At Jackson-Reed, there is always an abundance of new teachers roaming the halls. Here is an introduction to a new face in the JR community: AP Psychology and Honors Chemistry teacher Sonya Gelfand. 

Although this is Gelfand’s first year as an official Jackson-Reed teacher, she was a student teacher last year through GWTeach at George Washington University. She took over chemistry teacher Hallie Baskin’s B Day classes when she went on maternity leave. “This cemented my desire to teach high school because it was so rewarding to build relationships with the students,” she said. Gelfand took AP Psychology in high school, and enjoyed the connections between her AP Biology class and AP Psychology, so she majored in neuroscience. Her research and classes in college led her to teach AP Psychology.

Gelfand has considered being a teacher since she was in elementary school. As a child, she made worksheets to teach her three year old sister how to do math using number lines. She feels like teachers were really important figures in her life when she was young, sharing that  “they made me feel comfortable and made learning accessible.” It was this love for learning that drove Gelfand to graduate from George Washington University, where she majored in neuroscience and minored in biology and STEM teaching.

Gelfand grew up in Boston, Massachusetts where she was on her cross country, track, and Nordic Skiing teams in high school, and participated in mock trial, where her team placed eight in the nation. She grew up in a mix of cultures; her parents are from Russia and she spoke Russian at home growing up while attending American school. She says over time her life became more American, but Russian culture still feels like home. 

Outside of teaching, Gelfand loves to run. Her only bucket list goal is to run a marathon. She also enjoys reading, exploring restaurants, and going on outdoor walks. She’s currently reading House of Leaves, which is “one of the most confusing books [she’s] ever read.” She has been playing piano since she was four, and recently bought herself a keyboard. 

Gelfand’s last comment was that the Beacon’s bagel article should have included the GW Deli, where “you can literally ask for anything and they will make it for you.” She encourages everyone to go try it out.

So as you walk the halls, rest assured that there is one less mysterious face that you can encounter. Her room is always open and she’ll always be there to talk. •