By Raamalaxmi Thiagarajan and Cyrah Emile

Fort Lauderdale High School welcomed back Mrs. Lisa Quinn as a Theater 1 and English teacher. Quinn left FLHS when she became pregnant in 2006  and returned with her daughter, who is a ninth-grade student at FLHS.

“I really am enjoying being back at Fort Lauderdale,” she said. “My colleagues and administrators are awesome. I’m one of the oldest people on my team now, so it’s pretty wild seeing teachers that are half my age and [seeing] how dedicated and good they are. I don’t think I was half as good as they were when I was their age!”

Quinn compares teaching theater to performing for a crowd. 

“It’s all about putting yourself out there, and keeping the crowd engaged,” she explained. “I love theater, I love the musical Hamilton, and I LOVE Lin-Manuel Miranda. I also love and appreciate Arthur Miller as a playwright, for what he stood for during the 1950’s McCarthy era.”

Teaching high school English also allows Quinn to incorporate her passion for language arts and connecting with her students.  

“I do love younger people, it sounds corny, but they have the power to change the future,” she said. “It’s pretty cool when you get a student who is wrapped up in the social media/video game world and then they get excited about something that happens in a […] good old-fashioned book.”

As a teacher, Quinn’s goal is to ensure that her students are more mature, self-aware, and educated before they leave her classroom.

“Yes, I am an English teacher, but I really try to instill good values, kindness, responsibility, and life skills, in my day-to-day teachings,” she shared.

Outside of school, Quinn loves to travel. She has dual citizenship in the United States and Europe. “I love reading about traveling, recommending places to go,” she explained. “ I have been to six continents, and in March I’ll be going to Antarctica, which will mark seven.”

Quinn believes that it is important to make the most of life as it is now.  

“Life is short, I think Covid taught us all of that, so do the things you want to do, today,” she recommended. “Tell people you love them and don’t put off any dreams and goals you may have!”