Having graduated from UCF with a bachelor’s degree in education, as well as having taught English literature in Thailand and China, Karissa Lynch now joins the Berkeley community. She originally grew up in West Palm Beach and said that she has been drawn to the subjects of reading and writing from a young age having teachers who fostered and supported her passions.
Lynch is working to do the same for her students as she teaches ninth and 10th grade English this year. Lynch said, “I feel like Berkeley is on the right side of education. It feels like things are being done here and real changes and real evolution is being made to the community.”
She is enthusiastic about joining Berkeley and being a part of making such a difference.
(Kostas Saravanos)
Her passion to support others also translates to her hobbies. A fun fact about Lynch is that she loves to be outside and active, which would lead her to become an avid scuba diver.
In Thailand, she became a rescue diver. She learned how to use a compass underwater to locate someone if they go missing. In addition, she could safely help the person reach the boat and even perform CPR if needed.
Lynch’s piece of advice for students at Berkeley is to find a way, through the stresses of assignments, assessments and extracurriculars, to still enjoy their time in school as it is just a small slice of their life.
