This week, the Warrior Word sat down and interviewed Mrs. Campbell, who is a new Science teacher at Hebrew Academy. Get to know her as she shares her background and hobbies!
Shirel Benhamou: Hi, what's your name?
Mrs. Campbell: My name is Nottania K. Campbell.
Adela Kopfstein: Is there any backstory behind your name?
MC: Yes—my grandmother wanted all her girl grandkids to have their name start with K, although my mom didn't want my first name to begin with a K. My grandmother insisted, so my mother decided to make my middle name the literal letter K.
SB: Where were you born?
MC: I was born in Jamaica near Kingston. When I turned nine my family decided to move to Miami. Later, I lived in Zurich, Switzerland to complete my master's and start my PhD.
AK: Was moving from Jamaica to Miami difficult?
MC: Not really; they are quite similar. Miami is very international and very Latin with a tropical environment like Jamaica. Miami is very inclusive and just about the same.
SB: Did you bring any customs from Jamaica to Miami?
MC: Yes—usually everyone drinks hot cocoa here around wintertime. Instead, in Jamaica we drink something called Sorrel, which is made with dried hibiscus flowers, herbs, and spices. It's an intriguing flavor; it's really nice. I like to keep this Jamaican custom although I live in Miami now.
AK: What was your profession prior to working at Hebrew Academy?
MC: So before Hebrew Academy I was essentially working with Covid-19, and also working in pharmaceutical companies, and stuff like that. I also worked at hospitals in Switzerland, analyzing infectious disease data, specifically HIV and the transmission of HIV.
SB: Is this your first time teaching?
MC: This is my first year teaching at Hebrew Academy, but, when I was younger, I enjoyed tutoring my friends. Formally, I used to work teaching Pre-K at a private school. As well, parents used to hire me to tutor their children. I tutored for chemistry, math, [and] science throughout high school and university.
AK: Which schools did you attend?
MC: I attended college when I was in high school. The first part of high school I went to MAST Academy and for the second half I attended high school at Miami-Dade and got my associates there. After, I went to Nova University for a year and a half then went to Zurich and did my master's and PhD.
SB: Are you a doctor yet?
MC: I'm not quite there yet, I'll be finishing my basics. I'm balancing teaching and being a student as well.
AK: What classes do you teach here at Hebrew Academy?
MC: Here at Hebrew Academy I teach grades tenth to twelfth. I teach anatomy on-level and honors, chemistry on-level, forensic science on-level, and advanced computer programming.
SB: Do you have any hobbies outside of teaching?
MC: I enjoy birdwatching. As a biologist I view birds as very beautiful. I tend to notice things about them which I never noticed before. For example, how certain chirps sound like car alarms. Aside from birdwatching, I like to go swimming and walking. As well, I enjoy going to the orchestra and listening to Oprah. Another thing I enjoy doing is crocheting as my grandma and aunt are seamstresses and it is something I learned as a child.
AK: What's your religious background?
MC: My family and I knew that we had Jewish ancestors and always acknowledged G-d. Although, where we lived in Jamaica wasn’t very religious with no synagogues around. When I came to America, I started to become more interested in my religion and, as I became an adult, I became more religious and started to explore and grow closer to Judaism. Being at a Jewish school helps me grow a lot closer to Judaism which is very enjoyable.
SB: What's your favorite part of teaching?
MC: My favorite part of teaching is seeing students master skills which they thought they did not understand before. Seeing that pride and ownership of these skills makes me love teaching. When a student comes up to me and says “look Mrs. Campbell, I could do it better than you now,” it brings me so much joy.
Composed by: Adela Kopfstein (10th) & Shirel Benhamou (10th)
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