Ginny Gontero, SPIRE Institute & Academy (IA)’s new science teacher, brings a unique perspective to her role. Her background goes far beyond standard science education and includes teaching biology, anatomy and physiology, and health and sport science. With her teaching background and her own experience in running and playing college tennis, Ginny is positioned to bring sports and science together for SPIRE students and athletes.

 Ginny comes to SPIRE with twelve years of teaching experience and an unparalleled educational background. Her list of achievements includes a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from The Ohio State University, a master’s degree from Kent State University in Exercise Physiology, a teaching license in Life Science and a Career Tech teaching license in Sports Medicine. Before she chose teaching as her profession, Ginny worked in a hospital setting in the cardiopulmonary rehabilitation and wellness departments.

Ginny believes that teaching is about far more than watching her students taking notes to study for an exam. She enjoys incorporating real life experiences and scenarios into her curriculum, as well as giving her students the opportunity for a hands-on and problem-solving approach to learning. She hopes to instill the passion she has for sports and science into her classroom so that her students may develop the same passion.

For Ginny, the decision to teach at SPIRE was the perfect choice for the next step in her teaching career. “I chose SPIRE because I will have the opportunity to continue teaching sports science along with more traditional science courses,” she explains. “I really enjoy working with athletes and teaching them how the body responds to exercise.”

Dr. Katherine Reedy, SPIRE’s Dean of Academics, believes Ginny is a perfect addition to the teaching faculty. “Ginny’s calm demeanor and experiences in the classroom provide a great opportunity to connect what students are learning in the classroom to their athletics and personal skill development,” Dr. Reedy says, going on to add, “Ginny is eager to collaborate with the different divisions on campus to create meaningful projects that will anchor learning for the students. Her years of experience, depth of knowledge and passion for athletics will enable her to inspire SPIRE students in the classroom.”

Ginny’s commitment to physical activities extends beyond the classroom. She enjoys running, biking, weight training, hiking and pickleball.  “I also really love to read, especially historical fiction,” Ginny says, “but you can usually find me with my husband and two daughters and our dog Scooter.”

Ginny is looking forward to her new role at SPIRE, explaining, “I am very excited to be on the ground level of the vision for SPIRE Academics—it is an awesome opportunity!”