Amy Bigelow
Email: ab******@fa***.org
Role at Franklin: Mathematics Department Chair
Education: Middlebury College, B.A.; University of Louisville, M.A.T.; Wesleyan University, M.Phil.
Joined Franklin Academy: 2008
What is your favorite Franklin memory? I love when we have navigated unexpected challenges while having fun with our students– whether rafting through frigid, rough waters in the Grand Canyon, performing days of manual labor followed by home-cooked meals by Artie Mullins in West Virginia, or running in local 5Ks then celebrating our accomplishment with Chinese food on the way back to school.
What is your favorite Franklin tradition and why? At the beginning of the year, I look forward to memorizing the name and hometown of every student and faculty member for our all-school welcome. I always get excited seeing how we come from all over the world to converge in this special place. This helps conversations start and new friendships form as people realize someone from 3 hours away lives in the next town over from them or in a place where they grew up, or that on a team of 25 students, 3 are named Henry.
I also love preparing the annual smorgasbord before students take the all-day AP Calculus exam. We share such a sense of mutual support, appreciation, and celebration. And our students continue to entertain and surprise me with their very particular requests!
If I could shadow a Franklin alum for the day, what would I hope to learn? I’m so often amazed and inspired by our students’ entrepreneurial spirits and ability to take risks and pursue what they love despite the chance of failure. In particular, watching blacksmithing, advocacy, printmaking, political strategizing, luthiery, or psychological research performed by our alums in action would be fascinating.
