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Faculty Profile: Patty Garcia-Pedroso

January 14th, 2019

Por el amor a South Kent

It’s been over 15 years since Patty Garcia-Pedroso first visited the Hillside at South Kent School. “Gonzo wanted to show me the school while we were in New York City for a shoe show,” she remembers of her trip with now-husband Gonzalo Garcia-Pedroso ’95. “He was working for his father and was very excited to take some time off and share his school with me.”

Anyone who knows the Garcias might guess what happened next. “I could see his love and passion for the school on that visit,” Patty explains. As a first-generation Cuban-American from Miami, South Kent was a far cry from her hometown, but Patty experienced firsthand the intangible connections formed on the Hillside. She and Gonzo ran into some students from Gonzo’s first time working at the School, and they were all thrilled to see him. “There is no doubt that his love, and now our love, for SKS is what keeps us here. This is our home and our children love being a part of it.”

But that’s not where the story ends. It wasn’t until three years later – after marrying Gonzo in 2005 and working in healthcare for a year in New Milford with nurse Loretta Richardson – that Patty officially joined the South Kent team. As a trilingual, magna cum laude graduate of Lynn University and native Spanish speaker, South Kent was lucky to welcome her as the new Spanish teacher in 2006. 

Nearly 13 years later, Garcia-Pedroso has a full course load as the teacher of Spanish 2, 3, 4 and AP (Advanced Placement), in addition to her role managing the School’s Rosetta Stone Language Lab. With each passing year, she remains passionate about her work. “Our students fuel me. They bring excitement to the classroom,” she says, adding: “We are also lucky being at a school that embraces innovation. I love knowing that we as a faculty seek out new things to help enhance the learning experience for our students.” Always striving for the best way to reach her students, Mrs. Garcia-Pedroso embraces positive technology use in the classroom. “I incorporate reading material in Spanish that the boys might find interesting. For example, I introduce ESPN Deportes articles, PEOPLE en Español magazine, and Popular Science articles.” She also encourages learning retention by doing mini-reviews of the last lesson at the start of each class.

Outside of academics, Patty and Gonzo love raising their children, Alejandro and Gabriela, on the Hillside. “It’s terrific, from the students to our colleagues,” Patty says, referring to the entire School community as a large, extended family. “Our children look up to the boys. They are their big brothers. We also love the relationships they form with the other members of the community. They can live and learn about diversity. They can learn from so many great people that we all consider family. I can't think of a better place to raise children than here.”

In her busy schedule as a mother and well-respected teacher, Patty still finds some time for hobbies. She enjoys practicing yoga, cheering on her beloved Miami Dolphins, and hiking with her South Kent-famous pugs, Daisy and Yoda. She has also run four half-marathons and one full marathon. And although she loves the Hillside, she also loves being able to drive down to Miami every summer to spend time with family and friends.

Some might call her “Superwoman,” but at South Kent, students call her “Mrs. Garcia.”