Religion and Philosophy teacher Emma-Claire Sunday is new to Lawrenceville this year, but she’s already excited to be immersed in her student’s lives. What courses would she take if she were a Lawrentian? What would she like every prospective student to know about Lawrenceville? Find out this and more in 5 Questions 4, the School’s sometimes serious, sometimes funny, quick take interview with Lawrenceville students and faculty.

 If you would like to participate in 5 Questions 4 – or nominate someone for an interview – please email lgillard@lawrenceville.org. 

How does being involved in so many aspects of a Lawrentian’s school life (teacher, coach, club advisor, House team, etc.) help you make the Lawrenceville experience better for each student?

I come from an outdoor education and summer camp background, where everyone is committed to living and working in an intentional community. This made for a smooth transition to Lawrenceville, where faculty get to know and nurture not just a student's academic life, but their hobbies, their hopes, their internal struggles, and their big life milestones. Being involved in a holistic way like this makes Lawrenceville an environment where a student's whole personhood is affirmed and celebrated.

What would you like every prospective student to know about the School?

There are classes here that you can't find anywhere else. A big reason why I wanted to work at the Lawrenceville School is because teachers are encouraged to develop bold new courses and reimagine what is possible in the classroom. As a student here, you'll be in an environment where exciting courses are always being pitched and implemented, courses entirely unique to the Lawrenceville community.

What Lawrenceville class would you like to take?

Botany & Boatbuilding, Radical Love in African American Literature, and Mythological Theatre: Gods, Heroes, and Monsters

If you could be part of a Harkness discussion with any three figures from history, who would you choose?

I come from a long line of educators, everything from college presidents to Quaker schoolhouse teachers. I would love to invite three of my ancestors from three different centuries to talk about how teaching styles and classroom instruction have changed throughout American history!

What book inspired you to think differently or do something out of your comfort zone?

I haven't been the same since reading “Braiding Sweetgrass” by Robin Wall Kimmerer. Her approach to ecology and sustainability blends the scientific with the sacred, and she encourages in each reader a deeper appreciation for the world around them that is grounded in Indigenous wisdom and communal well-being.

For additional information, contact Lisa M. Gillard H'17, director of public relations, at lgillard@lawrenceville.org.