Interview with Principal Bryant

by Rina Lee and Natasha Lin


Mrs. Bryant recently transferred to Biotechnology High School as our new principal. Principal Bryant is a kind, welcoming, and friendly presence here at BTHS, and every student is immensely fortunate to have her lead our hardworking staff. This is an opportunity for new students to get to know her better, as she is new to us as well!


Please tell us a little about yourself -- where you are from, your educational background, family, anything you wish to share with us today.

“I was born in Bay Head, New Jersey. It's like a little tiny town. I went to K-8 there and graduated as one of four kids in my 8th grade class, which is so crazy. Then, I went to Point Pleasant High School and graduated as one of seventy-eight kids. I went to Rutgers University, where I majored in environmental science at Cook College. From there, I went to New Jersey City University, where I got my Master's in educational leadership, and now I'm in my doctorate program at Fairleigh Dickinson University. So as far as jobs go, my first job was teaching life sciences, biology, and environmental science at Brick Memorial High School, which I did for eight years. Then, I became the supervisor of science, math, physical education and health at Branson Fair Haven Regional High School. I did that for over thirteen years until I moved here as principal. For my personal life, I have a son Jack in 6th grade at Manasquan Elementary School, and I have a daughter Lillian, who is a junior at Manasquan High School. My husband teaches AP and college courses in history at Manasquan High School. He also teaches at Georgian Court University, mostly political science in that area.”


Was there any specific reason why you came to Biotechnology High School to join our staff?

“My background sort of drew me here. I've been into sciences, and I have loved science since I was very young. That's kind of where my passion lies. Certainly, my background let me into educational leadership, so it was a great fit for my background knowledge and where I wanted to go, who I wanted to be with. I'm excited to work on different curriculums and put in new courses specifically in biotechnology this year. We have quite a few new staff members, which bring with them different talents, so we'll be able to put some new courses that will specifically speak to biotechnology in those areas. I'm excited that we're going to work on it over the next couple years.”


What has been the hardest aspect of transitioning to full in-person education? And how have you learned to adapt to the new lifestyle and environment?

“I think it was harder for all of us. Hybrid, I think, is super hard. It’s just the hardest thing for teachers and for students. It's easier when you're either all in or all out, and I hate to say it that way, but if you've ever tried to be in-person while other people were online, that's really hard. Getting you all back in was hugely important, and especially in your teenage years, socialization is so important. It has been so nice to see you all being able to be outside together, have lunch together, and all of those things again. That's the part of what makes the school so special; it’s that you're a close-knit community, and you want to do some fun things together. It's nice seeing that back. I think the hardest part is that we're in transition right now. We still have COVID cases and things like that. With all of us being closer together outside of school, you're probably more comfortable dealing with friends. We may get some break-through cases, and I think that's the hardest part. I'm trying to keep everybody safe but also allowed to socialize, be happy, and want to come to school. That's why you want to come to school, to be with people, learn, do labs, and all of those hands-on activities. I'm trying to make sure that hopefully this will be somewhat of a normal year.”


Recently, the student body has struggled with staying motivated. Do you have anything that has kept you motivated as principal?

“I think my motivation mostly comes from all of you and talking to a lot of the students and staff as well. You all have a love for education, you want to learn as much as possible, you want to enjoy your academics. I think that’s what really motivated me to keep going and change things for the better and make sure that we look at the curriculum, the teachers, and what we can do to work within our parameters, and make sure that we create an enjoyable learning experience for all of you. The staff is important in all of this. When you’re happy, they’re happy. I feel like when I walked in and saw the staff all so anxious to be here, we were able to have meetings together again. We were able to talk and laugh together, and then the students entered, and you were all doing the same thing, which was really great to see. I was so excited to see you all laughing, going to class, talking, and collaborating, so that's what really kept me motivated.”


Is there any advice you would offer to our incoming students, on school or life in general?

“I think for everybody, not just incoming students, that the one thing that we have all been taught over the last couple years is that we can't control everything and that everyday we should do our best, but we shouldn't expect more than the best from ourselves. I don't want to see the students so stressed out, and I hope that that's a take away from all of this craziness in the pandemic. Life is so precious and really the most important part is that you're happy. Your friends and family that really matter to you are the most important things in your life. You should strive to do well and enjoy an education that you shouldn't stress out about. You should do what you can do. You should ask for help when you need help. You should be gentle with yourself and forgiving when you're not perfect because nobody is. Expect the best, but know that sometimes you will fail and only through failure, you learn.”


Something that makes a person who they are is what they are passionate about. Do you have any interests or activities you participate in outside of school?

“I’m a big tennis player, so I play a lot of tennis outside of school. I sail as well, which is super fun, but not as much as I'd like to. We have a boat, so we go boating a lot all summer. I also do a lot of artwork in my spare time, so I like to paint, mostly with acrylics, which is very calming to me.”


Are there any plans for this year that you’d like to tell us about?

“I feel like I'm taking every day one day at a time because I never know what's going to happen the next day, but yes, we have a lot of plans to work on new courses for next year. We’re going to work on growing the computer science program now that Mrs. Patel is with us. Also, I would say we're working on trying to bring back some fun activities for the students this year, so we're working through it safely, trying to get you back out there, feeling good about being together, and having fun at school. I look forward to rolling those things out with the clubs and activities, which we will have pretty soon, hopefully the end of the month, maybe the beginning of October.”