Mawrtian of the Month: Ms. Birx

By Camryn s. ‘21

This month, The Quill has the pleasure of naming Ms. Birx as November’s “Mawrtian of the Month.” For those of you who have not yet had the pleasure of meeting her, I would describe Ms. Birx as the glue which holds together our Upper School community. No, seriously.

Ms. Birx, a beloved Upper School English teacher, often described by her students as “hilarious” and “genuinely kind,” has been crucial in injecting an aspect of normalcy into the era of Distance Learning. Ms. Birx teaches juniors the fundamentals of Public Speaking, through engaging lessons that range from watching presidential debates to delivering creative speeches to the class. As a senior, I can honestly say that Ms. Birx’s Public Speaking class was one of the highlights of my eleventh grade year. Not only was I able to hone my abilities as a writer, but I also grew as a speaker, which was a skill I previously thought of as unteachable

Ms. Birx is also the Upper School’s Convocation Advisor. This year, with the unusual yet interesting experience that is virtual senior convocations, she has helped to quell the nerves of seniors when our WiFi is shaky during rehearsal while providing us with constructive advice on how to tell our stories in the most meaningful way.  

When I asked one of her students to explain to me how Ms. Birx has influenced their experience at Bryn Mawr, she told me that, “Ms. Birx is one of those teachers that you can tell is actually listening,” and I could not have explained her presence at Bryn Mawr any more perfectly. Through her genial interactions with students, you can genuinely tell that she has a true passion for teaching and wants to establish a connection with the entire Bryn mawr community. When there is so much uncertainty about our current situation, having a constant like Ms. Birx that students can rely on is essential. Thank you Ms. Birx for all that you do!