Who Is Haley Brill?

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Alysha Dobash, Social Media Promotor

Anthropology. Humanities. History. All of these things sparked the interest of Haley Brill during her undergrad studies at local Lewis and Clark College. Now a social studies teacher here at YCHS, her career as a teacher was never something she imagined for herself.

“I thought maybe doing archival research, maybe a police officer; I used to do ride along a lot and I worked in the police historical society for Portland. I was interested in doing public service and I liked the idea of maybe having a role of authority I think in a way,” Brill stated with a grin and both hands on her hips as if she was reminiscing over her dream of making her community a better place.

One could argue that Brill’s’ so called “shot in the dark” of becoming a teacher does exactly that.

Now, Brill spends her time enlightening her students on various areas of social studies such as law and politics, economics, and government. After the school day is over, she spends the rest of her day commuting back to her home whilst simultaneously listening to books on tape. Or so we thought.

Although the latter is true, Brill does, in fact, have a life outside of school.

From reading The New York Times every morning and The New Yorker Sunday nights, to rock climbing, camping, and snowshoeing for the first time this winter. Brill enjoys spending time outdoors. She attributes her sense of adventure to her childhood when she traveled to the jungle of Belize, to Paris, France, and to the forests of Canada with her parents.

Her newest adventure is her future move to China where she will teach English and immerse herself in new cultures and experiences next year.

In addition to enjoying the outdoors and travel, Brill finds time a few days a week for some R&R in her yoga class. She enjoys the “irreplaceable euphoria” she feels after a class.

Brill has this belief that matches up with the yogi mindset that nobody is ever done learning, even as a teacher she never assumes she knows everything. Brill thinks that one of the best ways to grow as a person is to seek out things that challenge us and bring into question our assumptions about the world. She believes her hobbies outside of school facilitate that belief whether it be a new experience or the enlightenment she gets from a yoga class. She claims that it opens her eyes to new mindsets and that it’s important for her to grow as a person by challenging her and keeping her on her toes.