Path to Follow Podcast

"We're in a unique position at Gilman to get to know our students really well." //

Matt Herman is a college counselor, US History teacher, and golf coach at Gilman School. //

On Episode #62 of the Path to Follow Podcast, Jake and Matt discuss the college application season, the bulk of the job as a college counselor, writing supplemental college essays, the "why" essays, word limits, what makes a strong college recommendation letter, how Matt became a college counselor and history teacher, Matt's favorite aspects of college counseling, handling high college expectations and pressures, coaching soccer and golf, the curriculum of Matt's US History course, the first Thanksgiving, Malcolm Gladwell's 'Revisionist History' podcast, and Matt's book recommendation: 'The Four Winds' by Kristin Hannah (2021). //

Enjoy the episode? Please follow @pathtofollowpod on all platforms. More to come! //

Many thanks to Cesare Ciccanti for all of his efforts on podcast production. //

Devina Bhalla is a Penn Fellow, Upper School English teacher, and swimming and water polo coach at Gilman School. She graduated from Tufts University in 2020 and enjoys swimming, writing, and reading. //

On Episode #61 of the Path to Follow Podcast, Jake and Devina discuss Devina's first months of teaching at Gilman, the University of Pennsylvania Teaching Fellowship, attending boarding school at Suffield Academy, studying English and sociology at Tufts, "The Age of Unreason," 'Fantomina' by Eliza Haywood, Devina's swimming background and legendary coach Andy Lowe, the process of book publication, 'Shelves of Art and the People Between,' and Devina's book recommendation: Gabriel García Márquez's 'One Hundred Years of Solitude.' //

Enjoy the episode? Please follow @pathtofollowpod on all platforms. More to come! // 

Many thanks to Cesare Ciccanti for all of his efforts on podcast production. //

Laura Soden is an Upper School mathematics teacher at Gilman School, volleyball and basketball coach, and former Hamline University Piper. //

On Episode #60 of the Path to Follow Podcast, Jake and Laura discuss teaching mathematics during the pandemic, freshmen and sophomore year of high school, growing up in Minnesota, playing volleyball and basketball at Hamline University in Saint Paul, life skills learned in woodshop, Laura's family connections at Gilman, the value of geometry, the freedoms she finds teaching at Gilman, important study skills, developing a coaching "style," college recruiting advice, and Laura's book recommendation: 'Home' (2016) by Harlan Coben. //

Enjoy the episode? Please follow @pathtofollowpod on all platforms. More to come! //

Many thanks to Cesare Ciccanti for all of his efforts on podcast production. //

"Early on - what drew me into it - was that I loved taking pictures and I loved finding new letters..." - Nathaniel Badder '94 //

Nathaniel Badder '94 is the Director of Alumni Relations & Outreach at Gilman School. He's a Middlebury College alum, lover of the outdoors, and the creator of 36 Letters. //

On Episode #59 of the Path to Follow Podcast, Jake and Nathaniel discuss "van life," development and alumni relations at Gilman, Nathaniel's fond memories of attending Gilman as a student, memorable teachers and coaches, 36 Letters, playing lacrosse at Middlebury College, David Foster Wallace, audiobooks, and Than'l's book recommendation: 'Jitterbug Perfume' by Tom Robbins. //

Many thanks to Cesare Ciccanti for all of his efforts on podcast production. //

"How do we make people feel known and loved? How do we demonstrate that in our actions?" //

Kevin J. O'Brien is an English teacher and lacrosse coach at University School in Hunting Valley, Ohio. //

On Episode #58 of the Path to Follow Podcast (recorded 17 June 2021), Jake and Kevin discuss picking up the sport of lacrosse for the first time, attending Phillips Academy Andover, Fitzgerald and 'The Great Gatsby,' windows and mirrors, candid conversations, the power of journaling, empathy for students, gratitude, yoga, the Bread Loaf School of English, Western Reserve Academy, mental health and well-being, and some of Kevin's several book recommendations: 'Permission to Feel' by Marc Brackett, Ph.D., 'Fear Less: How to Win Your Way in Work & Life' by Dr. Pippa Grange, and 'The Advice Trap: Be Humble, Stay Curious & Change the Way You Lead Forever' by Michael Bungay Stanier. //

Tony Incontrera is the head lacrosse coach and a history teacher at Gilman School. He won three national championships at Salisbury University and has coached at Marriotts Ridge and Mt. Hebron HS. As a head coach at Marriotts Ridge, Tony led the Mustangs to the state championship in 2018 and Howard County titles in 2017 & 2019. //

