Inna “Mama” Sysevich
It’s no wonder why everyone calls Modern Languages Instructor Inna Sysevich by a different name. After years as a teacher and dorm head, few people on campus think of her as anyone but “Mama.” Whether she’s leading engaging Russian classes or spending Friday night dorm duty laughing with students, Sysevich has become a second mother to students, inside and outside of her classroom.
Born in the Soviet Union, in present-day Ukraine, Sysevich was 29 years old when she first immigrated to the U.S. to teach. She considered her profession as a way to maintain a youthful mindset. “ I really wanted to be a teacher, always,” said Sysevich. “This way you get to hide in high school all your life. You don’t really need to grow up or anything.” She was working at a day school in Dover, New Hampshire when a friend told her about an opening in the Modern Languages Department at Phillips Exeter Academy.
Sysevich’s first visit to the school would set the tone for her future at the Academy. She had come to drop off her resume, but as she prepared to do so, she realized she had no idea how to spell the department head’s name; hilarity ensued. “It was Mr. Reiter; he’s the best man in the world,” said Sysevich, “but I didn’t want to embarrass myself. So I thought, ‘I’ll just go to the post office, drop my resume in his cubby, and ask how to spell his name while I’m there.’ So I went in, and there was a man in the window, and I asked him, ‘Will you please tell me how to spell Mr. Reiter’s name,’ and he said, ‘I am Mr. Reiter!’” To this day, Sysevich is at a loss as to why the head of the Modern Languages Department would be working behind the post office desk. But despite her rocky first visit to campus, Sysevich left her interview determined to get the job. Simply put, she fell in love with the school: “Coming home after the interview, I thought, ‘If they don’t give me a job, I will have to die.’ I loved it! I visited Mr. Shapiro’s class and the kids were eating out of his hands, like little sparrows. And I really loved the table. I loved the quality of the kids, and the rapport they had with the teachers.” When Reiter called a few days later, to tell her she got the job, Sysevich remembered that she responded so enthusiastically she was worried he’d retract the offer. “I was jumping up and down,” she said, “This was around 1995, and I haven’t looked back once.”
“Everyone defines it differently; every dorm head has a different idea of what the job means. For me, if I had to put it into one sentence, my role is to help them grow up."
Upon her arrival in 1996, Sysevich quickly adapted to Exeter’s unique pedagogy. She recalled how, in her first few years as a teacher at the Academy, her teaching style was largely influenced by her students and colleagues. “I saw the classrooms. I learned from people in my department and I learned by listening to the interesting opinions of other faculty,” she said. This period of observation allowed Sysevich to refine her teaching technique, and solidify her identity as a teacher.
Despite being at Exeter for over 20 years, her classroom has remained consistent, as Exeter has given her the freedom to develop and utilize her own unique teaching style. “I was always able to be myself,” she elaborated. “My first year, I was always asking Mr. Shapiro—who was the other Russian teacher—a bunch of questions, and he always said to me, ‘We hire people and we let them teach. Use your instincts.’”
Sysevich’s instincts have guided her well, even as she took on another full time job outside of the classroom when she became the dorm head of Abbot Hall, a position that she held for twelve years. She personally viewed her dorm head position as an opportunity to nurture students. Sysevich explained, “Everyone defines it differently; every dorm head has a different idea of what the job means. For me, if I had to put it into one sentence, my role is to help them grow up.” Being dorm head also allowed her to spend more time with students—her favorite part of the job.
Mama has shared too many memorable moments with her Abbott students to pick a favorite, but she mentioned a particularly unforgettable night a few years ago, during winter term. One of her students begged her to accompany them on a trip across campus after check-in to return a computer to a student in Kirtland House. While returning to Abbott Hall, they noticed lights on in the music center, and upon entering the building, received a private concert from Mr. Sinclair. To Sysevich, the experience really illustrated Exeter faculty’s passion for their fields. “It’s this amazing experience, when you just intend to hand over a computer and come back, only to end up with a private concert given to you by some Exeter teachers, because they love doing it,” she said. “I think those guys remember that day, and I know I always will.”
Currently, Sysevich is on duty in Abbot Hall every Friday night, but has stepped down from her role as dorm head in order to move into a house in town. Every week, Abbot Hall’s residents eagerly await her arrival to see what topics she will discuss and what jokes she will make. Upper Joaquin Riojas described Sysevich’s positive impact on dorm life: “When Mama is on duty in Abbott, the dorm seems to take on a new life. Whatever room she is in becomes the place to be; everyone crowds around her to hear what she has to say.” Riojas added that spending time with Mama has become a Friday night staple. “Abbot’s seeing Mama on Friday nights is like Christians going to church on Sundays, it’s tradition,” he explained.
Sysevich brings this same level of spirit and humor to her Russian classes. Perhaps one of the most distinctive aspects of Sysevich’s teaching style is her frequent use of personal anecdotes. Many students find Sysevich’s stories to be beneficial to their growth as Russian language learners. Lower Gracie Goodwin praised Mama for adding cultural context to her classes. “She tells us a lot about Russian culture in class, so not only do we get to learn about the language, but she also tells us about politics and what Russia was like when she was growing up,” Goodwin said. Such stories have helped Goodwin connect with Sysevich. Because of her humorous and caring nature, Sysevich has become to Goodwin what she has become to countless other Exonians—a beloved instructor and an honorary mother.