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3 0 t h r e u n i o nComing Alive in the College ClassroomJ O H N F i S K E ’ 8 1John Fiske ’81 admits that hispath to college teaching was a meanderingone. “I have not had a linear,focused post-Nobles existence, but Ifeel as though I am where I should be,”he says. That place is a classroom atBunker Hill Community College inBoston, where Fiske has been teachingEnglish and writing since January 2010.During his years at Nobles a careerin college teaching was the last thingon his mind, Fiske says. “Even when Igraduated from Trinity I wasn’t thinkingmuch beyond the present moment.I was interested in boat building andgoing on canoe camping trips in thesummer, so I did that for a while.”By 1988, he realized that he wasinterested in teaching—and landed ajob at Landmark School in Manchester,Mass., where he taught geography—and caught the travel bug.“All I had at the time was anapartment and a job. I quit the joband dumped the apartment,” he says.Unencumbered, Fiske traveled aroundIndonesia, Thailand and Australia, thenreturned to a middle-school teachinginternship linked with the graduateschool at Lesley College in Boston. Heearned his M.Ed. from Lesley in 1992.But, he says, “I’m just not wiredright to be a middle school teacher.”After a period of job hunting and subbing,he decided to try writing for aliving. He starting freelancing for theAppalachian Mountain Club and wenton to be what he calls “minimallyJohn Fiske ’81 at BunkerHill Community Collegeprosperous,” writing brochures andbylined articles for corporate clients,as well as creating river guides forthe AMC.Then, in 1999, he and his wifeMary, a bond trader, adopted Alex, “Hewas born in Romania, and had been inan orphanage for two and a half years,”says Fiske. “I immediately becamethe at-home person. My presence wasessential, crucial for Alex.” Duringhis at-home-dad years, he wrote andpublished a novel, The Library Book.Fast-forward a decade. “In the fallof 2009, I realized that my full-time,on-call role for Alex had become increasinglyunnecessary,” he says. Thepossibility of college teaching appealedto him, so he contacted the dean of theeducation school at Boston University,who put him in touch the dean atBunker Hill Community College,who put him in touch with the chairof the English Department.“I interviewed on a Saturday morning;he gave me the book and told mewhich classroom to show up at onMonday morning,” Fiske laughs. Hehas been teaching at the communitycollege ever since.“I really like BHCC,” Fiske says.“The students come from all over theworld. I have students from Vietnam,Morocco, Japan, India, Togo, HongKong…. Their diversity is the bestpart of the job.”Fiske says he as found his nicheteaching at BHHC.“I am in the right place. I want toteach college kids how to write.”—Catherine O’Neill Grace32 l the NobLES Bulletin l Spring 2011
2 5 t h r e u n i o nFinding BalanceS T E P H E N J o r D A N ’ 8 6Stephen Jordan ’86 and a furry friendat D.E.W. Animal Kingdom in MaineCollege sweethearts Kristin andStephen Jordan ’86 needed achange. The fast pace of city livingwasn’t for them, and with no real tiesto Boston, they decided in 2003 tomove to a quiet town in Maine. “Wewanted a simpler life,” explains Jordan.“We wanted to stop living in the pastor always looking to the future. Werealized that we just wanted to enjoythe present.”The couple loved their new location,but considering the downward turnin the economy, Jordan decided it wasbest to keep his job at Putnam Investmentsin Boston. He had been workingin financial services since he and Kristingraduated from Boston College. Thefour-hour daily commute gave him alot of time to think. His job at Putnamwas respectable work, and Jordan excelledin his role in client services andsales. But there was something missing,so when the company downsized in2007 and had to let Jordan go, he consideredthe situation a positive thing.“Even though I was laid off, I knew itwas the right time to figure out whatI really wanted to do,” he says.Still looking for change, Jordandecided to go back to school to get hismanicurist license. He opened his ownnail salon, Panthera Natural Nail Bar,and ran the small business for almost18 months. During this time, the economycontinued to spiral, and despiteloving his new venture, Jordan realizedthe salon couldn’t support his family.He returned to the corporate world in2008, accepting a position with Bankof America. The work was more reliable,but not what Jordan would call fulfilling.Unlike his days at Putnam, however,Jordan wasn’t feeling that therewas a void in his life. He and Kristinhad found something unexpected tofill that space.During the time when Jordan wascommuting to Boston, his days werelong and tiresome. Kristin started planningweekend activities so the couplecould have as much quality time togetheras possible. One weekend shesuggested they go the D.E.W. AnimalKingdom and Sanctuary in Mt. Vernon,Maine. The two fell in love with it.The Jordans were blown away by thefacility. There, in the middle of Maine,was an amazing animal sanctuary,home to some of the world’s mostexotic animals. Owned and operatedby Bob and Julie Miner, the farm hasmore than 200 animals, including lions,tigers, leopards, kangaroos, monkeysand more. Steve and Kristin returned toD.E.W. Animal Kingdom every weekend—andeventually became closefriends with the Miners. They helpwith farm chores, like feedings andcage cleanings, and Steve set up theirwebsite (www.dewanimalkingdom.com).He even wrote a book about a lion cubwho was born during the 2008 presidentialcampaign, named MufasaObama.—Julie GuptillSpring 2011 l the NobLES Bulletin l 33
Page 1: Spring 2011 • Noble and Greenough
Page 5 and 6: As feeble as it sounds—and until
Page 7 and 8: u p d a t e sClass V and VI student
Page 9 and 10: of gender identity, love, violence
Page 11 and 12: into the SpotlightNolan Thomas ’1
Page 14 and 15: Arts Connect partners with PierceCo
Page 16 and 17: Bob Goodband’80 poses withthe sig
Page 18 and 19: Nobles’ efficient organizing syst
Page 20 and 21: Out of Tragedy, Solidarity:The Stor
Page 22 and 23: A Note from Mr. PutnamIn the openin
Page 24 and 25: o n T H E r O A Dby JOYCe leffler e
Page 26 and 27: WiNDOWS ON NObLES By JOHN HIrSCHElu
Page 28 and 29: On the Playing Fieldswinter VarSIT
Page 30 and 31: 5 0 t h r e u n i o nA Passionate L
Page 32 and 33: 4 0 t h r e u n i o nA World of Opp
Page 36 and 37: 2 0 t h r e u n i o nGirls Empowere
Page 38 and 39: 1 0 t h r e u n i o nServing Those
Page 43: the beaker—who knows where—got
Page 63 and 64: In MemoriamWe offer the following c
Page 65 and 66: F r O M T H E A r C H i V E SAnyone
Page 67 and 68: What three titles would you choose

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