Deborah Harmon P ’21, ’22

— Deborah (Nyberg) Harmon

At this point, Cushing Academy is as much a part of Deb Nyberg Harmon’s life as she is of it. Since coming here in 1992, Deb met her husband of 22 years (Donald Harmon, a Cushing athletic trainer) and has raised two children (Harry ’21 and Jane ’22) while living on campus. Deb has served as a dorm parent; coached soccer, lacrosse, and tennis; and helped to establish student life traditions such as the All-School Handshake and the Team Cushing event that evolved into the Dorm Olympics. And as a teacher in the English and Academic Support departments, Deb has helped numerous students unlock their potential. “The best part of my job is watching students grow and find success,” Deb said. She often hears from alumni with updates—weddings, babies, going to grad school, and launching careers as engineers, teachers, artists and entrepreneurs. “I feel very proud of where my students have gone in their lives.”

Deb was attracted to Cushing because of the school’s philosophy of meeting students where they are, and she describes being an Academic Support teacher as being a coach. “I often work with students who have academic scars,” she explained. “I work on building trust so that students know we’re in this together. My question for each student is: How can I support you in succeeding? Helping students figure that out is very fulfilling.” She often works with students throughout their entire time in the Academic Support program, meeting almost daily throughout the school year. “I grow very close with parents as well as students,” Deb said, “because a student’s learning differences may have been a struggle for the whole family. Parents are so appreciative that we are all on the same team.” The field of academic support has changed a lot since Deb began teaching. “When I first started, the concept of ADHD was still new and lots of people questioned whether it was a true issue,” she said. “Now teachers, parents, and students have a greater awareness of the spectrum of learning and the value of understanding where an individual falls on that spectrum, depending on what they are trying to learn.” Because the field is constantly changing, Deb is grateful that Cushing Academy has supported professional development; she has attended conferences, heard expert speakers, and recently completed a certification in neurodiversity through Landmark College in Vermont. “One of the great things about Cushing is that I’ve always been encouraged to stay on top of current trends in the field,” she said. “We continue to learn more every day about how the brain works and that research has to be part of your thinking to best meet the needs of each individual student.”

Other fond memories from over the years include coaching Varsity Girls' Soccer when they won the 1999 New England championship and watching her children grow up and find their own success as Cushing students. Deb recently received a holiday card from an alumnus who remembered babysitting for Deb’s children and had now become a mother herself. “She sent a photo of her baby and remarked on how my children are now entering the college years,” Deb said. “That’s the kind of long-lasting relationship that we build with students here.”