Political musicals and wildlife conservation are interests that rarely overlap, but Dr. Anne Beggs meshes them together seamlessly. Her interests are not limited to this odd pairing; in all aspects of her life, Beggs is a library of personal joys and experiences.
As a young adult, Beggs aspired to be either a movie star or a college professor, but also explored interests in medieval history and Latin. After college, she spent some time working in Hollywood as an agent assistant and briefly as a development assistant, but eventually became tired of this lifestyle and decided to take a break.
“I missed using my brain as much as I had,” Beggs said. “I needed serious critical thinking as part of my life.”
After a stint at Cornell University, where Beggs simultaneously taught and achieved her doctorate in Dramatic Literature and Theater History, Beggs spent time teaching at various universities, including West Virginia University and Colgate University. However, Beggs missed theater, New York and ultimately desired control over where she lived. After moving back to New York City, Beggs did odd jobs like performing, tutoring and freelance writing, before landing a job at the Bronx Zoo.
“Wildlife conservation and environmentalism is very important to me,” Beggs, an avid supporter of The Nature Conservancy non-profit organization, said. “Working at the zoo… I definitely learned something new every day.”
However, Beggs yet again found herself missing the classroom, and, after her few stints with higher education, she decided to give secondary school a try. At a high school in the Bronx, Beggs found a love for teaching upperclassmen. She now teaches AP Research, AP English Literature and Honors English 12 at WCHS, all classes primarily consisting of upperclassmen.
“I love teaching because I love learning,” Beggs said. “You can’t not learn every single day being a teacher. I can’t not teach.”
Now at WCHS, Beggs feels she has found the best of all worlds, being free to choose where she lives, pursue her passions in her free time and even explore new interests.
“I prefer at this point to do my learning in the field, to learn through living,” Beggs said. “I want to learn more about geology and archaeology.”
When asked about her personal ethos when it comes to teaching, Beggs stresses the importance of lifelong learning.
“The main idea I want students to walk away with is to maintain curiosity and a desire to understand new things in life,” Beggs said. “Whether they remember the symbols in Hamlet or the tonal shifts in Namesake, I want them to remember that everyday is a day to learn something new and to look at every day with curiosity.”
And naturally, Beggs has words of wisdom not just for students, but all those pursuing various goals and dreams.
“Make the most of the time you have, and don’t dwell on what isn’t happening,” Beggs said. “Every day is a new day.”
