Faculty Friday Spotlight: Ms. Nia Gipson

Happy first Faculty Friday of 2017! To kick off the new year, we present Ms. Nia Gipson. In her third year at Saint Joseph Prep, Ms. Gipson leads our STEAM program, teaches STEAM and Environment Science, and is the faculty advisor for the Robotics team and Anime club. Since this week marks the start of Robotics season, what better time to learn a bit more about Ms. Gipson!

Originally from San Diego, California, Ms. Gipson attended Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania and received an undergraduate degree in Biology and Psychology. After graduating, she spent three years working in science-based nonprofits in San Diego. In each of these positions, she established a bridge between science and education, connecting with students ages 7 to 17 and helping them learn about what each of her organizations did. While she never planned to be a teacher, she understood that a majority of what she was doing was teaching on an informal level. Because of this, she realized she wanted to learn how “teachers learn to teach.” She moved back to the east coast and attended Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Ms. Gipson’s favorite part about SJP is its potential. She says, “Being a relatively new school, there’s an openness to innovation and creativity. It doesn’t have a legacy of ‘we’ve always done it this way.’” She loves that the administration allows everyone to take chances and that there is so much room to grow, both for students and faculty. Since she is encouraged to experiment and try new things, students are able to receive a very unique experience in her classes, specifically in the STEAM classes. Each year, she alters her curriculum so that students have unique experiences and challenges. Ms. Gipson believes this is especially important teaching science, since the field is constantly evolving. Currently, Ms. Gipson is introducing her students to cryptography; after studying the history of codes and code-breaking and the mathematics behind encryption, students will develop and write their own codes and practice breaking codes written by their classmates.

The Robotics Team officially kicks off their season on Saturday. The students will be given their first challenge and team members will be assigned their individual, specific tasks. The team will have six weeks to complete the challenge before a new one is launched. Ms. Gipson’s favorite part of advising the Robotics Team is when she realizes she is no longer needed. After the first week or two of each season, she knows that each student is capable of completing his or her task without her guidance and that the team can stay on track and learn without her. Ms. Gipson applies this method to her classroom as well; she gives her students a project and knows they have the confidence and skills to learn and achieve on their own.

When Ms. Gipson isn’t at school or a Robotics meet, she loves to relax, travel, and create art. She says a bulk of her income goes to either food or art supplies! She loves photography, going to theater productions, and singing. When she has a bit more time, she likes to give herself projects and see how well she can do them. Her current project is learning how to sew.

Thank you, Ms. Gipson, for taking the time to talk to us for our #FacultyFriday spotlight! Good luck to you and the Robotics Team on your upcoming season. We look forward to seeing what your students create!