A Brief History of Wrightsman

Former Himalayan climber and yam festival participant, Nancy Wrightsman is a cosmopolitan English teacher and school counselor. She has been a teacher for 45 years, and has taught in schools located in Olympia, various places in England including London Munich, Singapore, and Mississippi before coming to Orcas Island. All the places she has taught at have been small schools, which has given her the opportunity to get to know the students personally and to connect with them on a deeper level.

In high school, Wrightsman loved literature, history, and science. After going to college in Scotland, she followed her passion for writing, became an English teacher and also received a degree in counseling in education. Upon being asked what she liked about teaching, Wrightsman replied, “I’ve always loved to learn. I also like to watch people, and see kids become adults and explore learning with them.”

Wrightsman in her office / Photographer: Chris Wage

Wrightsman in her office / Photographer: Chris Wage

In addition to teaching, Wrightsman has traveled to many places around the world. In Nepal she hiked in the Himalayas, and took part in a yam festival in Nigeria, which included an abundance of yam eating and dancing. Currently, Wrightsman has taken up the guitar, which has caused her to have a lot of respect for people who perform in front of others.

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