr. Baker well, and are beyond grateful for having had him as our director for the entire four years of high school. From starting off being slightly scared of him, [they] grew to look up to him and see him as a role model.” Dr. Baker is extremely passionate about teaching, community, and leadership, and he has pushed all members of our school to become leaders and find enjoyment in learning.
When Dr. Baker shared the story of his childhood in Chapel, his words resonated deeply. We learned that embracing your roots becomes a source of strength, not limitation—that the circumstances we are put in don’t shape our destiny. Dr. Baker is a tenacious, hard-working, and passionate human being who has impacted each person in this school. He remains a role model whose example continues to inspire all of those around us.
Some of the editors’ favorite memories of Dr. Baker are when we looked up from finals in the field house and saw him laughing at TikToks on his phone while we were struggling, when we asked him what his blood type was and he didn’t tell us—instead, he showed us a picture saying he’s just got that dog in him, and of course, our lunches every day in his office are forever memorable. He finds ways to connect with every student—often through things as simple as shoes, sports, country music, and so much more. He seriously has a gift, and we can’t wait to see what he does in the future.
The Class of 2025 and Dr. Baker came into the Breck Upper School together, and at the end of May they will leave it together as well: a beautiful representation of endings and new beginnings. We wish them all, especially Dr. Baker, the best!
Finally, Profe Stowe has taught Upper School Spanish at Breck for thirteen years. Next year, she plans to restart her language service business where she designs Spanish classes for specific professions and does legal translation and interpretation. She also hopes to buy a sailboat and sail around the world!
Profe Stowe, where do we even begin? Editors Catherine and Bee were lucky enough to have Profe Stowe as their teacher for two years, and were able to go on the Spanish May program trip to Mexico with her. Speaking of Profe Stowe, they remarked, “She is the kindest, most open-hearted person we have ever met. In class, you can see her passion while teaching—we have never walked into a class where she hasn’t had a smile on her face. Her presence and happiness radiate throughout the classroom, and it is something that not only we will miss but the school will as well. Profe Stowe is so kind and generous, and takes the time to get to know her students daily. We can always laugh with Profe no matter what—whether it’s reminiscing on fun Mexico moments or our shared love for Bad Bunny, talking with Profe is always the highlight of our days.”
Those two editors have loved every moment with Profe Stowe, but a few specific memories have become their favorites: “adventures in Mexico, telling each other information about their lives and cracking jokes, the 12-hour bus ride from Mexico City, and dancing on the rooftop of their hotel.”
So many students have grown to appreciate Spanish because of Profe. She has made learning not only interesting but also fun. Catherine and Bee are both seriously considering minoring in Spanish in college, and they “owe that love and continued passion for Spanish to Profe. Your devotion is contagious and we can’t wait to see your adventures to come.”
Profe Stowe will miss the daily interactions with students and seeing them learn, grow, and evolve. They inspire and challenge her on a daily basis, and she also said they help her “stay up on the English language such as ‘I’m cookin’’ as opposed to ‘I am cooked.’” She will “have to figure out how to stay cool without them” next year. With regard to traditions, she will miss saying the Irish Blessing in chapel. Her favorite Breck lunch is the salad bar.
The Bugle, on behalf of the whole Breck Community, is sad to see these beloved faculty go, but we know how lucky we are to have experienced our time in the Breck Upper School with them. They have each fostered such an amazing environment for all of us and have made Breck a wonderful place to be. We want to thank them for their never-ending work and their devotion to us as students. Ms. Gentry, Ms. Hoffman, Dr. Clapp, Dr. Baker and Profe Stowe, you were each integral parts of our high school experience, and—for that and for so much more—we will always remember you and we will always be grateful. Good luck to each of these wonderful faculty members on their exciting new adventures next year, we will certainly miss them here at Breck!
