For 18 years, Jodi Pickle has played a vital role at Concord Academy, whether it be teaching geometry in class to causing everyone to laugh during chapel. Throughout her time at CA, Pickle has taught in the Science and Math Departments, tutored kids in the ASC, and coached the Girls Junior Varsity Soccer and Varsity Softball teams.
As a child, Pickle grew up in Amish Country, Pennsylvania. She attended Franklin & Marshall College for geology, which opened the doors for graduate studies in the field at the University of Mexico. After joining the Air Force and getting sent back to school, Pickle earned her third degree in meteorology and stayed on to earn her master’s at North Carolina State University in the same field. She earned four degrees in the span of ten years!
Before becoming a teacher, Pickle worked in the Air Force. One of the most crucial skills she learned from her experience in the Air Force that she carried over to CA was learning how to interact with others. She stated, “Science in college and in grad school was focused a lot on logic and doing experiments […] so I learned people skills. I use that more than anything.”
When asked what motivated her to become a teacher, Pickle explained that it stemmed from her parents and teachers. Her parents were avid learners themselves. Her mom had been valedictorian, while her dad was brilliant at repairing everything and interested in computers, which got her involved with computers from a young age. Pickle explained that her parents had made education and learning fun. This was illustrated through her car rides as a kid. “You didn’t have any sort of entertainment other than looking out the window, so we would play spelling games, we would do math games, we would do, you know, just fun games like that,” she described. Other than her parents, her teachers also played a vital role in her decision to become an educator. She had many amazing teachers and realized how important they were, she explained.
At CA, Pickle was initially a science teacher. Over time, teachers were needed in the Math Department, so she started teaching there. She explained that her love of math stemmed from science.“Meteorology, in particular, uses so much math, and just solidified how much I love it,” she said. “As a scientist, I use [math] all the time.”
Beyond the classroom, one of Pickle’s favorite hobbies is photography. She grew up around art, as her mom was an abstract artist. She especially loves nature photography.“I love zooming in on things, so you’re looking at the shapes and colors and textures and you’re not really there to recognize what it is,” she said.
Pickle’s favorite part of CA is the great students and faculty that make up the community. She explained, “Every day I can just go and be waiting for an advisee at lunch, and you can just close your eyes and listen to the energy and feel the energy in the room.”
Chapels are another one of her favorite things about CA due to how the listener grows as a result of the new perspectives they gain. “[They are] my morning cup of humanity,” she said. Through her presence and support, Pickle not only feels the energy of CA but helps create it.