Katie Loomis has joined the Darlington faculty as Upper School Spanish teacher, and will also coach varsity swimming. She holds a B.A. in Modern Languages and Literatures from Kenyon College, an M.A. in Spanish from Middlebury College, and an M.S. in Education from the University of Pennsylvania. At Kenyon, she was a member of the varsity swim team and was named to All-Conference and as an NCAA Qualifier.
A native of Connecticut, Loomis most recently served as a Spanish Teaching Fellow at St. Paul's School in New Hampshire, where she coached multiple sports and was a dorm supervisor. She has also completed a faculty internship at Culver Academies in Indiana.
“Whether in the classroom or on the pool deck, learning should be fun,” said Loomis. “I like to communicate that to my students and athletes. I like to push them beyond their comfort zones.”
Loomis’ personal and professional philosophy is that learning new languages not only gives students more options with what they can do with their lives, but also grants the ability to engage in self-exploration and other rich experiences. While in college, she was able to study abroad in Madrid and Barcelona, Spain.
“Students must see the different opportunities that language opens up for them after high school as they learn about different places and see the potential for different adventures in the future,” she added.
Loomis has spent much of her adult life in smaller educational institutions, and graduated from a private school back home in Connecticut.
“One thing that drove me to work in the boarding school world was the interesting people that you meet along the way,” said Loomis. “I’m drawn to the small vibrant communities that these places present, and I love being around others who also love learning.”
In her spare time, she enjoys running, biking, hiking and participating in triathlons. She also speaks intermediate-level Italian.
Loomis has a fondness for art history and outdoor education, and holds certification in Wilderness First Aid.
“I was really struck by the friendliness of the [Darlington] Community, and that ‘Southern hospitality’ that you hear about in the North,” she said. “It is a really strong Community and I could tell that the people at Darlington would be wonderful to work with.”
Loomis will live on campus in the Faculty Apartments.
