Fred Seebeck
English
Head Coach of Boys Swimming and Diving
Faculty member since 1983
B.A. Brown University
M.A. Brown University
What drew you to Loomis?
In 1982, after teaching for seven years at St. George's, I was looking for a new challenge and learned of an admission position at Loomis Chaffee. I had previous admission work from sitting on the admission committee at St. George’s. I visited the campus and was offered the opportunity to teach a section of English, work in the Office of Admission doing interviews, and be the assistant coach for boys water polo and swimming.
What is one of your favorite pedagogical moments at Loomis Chaffee?
I like to take my classes out of the classroom and have them do something different, so I started taking them to exhibits in the RAC (Richmond Art Center). There I have the students spend a period walking around and looking at the photos or paintings and then ask each of them to build a story around a work of art of their choosing. I remember students discussed paintings and photos from very different perspectives and they were really interesting to read. I like to cross boundaries between disciplines and observe things that would not necessarily be incorporated into an English classroom.
What advice would you give to an incoming student?
I would give two pieces of advice for incoming students: one, find a couple of adults that you respect and establish a rapport with them -- take this as an opportunity to learn and grow, and to feel connected to the community. Don’t be shy. Two, now more than ever, commitment, resilience, determination, self-discipline, creativity, and curiosity are areas you should be pursuing every day because they will propel you into a life’s calling that will be rewarding intrinsically while fulfilling your financial needs.
Why is leadership on campus important?
At Loomis Chaffee, opportunities abound and everyone who attends this school has leadership potential. Every personality asserts itself to leadership in different ways and each student is able to find an area that really entices them. Loomis Chaffee is a safe place for students to go into something new and different and become an advocate in that specific area.