When Zack Anderson ’20 realized his calling was to be a teacher, he instantly thought of Gilman. “It seemed like a no-brainer. Where could be a better place to work?” he said. “The opportunity to give back to a community that has been so formative to me has been a fantastic experience.”

After studying English and psychology in college, Zack joined Gilman’s faculty in the fall of 2024 as the Middle School Library Assistant. He wasn’t only acquainted with the hallways and classrooms in John M. T. Finney Hall from his days as a Middle School student. He was also quite familiar with many of the teachers who had taught him there — including his own father, Middle School Art Teacher David Anderson.

Zack’s trajectory on Roland Avenue began in 2006 when he was in pre-first (now called prep-one), just a couple years after his dad started working there. David recalls his first back-to-school night as a parent in Dia Matthew’s classroom. She showed photos of the boys doing activities and engaging in lessons so parents could see how their sons spent the school day. It was such an impactful way to demonstrate their learning that David has done the same for his students’ parents on back-to-school night ever since.

Both Messrs. Anderson seemed delighted in their new relationship as colleagues. Zack describes the experience as both familiar and unfamiliar at the same time. “It’s nice to interact with someone you know so well in a new way,” he said.

David remembers Zack’s years as a Gilman student — not all that long ago — when he had to consciously choose to not have “parental moments” each time he ran into Zack at School. “I learned my boundaries,” he said. And now he’s applying them to their current situation, though he sometimes still asks his son if he wants to carpool to School in the morning.

Photos:

• 2006: First day of pre-first
• 2013: Lower School Closing Ceremony
• 2016: Middle School Closing Ceremony
• 2020: Founders Day
• 2024: Zack’s first week as Middle School Library Assistant