By Meghan Cusack
Nothing in life goes exactly to plan.
There are unexpected twists that lead us to places that we would never have originally chosen to be. Just ask the new teacher in the World Language department, Mr. Andres Wullaert.
Before deciding to be a teacher, he was a member of the US Army.
He had even planned on making a career in the military field. So how did he end up here?
“I first decided to become involved in the field of education during my deployment to Afghanistan in 2006,” Mr. Wullaert said. “I remember going on a number of security missions to different schools (which were only abandoned buildings) and thinking how much we take for granted back home.”
Mr. Wullaert eventually went back to school to become a teacher. He actually started as a long-term substitute at the end of last year for Ms. Nuria Miller. This year is his first full year as a permanent part of the faculty. He is affectionately known as “Profe,” which is short for the Spanish word for teacher.
This is his first year as an official member of BHS.
He did state that he missed the U.S. Army, but also said, “I know deep inside I made the right choice for myself and my family.”
When being asked about BHS, he responded, “I love BHS. The students are great, I feel extremely grateful and fortunate to be part of this district.”
When not teaching at BHS, Mr. Wullaert is into fitness and was a personal trainer before graduating school.
“It’s an essential part of my life that gives me balance and structure,” he said. “I don’t ever picture myself stopping.”
Mr. Wullaert – or “Profe” – is one of Branford’s new teachers this year. Photo credit: Kathryn Cooke.
