Growing up in India, Middle School science teacher Sangeetha Thangamuthu says she had her heart set on going to medical school. 

However, Thangamuthu says her passion faded when she realized how much teaching meant to her. 

“My passion shifted from pursuing medical school to focusing on the science field because I discovered that I enjoyed explaining concepts more than applying them in a clinical setting,” Thangamuthu said in an email. 

Now, the latest turn in her career has brought her to the Greenhill campus, where she is teaching sixth grade science. 

Thangamuthu’s journey to Greenhill has been years in the making. 

“I wanted to become a teacher because I believe in the endless potential of learning,” Thangamuthu said. 

After graduating high school, Thangamuthu got married in India then moved to the United States in 2008. She attended the University of Texas at Dallas, where she got her bachelor’s degree in science in 2015 and majored in biology. 

Thangamuthu recalls how her passion was not only in the science itself but also unravelling the mysteries of science. 

“I have always loved understanding why things work the way they do, after all, science is all about unraveling those mysteries,” Thangamuthu said.

Originally, Thangamuthu’s background in science led her to become a teacher at The Guthrie school in Allen, Texas, where she taught  for seven years. 

Thangamuthu says she appreciated the close-knit community The Guthrie school offered, noting that having a smaller and more focused classroom helped her build connections. 

“The small class size allowed me to build strong, personal relationships with the students, which made the experience even more rewarding,” Thangamuthu said. 

Thangamuthu’s introduction to Greenhill came when her daughter enrolled at Greenhill in 2016 for primer.

Thangamuthu says she has always been fascinated by the curriculum here at Greenhill and the effort teachers put into their students’ education. 

“I have noticed that in the past three months, everything we have done here has been extraordinary and the amount of work that goes into it is surprising,” Thangamuthu said. 

Several students have appreciated the new perspective Thangamuthu has brought to the Middle School.

“She is really nice and kind in her answers and does not get annoyed when I ask a lot of questions,” sixth grader Sophia Anderson said.

Thangamuthu’s students describe her as a thoughtful and patient teacher.  

Thangamuthu says she aims to adjust her teaching style to how her students want to be taught and to build personal connections with each of them.  

“Thangamuthu is a fast-paced intriguing teacher,” sixth grader Cricket O’ Donnell  said. “She enables me to do my best.”