by Ava Cashman ’24
KO is happy to welcome Upper School Latin teacher Stephen Sullivan to campus this year! Mr. Sullivan brings a passion for teaching, a love for sports, and care for the community that is sure to make an impact here at KO.
Mr. Sullivan’s long journey in the study of Latin began in high school at Brooks School. He went on to receive his Bachelor’s Degree in history at the College of the Holy Cross, where he also took extensive coursework in the study of classics.
Mr. Sullivan has had a storied teaching career, with over 17 years of experience teaching at many local schools such as East Catholic High School, Fairfield Country Day School, and, most recently, Renbrook School.
While coaching middle school football at Renbrook school, Mr. Sullivan had a small interaction with KO that made the world of an impression on him. “When I taught at Renbrook, I coached the middle school football team there, and I was very impressed by the KO students, the players, and the coaching staff,” he shared. “Everyone was very polite, very kind. They beat our team up a little bit, but they did it in a way that was very respectful. After that I’ve always thought very highly of KO. It was my first experience of the school and I’m glad I’m here.”
At KO, Mr. Sullivan is looking forward to teaching Latin 2, a combined section of Latin 3 and 4, AP Latin, and a mythology elective. Outside of the classroom, Mr. Sullivan is an advisor for Form 3 and helps coach both the JV and Varsity football teams. “It’s been great! Coach Batory is awesome,” Mr. Sullivan added. “He and Coach Kocay and everybody else on the staff have been very welcoming and helpful.”
Latin has been a driving force intellectually for Mr. Sullivan. His experiences in studying the history of the Romans and the Latin language have developed his academic ethos. “I try to use more of a modern language approach,” Mr. Sullivan described. “I teach history in Latin, and it doesn’t have to be just Roman culture now; we can embrace all cultures using Latin as that vehicle to explore everything.”
Mr. Sullivan praised the Latin program that former KO teacher Maureen Lamb built. As fate would have it, Mr. Sullivan said so while sitting on the Adirondack chairs outside of Roberts that Ms. Lamb adored. During his time at KO, Mr. Sullivan hopes to connect with his students and get the community more excited about Latin.
When he is not teaching Latin and mythology, coaching football, and spending time with his advisees, Mr. Sullivan enjoys many hobbies. He has a passion for Dungeons and Dragons, is an avid hockey fan, and enjoys playing chess and video games in his free time.
Mr. Sullivan, when asked his favorite aspect of KO so far, reflected on his entry into the community. “I’ve had a couple of first days in my teaching career. My first day at KO was the best I can remember.”
KO is excited to welcome Mr. Sullivan to the community and we are looking forward to seeing how he helps the Latin department grow!
