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Trip Powers

List of 4 frequently asked questions.

  • What did you do before coming to work at Millbrook?

    After graduating from St. George’s in 1988, I decided to take a gap year. I went to Washington, D.C. where I ended up landing a fulltime job working in a congressional office.

    I then went on to earn my B.A. in History from Emory University and returned to politics soon after. At the time, targeting and polling software was very new, and my job was to develop and use the software to help direct campaign strategy. I worked on a handful of campaigns, including the Clinton campaign in 1992, and at the Democratic National Committee.

    While this experience was exciting and I learned a lot of useful skills, I realized that I did not want to work in politics forever. So, I applied to graduate school, and went on to study teaching at Lewis & Clark College, and earned my M.A. there.

    While at Lewis & Clark, I interned with the Lake Oswego School District in Oregon. They hired me after my internship, and I worked there for seven years. In 2004, I wanted to move back to the Northeast to be closer to family. I applied to Millbrook and have been a member of the History Department faculty ever since.
  • Does your experience on the campaign trail influence your teaching?

    Yes, I have taught units on political campaigns. Students are required to role play members of a campaign staff, produce advertisements, engage in debates, and write issue papers. In general, my time in politics and, in particular, political advertising, has informed my teaching to make sure I try to have students deal with information at least seven times to help the transfer from short to long term memory.
  • What have your roles been outside of the classroom during your time at Millbrook?

    I have worn many hats! I have coached boys junior varsity squash and girls varsity tennis, I am the co-chair of the environmental council, and I was the director of academic technology, to name a few.
  • What do you enjoy most about working at Millbrook?

    There are a lot of things I love about teaching at Millbrook. Since my first teaching experience was with a large public school, I really appreciate the size of Millbrook. The smaller class sizes allow me to be even more invested in my students' success. Each student really is an individual here. It is also exciting to work with such talented kids with open minds because it makes our classroom discussions lively and interesting. The idea of educating younger people and not teaching them a "thing," but a way to make those choices for themselves, a way to find their truths, this is what excites me about teaching, and Millbrook is a place where I can do this.

    Editor's Note: Mr. Powers was honored for his excellence in teaching with the Kenan Chair for Excellence in Teaching award in 2014. Established in January 1998, The Kenan Chair for Excellence in Teaching is made possible by a generous gift from the William R. Kenan Jr. Charitable Trust and, in particular, by the support of Thomas S. Kenan III. The Kenan Chair acknowledges excellent teaching, characterized by a mastery of the subject matter, a passion for the material and the students being taught, a commitment to Millbrook’s ideals, and a joy for teaching.
    • The idea of educating younger people and not teaching them a "thing," but a way to make those choices for themselves, a way to find their truths, this is what excites me about teaching, and Millbrook is a place where I can do this.