Cat DeWalt

Cat grew up in northern New Jersey and is an alumna of Blair Academy. She graduated from Lafayette College with dual honors in English and history and recently got her master's in English through Middlebury College's Bread Loaf program. She finished the Culver Academies fellowship program, and then went on to teach at Saint James School, where she met her husband, Todd. At Suffield, Cat teaches English, is the dorm head in Rockwell, and is head coach of crew. She loves the multi-faceted aspects of boarding school, and hopes her students do too. After the birth of her son, Byron, she is looking forward to returning to boarding school and teaching again. 

Cat and Todd [mathematics department] live in the dorms with their son Byron, dog Brewer, and two cats, Nugget and Felix. 

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What do you love about where you are from?
If I am talking about New Jersey, the food. If I'm talking about Vermont, the mountains. 

What is the first thing you do every morning when you get to work? 
Drink so much coffee. Like so much. About 12 cups. Please don’t tell a doctor. 

Who is your favorite artist? 
I’ve been listening to a lot of Noah Kahan recently, his rerelease of “Stick Season” has been on my Spotify repeat. It has made me very homesick, but I love it. 

Which of your roles at Suffield Academy do you relish the most? 
Each side of my job gives me a chance to get to know Suffield Academy students better, and that’s what I love the most. I love their stories and they almost always make me laugh. 

What is your favorite book? 
I really enjoy Jane Austen’s sarcastic approach to society, but Bill Bryson is a fantastic storyteller as well. Anything by them usually makes my top 10 (and unironically Shakespeare). 

What is the one word that you live by? 
Kindness

What is something you believe one can never over-invest in? 
Education!

What is your favorite food? 
At the dining hall, I am feral over the churros. But in terms of normal every preferences, I love cheese. Grilled cheese, pizza, quesadillas, cheeseburgers, etc.

What are you up to this summer?
I’m taking classes at Lincoln College, Oxford this summer. It has been insanely cool; this program is essentially summer camp but for English teachers. I’ve taken oaths to not set fire to the Bodleien Library; sat where C.S Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, Oscar Wilde, and the cast of Harry Potter all have been; and have read 7 books. It has been great.