Julia Russell
Sue Kemalian
Julia Russell chairs the English department, coaches field hockey and serves on the faculty evaluation team. She earned a bachelor’s in English from the University of Pennsylvania, where she also played varsity field hockey and lacrosse for four years, and a master’s in creative writing from Boston University. While teaching and coaching at Buckingham Browne and Nichols, she was awarded a Klingenstein Teaching Fellowship at Columbia University. Russell’s teaching experience also includes Wellesley College, Brown University, as well as Groton School and Lincoln Sudbury High School. She was also the director of coeduation at the Rivers School, overseeing all aspects of the transition to coeducation. She came to Nobles in 1999.
Sue Kemalian is math department chair and field hockey coach at Nobles. She earned a bachelor’s in math from Trinity College and a master’s in math from Northeastern University. Kemalian came to Nobles in 2006 after teaching at Blair Academy in New Jersey and Kent Denver School in Colorado. Kemalian is a sailor, a runner and a longtime Habitat for Humanity volunteer.
“I have taught in several other independent schools and in one of the best public school districts in New England and two things stand out for me about Nobles. So many schools talk about community, but Nobles lives and breathes it. From morning assembly four times a week, to the way the students and colleagues support each other, there is just a very positive energy that radiates through the place. People are happy to be here, students and faculty alike. I never thought the word ‘nice’ meant much (I won’t let my students use it in their writing), but the students here are nice—nice to each other and nice to adults. Getting thanked at the end of a class or even after handing out a quiz ends up making a big difference for me. As for my colleagues, I have never worked with such supportive, multi-talented, hard working, smart, and kind people. There is such good work getting done, and so much laughter.”
There is so much support for teachers at Nobles. The faculty are collegial and professional and personal development is encouraged and supported. I am always challenged to better myself as a person and teacher.
“The eagerness to learn and be challenged both on the part of the students and the faculty are what make Nobles a great place to teach. Faculty are involved in a multitude of areas outside the classroom, which helps create a strong community and lasting relationships with the students.
The relationships with students are, for me, what stands out the most. The students really respect and admire their teachers. They are excited to see their teachers on the sidelines, in the audience and as chaperones on trips. Students often just stop by my office to talk and share something good that has happened or work through a challenging issue they are managing.”
For more information about teaching at Nobles, go to www.nobles.edu or email teaching_jobs@nobles.edu.