Faculty Voices

“[Students] find the joy of problem-solving and collaboration.”

Scott Domingos

Scott Domingos is usually game for anything. Hoping to lift the spirits of students learning from home in 2019, he gleefully strapped on a pink unicorn helmet and hurled himself from a toddler trampoline and into a neighboring pine tree while on camera. It may not be the austere image you expect from the chair of the mathematics department, but it’s highly effective in engaging students.

Domingos’ approachability, combined with a drive to make math both accessible and challenging, has made him a fan favorite on The Hilltop. Last year, he was selected as the Baccalaureate speaker—for the second time since arriving in 2018 from Brewster Academy. Today, after 25 years of teaching, he leads a team of math educators who are finding innovative ways to bring their subject matter to life.

“We’re constantly discussing and collaborating how to be better math teachers,” he says of the department. “We never arrive at ‘we’re done.’ We’re always looking for ways to make it a better experience for students.”

Students are offered three levels of Algebra II and Pre-Calculus. “We spend a lot of time looking at data to know how to place kids when they arrive at KUA, so that they are challenged but not overwhelmed,” he says. “Kids need to be supported and encouraged.”

Students can access one-on-one help with teachers or peers through the Math Tutor Center. Math competitions have also become a popular campus activity. A dozen students competed last year online against students from high schools across the country through Math Madness. The team competes on weekends and trains using practice problems. This year the team competes against other New England prep schools through the Math League.

“The math team gives students confidence in their abilities and gives them a sense of how they compare to students on a national level,” he says. “They find the joy of problem-solving and collaboration.”

Helping kids find joy and spark a competitive spirit is working. Last year more than 100 students participated in the Mathematical Association of America’s American Mathematics Competition exam. Three students were invited to move forward to the American Invitational Mathematics Examination (AIME), with one competing in the U.S. Mathematical Olympiad, the top invitational competition for high-scoring AIME participants.

Outside of math, Domingos can be found at Akerstrom Arena with his other team—the girls JV hockey team. “The team is a blast,” he says. K

All-School Co-President Varsity Soccer Cullman Scholar Theater

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Dogs live on campus with faculty members

Arthur Day Welch Chair of Mathematics Girls JV Hockey Coach Math Team Coach Domingos lives in Brewster House with his wife, Keilah, and children Luca and Emerson.

Sebastian ’22

When Sebastian ’22 chose to attend KUA and repeat his sophomore year, he felt nothing but annoyance. Today, he says that decision was one of the most transformational parts of his educational experience.

“That year probably played a significant role in my development and in becoming president of the school,” he says. “I had more confidence and made more connections.”

Sebastian, a New York City native, plays varsity soccer, serves as All-School Co-President, participates in theater, and has developed a passion for community service. This summer he worked with Resilient Power Puerto Rico, a grassroots initiative to bring solar energy and green jobs to Puerto Rico, and spent time with faculty at Harvard’s Phillips Brooks House to research the history of service learning and develop a service model that supports long-lasting relationships through an established network.

“If there’s one thing I’m doing as president this year, it’s laying the groundwork for service in the next five years. KUA gives you a chance to be in a leadership role really quickly, and I’ve jumped at that. The fact that this place looks beyond your record

“I’ve never loved the city so much as when I’ve lived here, because now I have the best of both worlds.”

when you arrive and sees who you really are is beyond golden.”

Sebastian also works with the Gosselin Learning Center, a team of specialists who work closely with students from across the institution on individualized and structured support to help them navigate the academic curriculum and build lifelong skills. “One of the things I like the most about the Learning Center is that it’s a place where I can go and talk,” he says. “I realized an adult was thinking about me daily and that settled me.”

KUA, he says, is a competitive place but one where student don’t criticize other people’s hardships. “What’s really cool is that the library study rooms are at the gate of the Learning Center, so all students are using the same rooms in the same area. We’re all just trying to better ourselves. Each person has their own journey, so we’re not going to knock each other for trying to improve ourselves.”

“I love it here,” he says of KUA and the Upper Valley. “I’ve never loved the city so much as when I’ve lived here, because now I have the best of both worlds. For people who haven’t visited the Upper Valley, it’s special. I want to soak this place up.” K