Mrs. Amy-June Remy teaches math at Bellingham High School, as well as SAT, ISEE, and 5th -12th grade math classes at ASC English (a mostly Asian school in Boston) on Saturdays and she privately tutors 15-20 students each week. She is the Adviser to the BHS Math Club, the Coach of the BHS Math Team, the Adviser to the National Honor Society in Bellingham, and the Adviser to the Bellingham Youth Volunteer Association. She is currently on the Advisory Board for the State NHS council, and has been a church Youth Leader and Missions Team Leader for adult and teen trips to Haiti. Mrs. Remy finds opportunities for her students to further their leadership skills and expand their horizons. She has taken them to National Leadership Conferences in Denver CO, Albuquerque NM, Phoenix AZ, Chicago IL, and Washington DC. She has also taken them to meet astronauts, authors, state representatives, senators, and scientists. She encourages them to present workshops for their peers at State Leadership Conferences, and connects them to opportunities to serve on the Massachusetts State Youth Council.
- Amy, did you always know that you wanted to serve others and help today’s youth?
I knew in college that I wanted to be a math teacher and work with high school students.
- Can you walk us through how you first got started in your career path?
I tried to switch my major in college, but my father wouldn’t let me, so I actually have my undergraduate degree in electrical engineering rather than teaching. About five years after I graduated I was asked to help create a high school math program for a private academy that was expanding. I taught junior high and high school math courses there for about 10 years.
- How did you handle the bumps in the road? Were there any moments when you wondered if all your hard work was worth it?
I took a sabbatical in 2006 to home-school three of my five children. It was a really fun year for our family. I had applied to teach at a public school, but did not get a response until a year later!
- I’m wondering if you can help us understand what you attribute your success to.
My success is largely due to a realization that my career is not just a job—it’s a calling in life to make a difference. Sometimes I do not fully understand the impact that I may have had on a student for many years, but when the stories are told—it’s very humbling. One of my students actually wrote an autobiography in which my husband and I were influential in shaping her view of herself. She was severely abused as a child and expressed in the book that we were the only couple that she spent time with where she truly felt loved. Many of my former students drop by when they’re in town to have dinner with us and catch up. Some live as far away as Africa and Romania.
- What do teens need today more than anything else?
Teens need to know that someone cares about them as a person—not just a grade on a paper.
- What would you tell a teen who was struggling?
I would tell them that their circumstances and situations do not have to define who they are. Many people fail classes and fail in their attempts at success, but their perseverance is what leads to the fulfillment of their potential. Don’t give up!!
- Amy, what else do you want to tell us about what you do and what you want to eventually be doing?
I am in the process of applying for a position on a team that sets up National Leadership Conferences in the United States. I am hoping to be able to travel while still creating opportunities for students to learn about leadership and understand how to dream BIG.
- Can you please share with all of us something else that I should have asked you?
I started out in a single parent home, the youngest of five children. We moved 15 times by the time I was 13. My mom helped me with the first two years of college, and then I paid for the rest of my education after my step-father passed away. I was determined to finish school and I was the very first child in my family to earn a college degree.
- How can people get in touch with you if they have additional questions?
Unfortunately, I am not on Facebook, Twitter, or most social media, but I do have an email address: AmyJune@comcast.net
Thanks for your time Amy and keep up the good work! Our youth needs more people like you!
Daniel Blanchard
Author and Speaker of the Granddaddy’s Secrets teen leadership book series.
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