Eagle Hill Faculty Spotlight:

Spanish Teacher Patrick Kozey

Well-traveled and bringing a culturally rich perspective, James Patrick Kozey, Ph.D., began teaching Spanish at Eagle Hill in the Fall of 2021. Growing up in Indiana, Kozey attended Stanford University, where he majored in Spanish and followed his undergraduate work by attending Cornell University for his master’s and doctorate degrees. At Cornell, Kozey studied Spanish Literature, focusing on Medieval and Early Modern literature and teaching courses at the school.

After completing his program at Cornell, Kozey moved to Australia to teach at Ormond College, one of the residential colleges at the University of Melbourne, where he convened tutorials in a range of humanities subjects and led a weekly poetry reading group.

We asked Kozey to reflect on his exciting travels, passions, hobbies, and favorite things as a new faculty member at Eagle hill School!

What brought you to Eagle Hill to be a Spanish teacher?

I wanted to teach somewhere with a strong sense of community. Eagle Hill’s mission and setting seemed conducive to that, and I’m very happy that it’s proven true!

Why did you decide to go into teaching, and what is your favorite part of working with students?

I learned Spanish in middle and high school thanks to a couple of excellent teachers. What made me want to teach Spanish were the summers of 2006 and 2007, which I spent in Ciudad Real, a provincial capital in Castilla-La Mancha, about an hour and a half south of Madrid. My time there helped me gain perspective on how culture works and how it works on us. It also made me want to facilitate that experience for others.

Though it has only been a few months, what are your impressions of Eagle Hill and the community?

It has been a great place to start teaching at a new level. The support I’ve received has been outstanding, and I’ve been impressed with how dedicated both the staff and members of the community are to making the school the special place that it is.

Is there a specific project or topic area that you really enjoy covering with your students?

I studied Spanish literature, so any time I can use a story, poem, or other authentic text, I make the effort to do so! I love exploring any type of work with students.
 

Fast Facts about Patrick Kozey

Favorite Hobbies outside of school?
I enjoy reading and writing, and I’ve been working to keep up with some research projects. I’ve also started running over the past few years, and Hardwick has been an excellent (if hilly) place to do that.

Favorite food? Carbonara

Favorite book? Hard to answer! My favorite that I’ve read this year is Red Pill by Hari Kunzru.

Favorite musician/band? Frank Ocean

Favorite place you’ve traveled? Madrid

Favorite movie/TV show? From the past few years, probably I May Destroy You. I also like Guillermo del Toro quite a bit and El espinazo del diablo (The Devil’s Backbone) is a favorite.

If you could be any animal, what would you be and why? Being a dog would offer a relaxing change of pace.

Favorite holiday tradition growing up? I always got excited when my mother broke out the holiday mugs!