Mr.+Meunier

__**Mr. Meunier * Room 203 * (518) 376 - 2470 * andrew.meunier@ppsd.org**__ = = =** A little bit about me... **=

I was born in East Boston but became a New Yorker early on when my family moved to upstate New York when I was 7. I attended my local public schools all the way through high school. I was a busy kid- sports like tennis, wrestling and rowing were a great outlet for me. I worked as a dishwasher at the restaurant across the street from my house. Commitments with with my church and with Boy Scouts filled up the rest of my time. I was interested in many things in school but I wasn't really sure what I wanted to do with my life.

After high school, I packed up my life and traveled to [|Hobart and William Smith Colleges], my home for the next four years. HWS is a liberal arts school in western New York (between Rochester and Syracuse). I originally planned on studying physics but soon I discovered that I enjoyed my mathematics classes even more. This was a big surprise for me since I didn't really love my math classes in high school. During my sophomore year, I decided to join the teacher certification program that HWS offered. I hadn't planned on pursuing teaching as a career but I was surprised again when I discovered that I really liked working in the classroom.

Athletics had always been a big part of my life so I decided to join the [|rowing]team at Hobart during my freshman year. The team had a strong record of success but no lightweight program. I had competed as a lightweight in high school and was very small compared to most of the rowers on my new team. I often found myself contesting seats in our team’s fastest boats with much larger athletes. Despite these challenges, by my sophomore year I was usually racing in the varsity boats. Rowing was a huge part of my life at HWS and I competed in several prestigious events such as the Head of the Charles regatta (we won bronze in 2007). I raced in the Intercollegiate Rowing Association national championships (the rowing equivalent of the NCAA basketball tournament) twice and earned a silver medal in 2007.

In 2008, I graduated from HWS with a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics and my teaching certificate. I found a teaching job at Hartford Public High School in Hartford, CT. I taught Algebra 1, Algebra 2 and Geometry there for three years. In 2011, my then-fiance Rashna graduated from medical school and started her new job as a doctor in Providence, RI. I left my job in CT to join her in Providence where we live now. I was lucky to discover JSEC and was offered a job as a math teacher in 2011 and I have been teaching at JSEC ever since.

Since coming to Providence, I have finished up my [|M.S. degree in instructional leadership] from National University and earned my National Board Certification in secondary mathematics. I also got married!

Although I have retired from rowing for now, I have pursued my passion for cycling in the last few years. Each year, I train for a 100 mile charity ride (the Tour de Cure which supports the American Diabetes Association) and an annual multiday bike trip with my mother and sister. I also regularly compete in road and cyclocross races.