Summer is over, classes have begun and as the sixth form prepares for their final year at Fieldston they are joined by a new dean, Mr. Vincent Drybala. Their former dean, Anthony Marro, will take over as the Interim High School Principal. Although Marro will no longer be leading the Class of 2022, it is clear amongst the class that he made a lasting impact on his students. All of the grades at Fieldston Middle and Upper have their own dean; a job that calls for leadership, empathy and a mind dedicated to supporting student life.
Recently, I had the opportunity to sit down with Drybala and discuss his new position in detail. Drybala admires how well the Class of 2022 has responded to the many obstacles the COVID-19 Pandemic has thrown at them.
While further discussing his new class, Drybala said: “I am really looking forward to this experience because the students themselves are a considerate group of individuals and I feel very lucky to work with such a class.”
Drybala recognizes that this is a challenging and unexplored time, but he knows the job well as he has been working at Fieldston since he was 22. Drybala began his work here as a coach and has now graduated four advisories and served as the head of the English department for several years. This semester he will teach the highly popular class The New Yorker: An Interdisciplinary Study Between Media and Culture. This fan-favorite is an English elective offered for fifth and sixth formers that focuses on the connections between media, culture and literature.
“We must analyze and dig into our news sources and refrain from taking anything at face value,” said Drybala during our interview.
Drybala points out the need to think for ourselves and to not let others comprise our opinions. He plans to continue to bring the best version of himself to school every day so that he can always be there when it comes to supporting student life.
“This job is what brings so much color to my life. Every day I am learning from my students as they teach me how to care more deeply about the world,” said Drybala.
