Seton School in Manassas welcomes new teachers this fall, but as it turns out, none are actually that new to the school.
Victoria Yeago returns to Seton after three years to be head of the English Department and teach English and grammar. Gabriel Freivald, a former student at Seton, joins as a geometry and computer teacher. Monica Vicente is back as the choir director, but also will teach Spanish.
Yeago earned a bachelor’s in theology and English, with a minor in philosophy, from Franciscan University of Steubenville in Ohio. She earned a master’s in English from The Catholic University of America in Washington. She studied abroad for a year at the Centre for Medieval and Renaissance Studies at the University of Oxford, England, and participated in a weeklong summer intensive course for educators at the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington.
“I intend to carry on Seton’s tradition of a Great Books-based curriculum, encouraging our students and teachers to engage in thought and conversation alongside excellent authors, to spark imagination and wonder that ultimately lifts our gaze heavenward,” Yeago said. “Additionally, I will support my colleagues in developing our students as conscientious and skillful writers, and in reviewing and strengthening our best practices/methodologies.”
After graduating from Seton, Freivald earned a bachelor’s from Christendom College in Front Royal.
Freivald said returning to Seton as a teacher is “good, but surreal. I’ve always loved Seton and its mission, which is why I wanted to teach here in the first place. I’m happy and excited. It does, however, also feel bizarre that my old teachers are now my coworkers.” He hopes to eventually pursue higher education in theology.
After graduation, Vicente has taught Latin or Spanish every year and is working on getting her dual master’s degree in education and Spanish.
She is “very excited to be more involved in the Seton community and more present to the students this upcoming year. During high school and college, it became clear to me that language and music were two of my biggest passions. I really don’t know of a better place where I can continue pursuing both of the subject areas that I am passionate about while doing the work that I love.”
Spanish has been a large part of her life. “Having parents who fled Communism in Cuba, much of my family life has been influenced by Latin American culture. I was surrounded by Spanish-speaking relatives and friends, and I grew up in the bilingual atmosphere of Miami, Fla. While I was still relatively young, my family moved to Virginia where I experienced a bit of a culture shock. This experience piqued my interest in my family background and history.”
The students and faculty at Seton School are excited to welcome back these familiar faces to the community and look forward to supporting them in their new positions.
