December Issue III

Ms. Wilson on vacation on the beach.
features
iNTERVIEW
WITh
11
MS. WILSON
Ms. Wilson reflects on her life and academic experience.
By CHLOE YAN ‘24
If you ever get an opportunity to walk
into the Anne Frank Library in the afternoon,
you have a good chance of
finding Ms. Wilson sorting through
books. You might also see her in classrooms
throughout the
day, supervising
students
whose teachers
are working
remotely.
“
Ms.
After
graduating
from Gettysburg
College with a bachelor’s degree in
both history and studio art, Ms. Wilson
pursued a master’s degree in library science
at the University of Pittsburgh. Ms.
Wilson has also studied abroad in England.
“I’m introverted, kind of nerdy,” Ms.
Wilson said.
These words were followed by a
small laugh.
“I’m a big civil war nerd,” Ms. Wilson
said.
Ms.Wilson also shared her interest in
history, books, and studio arts.
Ms. Wilson mentioned that she was trained
to be an
archivist,
a profession
that
interacts
with rare,
archived
texts.
Since
Gettysburg College was used as a hospital
during the Civil War, in her undergraduate
years, she dealt with documents that physically
survived the Battle of Gettysburg (a
battle during the Civil War). Such documents
included letters written to and from
civil war generals, soldiers’ journals, and
photographs of the Civil War, as well as
documents about the college’s founding.
Use your freshman
year [in college] to kind of
play around and experiment
with stuff.
“
Ms. Wilson also interned at Antietam
National Battlefield in Maryland.
“My favorite thing that I got to do
there was I got to actually fire a cannon,
which was really fun,” Ms. Wilson said.
Ms. Wilson also loved her experience
interning in a library, where she transcribed
diaries of the civil war’s navy soldiers who
were in the midst of a blockade.
Ms. Wilson continued her passion for
Ms. Wilson smiles to the camera behind a face mask.
art-making by double majoring in studio
art as an undergraduate.
“I haven’t done [art] in a little while,
but I should probably get back into that …
Once you guys go virtual again, I’ll have
some more spare time. I might get into [art]
again,” Ms. Wilson said.
Ms. Wilson has a twin sister who is
an English teacher. After revealing that she
herself fit some education classes into her
busy undergraduate schedule, Ms. Wilson
had some words of advice for Baldwin students.
“Use your freshman year [in college]
to kind of play around and experiment with
stuff. I kind of knew I was going to do history,
but I didn’t think I was going to do art
as well.”
Wilson’s art gallery
Ida M. Tarbell (2019)
TA Interview: Ms. Shweta
By PRESLEY DAGGETT ‘21
As Baldwin transitioned to meet
new COVD-19 regulations,
the community was introduced
to an exciting new addition:
teaching assistants!
For in-person students, teaching assistants’
jobs have become an integral part
of our school; they take attendance, watch
over classrooms, and ensure we maintain
the important six-foot distance. Ms.
Chinchwadkar is one of the TAs who helps
our new school day run smoothly.
Ms. Chinchwadkar, better known
as Ms. Shweta, was born in Pune, India,
where she earned an MBA in Finance
and later became a professor at an MBA
college. She moved to the Philadelphia
suburbs 10 years ago, where she attended
Saint Joseph’s University.
Although she has enjoyed her time in
Bryn Mawr, her hometown is still her favorite
place to be.
“All my family, friends, and my heart
is still back home [in Pune],” Ms. Shweta
said.
When she first moved to the U.S., she
enjoyed the cozy winter and holiday season,
but she missed the sunshine and tropical
weather of India after a while.
If not for
COVID-19,
she would
be taking
her annual
trip to Pune
for the holidays.
While
she notes that
virtual celebrations
are
what we are
all “getting
used to,” she
also explained
how much
she will miss
home during
this holiday
season.
Ms. Shweta smiles behind a
mask.
Before working with Baldwin, Ms.
Shweta was an elementary school tutor
across the Main Line. Although she dabbled
in the corporate world, she was always
drawn back to teaching because of
her passion for the job. She loves working
at Baldwin because she has so many opportunities
to interact with the students.
“Check-in with the 12th graders is my
most favorite part, as greeting
them in the morning gives me
entirely different energy to go
through the day.”
Ms. Shweta enjoys traveling
and has visited many places
in Europe and North America,
her favorites being Norway
and Paris. When asked about
her best memory while traveling,
she jumped into an explanation
of a six-hour, unplanned
hike she took along a fjord in
Norway. Ms. Shweta believes
this hike was a “once in a lifetime
experience” and featured
the most beautiful landscape,
colors, weather, and greenery
she has ever seen.
In her free time, Ms. Shweta loves
to play tennis, listen to Indian music, and
cook. She enjoys experimenting with new
recipes and cuisines.
“When it comes to my favorite professional
sports team -- GO EAGLES!”
The Vacant Chair (2017)
WWI Symbols Triptych (2018)
Photography provided by Laurel Wilson
and Courtesy of the Baldwin Bulletin
Design by Sophie Cai ‘22