From Student to Teacher: Coming Full Circle at MCCPS
April 25, 2025 | Nicholas Santoro, MCCPS Alum
I began attending Marblehead Community Charter Public School (MCCPS) in 5th grade. My mom has always been drawn to innovation, and she was excited by the school’s emphasis on project based learning. Especially after I was diagnosed with ADD, my parents wanted an academic environment that would allow me to be both up and out of my seat and learning, and that’s what MCCPS offered.
I realize now that the school’s focus on presenting our work to the community through “exhibitions,” prepared me well for my future. Working toward a deliverable, a deadline that couldn’t be shifted, was so formative. MCCPS gave me a healthy introduction to the accountability and public speaking skills that real life asks of us. I learned how to carry the conversation with people of all ages, to stand on my own two feet, and to be a leader.
Later, when I studied art at Whittier College, I easily incorporated what I was learning in art history into my studio art work. Integrating knowledge across disciplines had become second nature because MCCPS had ingrained that skill in me. That experience of integration – of letting subjects and ideas interact – really helped me to stand out and stay grounded in college.
After graduating, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do. I returned to my high school job of teaching snowboarding. What began as a way to earn money and improve my own snowboarding gradually turned into something more meaningful. I became more interested in how people learn and how to help them grow. I realized that people often get stuck on one fear — falling downhill, for example — and that if I could identify the fear, I could help them move through it. That realization sparked a deeper interest in teaching.
As a teacher, I have so much opportunity to be creative and to learn. I now work as both a humanities and special ed teacher. I tend to get really interested in something new every couple of months, and I love diving deep into a subject with my students whether it’s the Mesoamericans or commas. The process of learning something deeply and then making it meaningful for others is so satisfying. I get to be a student, but I have the wisdom now that comes with age and experience. Sometimes I think, if only I knew then what I know now, I would have crushed it in middle school!
I believe in the charter public school concept. I’m proud to be part of a movement that prioritizes transformation, integration, and impact for students. What was once cutting-edge in education has now become more mainstream, which challenges us to find new ways to innovate on behalf of kids. I believe it’s an exciting time – as educators, there’s always something new for us to try, collect data on, share, and push out into the zeitgeist.
