Christina Breen
English Instructor Christina Breen has become an invaluable resource for students over the seven years that she has taught at the Academy. Before teaching at Exeter, Breen taught at Saint Mark’s School in Southborough, Massachusetts, and also spent five years helping to establish Heronfield Academy, an independent middle school in Hampton Falls, New Hampshire. Since arriving at Exeter, she has become a girls varsity lacrosse coach, dormitory head of Williams House and an advisor to Fight Club, a support group for students who have lost a parent.
In the classroom, Breen works to ensure that all her students feel comfortable contributing to the class. “I try to do a lot of work in the first week and then throughout the term where students have to rely on each other and have to get to know each other as people before knowing each other as students. That tends to break down any competitiveness at the table and instead it becomes more cooperative,” she said. She also tries to cover a range of authors, genres and time periods in the books her classes read. In her classes, Breen focuses on cultivating “growth within a trimester as opposed to trying to come up with some kind of final product.”
“It is an absolute pleasure to walk into my classroom and teach the students here everyday, and I never felt otherwise. Exeter students are extremely earnest and prepared, and they want to do well for each other and for themselves.”
When describing her teaching experience at the Academy, Breen discussed the commitment to learning that she feels within the Exeter student body. “It is an absolute pleasure to walk into my classroom and teach the students here everyday, and I never felt otherwise. Exeter students are extremely earnest and prepared, and they want to do well for each other and for themselves.”
For the majority of her time at Exeter, Breen has been the dormitory head of Williams House, and she feels a connection to the dorm. “The only hard thing I think in all of the houses is that there’s only one adult living there, so you’re on duty all the time. But, I also really like how well I know these kids,” she said. The boys living in Williams House are appreciative of her efforts. Upper Aiden Roberts said, “Ms. Breen’s abundant love for anyone and everyone she knows is heartwarming. She a mother, a mentor, a role model and most of all, a friend. And that is what makes Williams House such a great dorm.” Another member of Williams House, senior Jake Malasek, agreed. “She’s a great dorm fac, always on call if any of us needs anything. She acts kind of like the mom for all 12 of us,” Malasek said.
Breen also serves as the head coach of the girls’ varsity lacrosse team. “Going out to lacrosse every afternoon is really fun,” Breen said. “They work very hard, and they’ve really helped to build a good culture on that team.” Team members love the culture that Breen has created. “She has us follow these traditions, one of which is to line our bags and sticks in a perfect line each practice and game,” said lower Tori Simon, the team’s goalie. Breen also has a tradition that helps to get rid of hierarchy and create a better team atmosphere. “One of the ways we do that is to have team buddies. You get assigned someone who is not in your grade, whom you might not know too well. They’re your buddy through the season, and you warm up everyday at practice with them.”
Other team members also acknowledged Breen’s strong team leadership. Lower Bella Hillman agreed that Breen truly cares for their team. “She emphasizes the importance of playing as a team and makes sure everyone plays a role in our success,” Hillman said. Upper Alexa Harris said that she creates an environment where everyone feels like they are an important part of the team. “Coaches who genuinely care are the best coaches,” said Harris, referring to Breen.
Hillman is grateful for the time Breen spends with her players. “Off the field, she always takes time to catch up with you and really cares for her students and players,” said Hillman. “Breen is all about helping her players develop to be the best they can be.” Simon agreed, saying, “Coach Breen cares so much about us. She goes to many of our alum’s games just to see them again.”
Breen’s role as an advisor of Fight Club also bears testament to her caring nature. Upper Meg Bolan spoke of the genuine concern that Breen has for her students. Bolan is both a member of Fight Club and a lacrosse player, so Bolan and Breen are close. Bolan expressed her appreciation for Breen as an “an ideal discussion facilitator.” According to Bolan, Breen always brings people into the Fight Club discussions, never hesitant to inquire about classes and family life. Like Roberts and Malesak, Bolan also views Breen as a “second mom” at Exeter. “She is so in-tune with how the group is feeling, and that is a tough skill to come across, so it is truly a blessing that she is part of fight club,” Bolan said.
The immense amount of empathy that Breen possesses is also present in her off-campus interests. She has completed the Pan-Mass Challenge, a 192 mile bike ride from Sturbridge, Massachusetts, to the tip of Cape Cod. The Challenge raises money for the Dana Farber Cancer Institute for research. Bolan emphasized Breen’s habit of setting goals for herself and for her students. “If you have a goal in mind and you don’t have the means to reach it, she will do anything to help you. She does it for so many people,” said Bolan. “She gives students options on different ways to express themselves.”