Faculty of the Week: Corrine Plunto
Ellina Kim / The Exonian
By CARLY CANSECO, AARYAN PATEL, HENRY WISE, and SOPHIE ZHU
Annually, Exeter welcomes several new, qualified faculty to its community. Often, it takes time for them to acclimate and establish a prominent presence on campus. Especially for individuals new to teaching at high schools or interns, adjusting can be extremely difficult. For Corrine Plunto, despite a short two-term tenure at the Academy, there has been no hindrance to her ability to impact students and faculty on campus positively.
Before coming to Exeter, Plunto studied at Dickinson College, a private liberal arts college in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, and transitioned to a teaching career there. Plunto began working as a writing tutor who worked with many professors in the history department. Plunto found the art of writing quite challenging to teach. However, understanding its importance, she explained, “I enjoyed getting to watch that ‘aha’ moment after a student was struggling. You can feel the relief oozing out of them.” It was these types of moments where Plunto realized her love for teaching and working with students each day and what subsequently pushed her to continue her future in education.
Transitioning to Exeter was not as challenging for Plunto as many would expect. Due to Exeter’s college preparatory and academically rigorous nature, Plunto explained, “In many ways, the expectations are the same. And in a few years, you’ll be in college where the campus is different, teachers instead of professors, and you guys are a little younger.”
Regarding her choice to teach history, Plunto had always enjoyed the subject. She recalled, “It was always one of my best subjects in high school and before. It was just something that I liked. But I always wondered, what will you do with a history degree?” Due to this dilemma, Plunto began college as an archaeology major, then soon realized that she did not enjoy much of the science in practice. Exploring another path, Plunto took a few history courses and recognized her joy in learning about the past. “I saw that history is not just wars and politics but can be everything. History is sports, history is music, history is art, history is the clothes that we wear, and that’s what got me excited because it’s not just, you know, war and presidents. It’s like everything.” So far at Exeter, Plunto has taught the first two terms of US History, 410 and 420.
Plunto has fostered an open, respectful environment that has cultivated brilliant ideas in her current two US History sections. “We have a really comfortable environment in class,” upper Dylan Richardson said. “Ms. Plunto has done a great job setting up a pretty chill, open space to discuss in, which has been great for our class dynamic.”
“[Plunto] has a great attitude in class,” upper Andrew Boova added. “She’s very upbeat and loves working with us, and she’s very passionate about her job, which is great in an 8 a.m. class when no one has any energy.”
As a dorm faculty in Moulton House, Plunto’s small, tight-knit community residence has positively impacted the students around her.
“Ms. Plunto pushes you to get out of your comfort zone and advocate for yourself all the time,” upper Vida Ntem-Mensah said. “In the dorm, she’s always available to help with papers, talk about your social life issues and mental health, and tell us to prioritize ourselves. It’s positive to see another young woman in a female space there as like a role model.”
“One of the things that we, [Moulton House residents], appreciate about her is that she’s willing to talk to us about anything,” lower Minnie Kim remarked. “I can notice that a lot more people are around in the common room every Sunday. People like to hang out with her because she is easy to talk to.”
Plunto’s colleagues also recognize her as a great teacher and an even better person. Troy Samuels, Instructor in History, explained, “I think, professionally, it is a joy to work with someone so dedicated and passionate about what they are doing. I’ve watched her interact with students I teach, and the commitment to excellent teaching and passion for the study of history and all its nuances are delightful.” Samuels continued, “It’s always wonderful to have somebody excited and not jaded, like us old folks are.”
“Ms. Plunto has been so thoughtful about learning from as many people in the history department as she can,” Instructor in History Susannah Finan said. “I think the thing that I’ve seen the most is just these nice relationships she’s built with so many different people in the history department, and how she just seeks and accepts advice. She has an amazing sense of humility and is open to learning from other people and trying out other people’s strategies, which is impressive and not easy.”
“My favorite thing about working with her is that as one of the other new department members, it’s so great to have her as a sounding board and someone I can sit with and talk with,” Finan elaborated. “She’s been really helpful to me as I’ve been thinking through things I’ve been doing for my U.S. history class because we’re teaching the same class this term. She has made me think a lot more deliberately about many things that I’m doing and the way I’m teaching.”
Ntem-Mensah concluded, “I think it’s amazing that she has shown such a strong presence on campus despite being here for only two terms. She’s positively impacted so many of us, and I truly appreciate that.”
