Megan O’Malley joins Xavier’s faculty this year, teaching English and history. She informs her classes about their reading logs.
As a new school year begins, Xavier College Preparatory welcomes new faculty members who bring years of experience and/or new perspectives to the community. Among them are English and history teacher Megan O’Malley and math teacher Katie Nash.
O’Malley joins Xavier with a background in high school and middle school education. She taught high school English for six years before spending two years teaching seventh and eighth grade English. Her previous high school experiences include four years at Notre Dame Preparatory and two years in Oregon.
Originally from Phoenix, O’Malley attended Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington, a Jesuit school where she studied English. Her experience in a Jesuit setting also sparked her interest in teaching in a similar environment at Xavier.
When she saw an opening at Xavier, the opportunity to teach both English and history seemed like a good fit. She loves teaching English and she was ready to be back with high schoolers.
For O’Malley, one of the biggest changes has been being in an all-girls school for the first time. The drive and involvement of the Xavier students, from academics and athletics to clubs and school events, have particularly stood out. “I’ve never been in an all-girls environment before, and that’s been so fun for me to experience,” O’Malley said. She also highlighted the school community, saying, “I mean there are the crazy rallies, and it seems like there is a sense of community, which is cool to see.”
Nash brings nearly 20 years of teaching experience to Xavier. She taught in Wisconsin, Virginia and Arizona, in sixth, seventh and eighth grade math, as well as high-school-level algebra and geometry. Before coming to Xavier, she spent four years teaching at St. Francis Xavier Elementary School, where her children attended.
She now teaches high school algebra and works in the Academic Resource Center with Shannon Donaldson. Her transition to Xavier has been positive, describing the faculty as “super helpful and supportive.” She said the school’s trust in its teachers has also stood out to her which motivates her to do her best.
Having taught at an all-girls school previously, Nash was familiar with the environment, but she said Xavier has still given her a new perspective. She has been especially impressed by the support students show one another. “When they’re in that room together, everybody has everybody’s back,” Nash said. Seeing that support as both a teacher and a Xavier mom has been one of the most meaningful parts of joining this campus.
