Many students who take English 1 or even French 1 will have noticed a new face in their classes: a trilingual university student who has recently joined the Mendham staff, eager to share her knowledge and gain experience. Ms. Sydor is currently a clinical intern at Drew University, working towards her degree in the Art of Teaching. As mentioned before, as part of her student teacher program, she can be seen teaching in English 1 and French 1 classes here at Mendham.

While Ms. Sydor grew up in Bridgewater, New Jersey, not too far from Mendham, her family, who are from Poland, allowed her to learn the language from early on. She shared that she is a first-generation American, much like many of the students who attend Mendham High School. She discusses the experience of growing up first-gen, “It’s a really unique experience to immediately grow up in the presence of two languages and to two or more even, and to be able to experience that and navigate that is a challenge and a gift.” She likes to call herself a “lover of language,” and she talks about the power she finds in being able to hold the choice and form of speech we can use to express our reasons for those decisions. Having this love for language bloom so quickly in her life led her to a path to continue growing this passion. When in middle school, she had the option to take French as her language class. She expressed that French gives you access to so many countries that speak the language nationally or commonly (55 of them being francophone). This discovery ultimately led her to where she is now, working towards being a language teacher, sharing her passion with her students.

While she shows a great passion for language, she also spends her free time reading, having read works by feminist authors like Annie Erneaux, or the fictional novelist Kazu Ishiguro. Consuming information from these authors, Annie Erneaux, being an autobiographical writer, focuses on her interest in contrasting cultures as the two share interesting backgrounds themselves. Besides that, she recently took up roller skating, vowing to herself that she would try something new and face her fears. She likes to travel, again pushing forward the known fact of her interest in the rest of the world, currently planning a trip to Alaska. She has traveled to many places in France, such as Marseille, Paris, and Lyon, completely discovering the country and uncovering the historical importance for herself. When asked about her all-time favorite place, she gives an emotional response, “My grandparents’ garden in Poland is my favorite place… if I could go back there, I would go back there, over and over”. She immerses herself in pop culture, being so close in age to some of the students here at Mendham, listening to artists like Arctic Monkeys, The 1975, and even Benson Boone, a hot take currently in the world of pop culture.

Before arriving at Mendham, she worked as a long-term leave replacement in Madison and substitute taught in her hometown. She was a Community Assistant during her undergraduate years, honing her interests in the outside world by being able to work with people from all walks of life. She learned about different practices in cultures and tasted new cuisines, “One of my favorite events, we did a takoyaki night… and there were maybe like 40 of us in a room together trying to make this treat, with the guidance of some of our Japanese students, who were really excited to share that element of their culture and home experience with us”. Attending Drew University, they chose which school their student teachers would teach at. Drew brought a wonderful addition to our Mendham community, and when asked about her feelings toward the school, Ms. Sydor shared how she feels accepted and included, especially since the transition can be difficult. She comments, “I’m not just a fly on the wall, [and] a big question for me every time I’m here is, who do I want my students to become by the end of my time with you all?”. Ms. Sydor is determined to give her students an important takeaway during her time here, and she is excited to do that by using her passion for language to drive her lessons. She already has a great sense of pride coming here to Mendham, and rightfully so. She wraps up the time by letting us know what Mendham means to her, “…every minute matters to me, it’s not just about right, like, course, content. It’s about being a part of a place where everyone is seen and heard and valued. And I see that here”.

Ms. Sydor has quickly become a friendly face you can wave to in the hallway or even see in your classes. Introduce yourself, wish her a good day, and make her feel even more welcomed into our community as she spends the school year with us, working towards a bigger goal every day.

Title created by Google Gemini, then modified by P. Chopra, 10.24.25