Seth Burton Bardo English Instructor PA Start Date: 1981 Notable Attire: Cowboy boots Interests: Travel, politics, literature, jazz, history, and bicycling Retirement Plans: Bardo hopes to rent an apartment “somewhere between Boston and Andover” and to volunteer at a program like ScholarMatch, which helps students whose parents have not been to college navigate the application process. He also plans to listen to a lot of jazz— both live and recorded—read books, and spend time with his granddaughter, Greyson.
Seth B. Bardo
E
clectic. Compassionate. Radical. Creative. Tough. The list of descriptive words for English instructor Seth Bardo paints the portrait of a teacher many recall fondly as one who encouraged—and sometimes pushed—them to be their best selves.
Former students remembered their teacher’s warmth, compassion, and authenticity: calling a student to offer encouragement after a rough day; sharing his zeal for The New Yorker and homemade calzones; reaching out to a student whose father died during the year.
“Mr. Bardo was a fearlessly bold, inspired, and visionary teacher,” wrote Margot VBS Maltzahn ‘95. “In an ecosystem as intense and unyielding as [Andover’s], however, it was how radically human he was—and how humane—that truly set him apart.”
Bardo fondly recalls raising his children, Jesse ’03, Aaron ’04, and Hannah ’10, on campus with his wife, Sarah. Noting all the work she has done to support PA and her husband’s work, Bardo says of her, “She is a true community participant.” He also acknowledged dear colleagues Diane Moore, Jim Sheldon, Shirley Veenema, Elaine Crivelli, and Aya Murata, with whom he has created lifelong friendships.
Known for his challenging classes and energetic teaching style, Bardo taught English 100, as well as some of the first interdisciplinary courses at PA, including Rosebud and The Essential Gesture. But it was a course dedicated to the Vietnam War that many remember as a pivotal moment in their Andover education. “My favorite class of all time was a class he taught, Literature from the Vietnam War,” says Ai-jen Poo ’92, labor organizer, founder of the National Domestic Workers Alliance, and recipient of the 2016 Claude Moore Fuess Award (see page 24).
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When asked how he thought students would describe him, Bardo replied without hesitation: “As a hard-ass and whimsical.” Those traits certainly shine through in the numerous farewell and congratulatory notes sent in from alumni around the world, who acknowledged how meaningful their former instructor is to them. “Mr. Bardo has been one of the shaping influences in my life. With his quick wit, keen intelligence, and kind heart, he made my time at Andover unforgettable,” wrote Hannah Beinecke ’12.