By Abigail Montesino, NHS Member

For most students at Fair Lawn High School when they think of the name Mrs. Stern, they probably think of their favorite physics teacher or someone who helps out with the school musical but my experience interviewing her showed me that there is so much more to Mrs. Stern than meets the eye. An accomplished physics teacher since 2010 and an alum of FLHS, Mrs. Stern's favorite part of teaching is watching her students blossom and for her, growth and discovery are what it’s all about. When asked when she realized she wanted to be a teacher, she said, “I realized I wanted to be a teacher after spending time with my nephew, Jaret (Class of 2020) and my niece, Maya Blue (Class of 2022) while I was in college. Watching them learn and discover new things was so fun and I knew I wanted to help other kids have their "lightbulb" moments in their own lives.” Clearly her calling is to inspire future generations of young learners. 

While she teaches science and is extremely passionate about it, she has another talent that very few students are aware of: graphic design. She has designed multiple posters for the school musical over the years and even goes as far as to reformat her worksheets so that they can look visually appealing for her students. Although Mrs. Stern is known as one of the more relatable and “trendy” teachers here in Fair Lawn, there is one trend she simply can’t get behind: Yeezy slides. When it comes to advice she has one very important piece of wisdom for past, present and future students: “The high school ‘drama’ may sometimes seem like the end of the world, but I promise you, there are so many amazing moments in your future, that the high school drama will seem so silly to you later on.” 

As for the question of who Mrs. Stern really is, she provided me with a lot of insight. She loves to travel but it’s hard to fit in vacations during student breaks, so if she were to ever win the lottery and give up teaching, the first thing she would do would be to travel. Most of us know and love The Vampire Diaries but did you know that Mrs. Stern is also a big fan? When asked what show, movie, or book she would take with her to a desert island she said she could watch the show over and over and over again. One of the quickest ways to learn someone's personality is to ask about their spirit animal. Mrs. Stern's spirit animal is a sloth because she could just relax, hang out, and people watch all day long. 

Work and play are both extremely important aspects of Mrs. Stern's life. Her dedication to every student at FLHS whether she has been their teacher or not is incredibly commendable. I mean what other person is flawlessly teaching Newton's Law by day and binging Vampire Diaries by night? That’s why Mrs. Stern is more than deserving of this teacher spotlight.