Computer Science teacher Dr. Glenda Guerrero heads back to Saint Peter’s after 31 years

Julia Bouchut Staff Writer

“She’s been involved in every aspect of computer science and technology since the establishment of the department here,” Computer Science and Engineering Department Chair Dr. Jason Gaines said about computer science teacher Dr. Glenda Guerrero, the first female Computer Science Department Chair. “You cannot walk around this campus without seeing somebody who has been directly influenced by her professional work.”

Guerrero has been teaching at the school since the summer of 1992. She obtained her master’s degree at Teachers College, Columbia University and a doctorate degree at Saint Peter’s University. After 31 years, she will be leaving the school as she had been offered an opportunity to work as a professor of data science at Saint Peter’s University.

Guerrero was drawn to computer science due to the field’s innovation and constant adaptation, she said. Initially, she wanted to pursue a career in the corporate world where she would guide people on how to use technology. One spring day in her year at Columbia, she saw an advertisement in the hallway for a computer science teaching position at a Horace Mann summer program and decided to check it out.

Through the summer, Guerrero discovered her passion for teaching high school students, a demographic she was not very familiar with at the time. “It was a great transition to work in summer school because of the smaller class size,” she said. Guerrero became a full-time computer science teacher at the school that fall.

Through her time at the school, Guerrero worked with her colleagues to teach relevant material and increase students’ access to computer science.

With Robotics Coordinator Jason Torres, Guerrero developed a program which started in the Lower Division and now continues through the Middle Division and Upper Division, creating a path for students to learn important engineering skills. “We wanted to have everybody collaboratively work across divisions and focus on the two ends,” she said.

Guerrero has tried to focus on inclusivity and representation within computer science and engineering, and mentorships exclusively for girls and individuals who self-identify as Latin-X people, she said. In the spring of 2021, she hosted a webinar with the Office of Identity, Culture, and Institutional Equity (ICIE) and parents of students who identified as Latinx, where alumni spoke about their experience with STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math) beyond the school. At the request of female students, she created and coached the Girls Robotics Team, which served as an affinity space in a predominantly male-dominated field.

Guerrero has had a tremendous impact on the students she teaches, Gaines said. Between the “how are you feeling chart” displayed at the start of each class, to spending extra time with students to make sure that they understand the content, it is clear that she really cares about them, he said. “It’s a true testament when people you taught who don’t actually have to come and see you anymore, ten, 15 years later, will come in and say, ‘I want to hang out with Dr. Guerrero.’”

The classes Guerrero taught in the MD served as a foundation for many students who would continue on to pursue computer science in high school. Engineering teacher Sam Gruen ‘04 was first exposed to the world of computer science in Guerrero’s class. Due to technological changes, the class was very different from today, and it gave a lot of students access to devices such as computers that not everyone had at home. From his experience in her classroom to now, Gruen has noticed that Guerrero consistently fosters an encouraging environment and culture, for both students and faculty. Additionally, many students feel Guerrero always prioritizes their well-being and happiness in the class- room. Guerrero introduced mindfulness-related activities, which were a nice break from the daily pressures of school, Nikita Pande (10) said. Many of these activities were not strictly related to computer science, but practiced important skills like creative thinking and patience, she said. “There was a big emphasis on mental health and we could focus on our zen”

Even outside the classroom, Guerrero makes sure to show her support for her students. After her most recent dance concert, Pande received an email from Guerrero congratulating her on her performance, she said. “It was a nice little surprise,” she said. “She went out of her way to recognize and come out to support her students and that’s going above and beyond what teachers are expected to do.”

Advisory was another place where Guerrero fostered a community, Ellen Wang (10) said. Wang especially bonded with Guerrero over her passion for the flute, which Guerrero used to play, and as part of the Robotics club in sixth grade when Guerrero was the club advisor, she said. Guerrero also created a space for her advisees to get to know each other better, Wang said. For example, every year when the book fair came, students would have to choose a book for a fellow advisee, allowing them to be thoughtful, and Guerrero would buy the books for the advisory.

Guerrero used inside jokes to bring everyone closer in her advisory, Skylar Fraser (10) said. During sixth grade Dorr, Fraser remembers everyone in her advisory opting for pineapple rather than the other food options. From that moment on, their advisory was dubbed “the pineapple advisory” and became a running theme throughout middle school. “I still have a pineapple cup she gave us,” Fraser said. “It was really cute.”

Through small gestures, Guerrero extended care and appreciation to her colleagues. At the beginning of every school year, Guerrero would bring everyone from the department souvenirs from her travels, Torres said. “You kind of look forward to those little trinkets and keychains.” She also writes cards to her colleagues expressing her support and congratulations to them, he said.

One of Guerrero’s close relationships was her “lunch table”, which over the years has included math teachers Tom Petras and Robert Potts, Help Desk & Operations & Technical Support Specialist Sheryl Baker, and Director of Technology Adam Kenner, Head of Admissions Jason Caldwell, Jason Torres as well as former colleagues Nancy Buzzuro, Lionel Garrison, Ilene Rothchild, Nick Faba, Janet Smith, Susan Garrison, Dora Barlaz, Rudy Reiblien, and Andy Newcombe. “I want to give kudos to those members of my community because they have heard my woes and my happiness,” Guerrero said. “They definitely made Horace Mann feel like home.”

Physical Education Teacher Meredith Cullen will also deeply miss Guerrero, both professionally and as a friend, she said. Guerrero will be missed in so many ways that people might not realize yet, as she does so much for the school, she said. “She’s literally the perfect role model in every way, student, teacher, friend, parent, she’s the whole package. She’s one of my dearest friends here and I would want my children to be taught by her. She’s just one of the best souls on the planet.”

Guerrero will miss the school and is grateful for her time here. Asked if she has any final thoughts, she simply said: “Thank you, HM!”