On Episode #57 of the Path to Follow Podcast, Jake and Tony discuss the origins of Tony's love for lacrosse and history, the legacy of Salisbury's Jim Berkman, the college recruiting process, H.I.T., what inspired Tony to get into coaching, Marriotts Ridge High School, visions for the Gilman Lacrosse program, off-season training, run tests, the Oregon Trail, the challenges of winning, teaching history, and Tony's book recommendations: 'The Winds of War' (2011) and 'War of Remembrance' by Herman Wouk (1987). //

Enjoy the episode? Please follow @pathtofollowpod on all platforms. More to come! //

Many thanks to the wizard Cesare Ciccanti for all of his efforts on podcast production. //

"Dante is everywhere." //

"The history of literature is the story of one grand conversation." //

"When I have fears that I may cease to be Before my pen has gleaned my teeming brain..." //

Dan Christian is an expert on Dante Alighieri's 'The Divine Comedy.' He was a high school teacher for forty-three years, and taught elective courses on Dante Alighieri, Charles Dickens, and C.S. Lewis for thirty-nine years at Gilman School. Dan earned his B.A. degree from St. Ambrose College in Davenport, Iowa, and has M.A. in Theology from St. Mary's Seminary and the University of Baltimore. //

On Episode #55 of the Path to Follow Podcast, Jake and Dan discuss Dante Alighieri's 'The Divine Comedy,' Dan's first years of teaching, "keep playing," 'Il Postino,' the value of memorizing poetry, books as living things, John Keats, what Dan would ask Dante, compiling essays written by students, the pairing between folk music and Dante, Harry Chapin, creative repurposing, and the wizardry of Cesare Ciccanti. //

Enjoy the episode? Please follow @pathtofollowpod on all platforms. More to come! //

Many thanks to the WIZARD Cesare Ciccanti for all of his efforts on podcast production. //

"The best cartoons have the fewest words." //

Signe Wilkinson is a Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial cartoonist. She began cartooning for the Philadelphia Daily News and the Philadelphia Inquirer in 1985, and her cartoons are syndicated by the Washington Post Writer's Group. In 2021, she illustrated Jonathan Zimmerman's book, 'Free Speech: And Why You Should Give a Damn.' //

On Episode #55 of the Path to Follow Podcast, Jake and Signe discuss how Signe began a career in cartooning, her creative process, finding ideas for cartoons, the importance of timing in cartooning, complaints and criticism, the issue of free speech, the origin of Signe's book collaboration with Jonathan Zimmerman, vicious cartoonists from history, Thomas Nast, Signe's best cartoons, blowing up on Reddit, and 'Free Speech: And Why You Should Give a Damn' (2021). //

Many thanks to the all-powerful Cesare Ciccanti for all of his efforts on podcast production. //

"I see remarkable things. The future seems dim sometimes - it just looks like the world's never going to get to be better - but if I have to judge by what's happening at Gilman, it's going to get a lot better." //

Andre Jones is a LEGENDARY middle school geography teacher at Gilman. He spent 33 years teaching in Anne Arundel County public schools before coming to Gilman in 2007. He is retiring at the end of the 2020-21 school year. //

On Episode #54 of the Path to Follow Podcast, Jake and Andre talk about Andre's retirement from Gilman, how Andre found Gilman, teaching geography, the teacher who made the biggest impact on Andre, Gilman's mission, global overpopulation, competing with China, what's unique about the US, the Moderna vaccine, focusing on the geography of the Eastern Hemisphere, Andre's international journeys, homelessness in the US versus Africa, traveling to the border of the US and Mexico, the Pacific Northwest, and Andre's book recommendations: 'Company Man' (1992) by Brent Wade and 'Exit the Rainmaker' (1989) by Jonathan Coleman. //

Enjoy the episode? Please follow @pathtofollowpod on all platforms. More to come! //

Many thanks to the all-powerful Cesare Ciccanti for all of his efforts on podcast production. //

"Yes, I'm their leader, but we're on the same team." //

On Episode #53 of the Path to Follow Podcast, Jake and Will discuss building team culture during the pandemic, the intangibles of a team leader, Jeff Gouline's character development program for Gilman teams, Coach Bartz's early basketball influences, Gregg Popovich, Landry Kosmalski of Swarthmore Basketball, learning from successful coaches, Pete Carril, honesty with players, the best leaders Coach Bartz has ever coached, fake masculinity, and Will's book recommendation: 'Season of Life' (2004) by Jeffrey Marx. //

Enjoy the episode? Please follow @pathtofollowpod on all platforms. More to come! //

Many thanks to the all-powerful Cesare Ciccanti for all of his efforts on podcast production. //