Warm lighting, cozy blankets, and music playing from the speakers. The desks have been rearranged since last week and there’s an illusion of a fireplace on the board. The music settles as a voice arises from the corner and English class begins.
Adam Depew, rhetoric teacher, was born in Northwestern Indiana, but because of his father’s military involvement, he spent his childhood years in Columbus, Georgia. He eventually moved back to his birthplace and expanded his career to Illinois.
Depew isn’t just an English teacher, he is also involved with multiple after-school activities including chess club and black student union. Not only is some of his personal time spent running clubs but he also is very dedicated to being available and helping his students in every way possible.
“The amount of time and energy he spends outside of the classroom, devoted to helping students, is just mesmerizing,” Steve Lamberti, department chair, said.
Depew was just as involved in school when he was a teenager. His extracurricular activities included the arts such as choir, musicals, and plays. However, he expanded his involvement into sports as well.
“I was involved in a lot of things. I did football from 6th grade to the end of sophomore year. I stopped playing football after sophomore year because I started to commit to cross country,” Depew said.
Depew accomplished three degrees, first by getting his undergraduate degree at Indiana University Bloomington. Moving forward he completed his English masters at Purdue University. Continuing his education shortly after he began teaching here, he received another master’s at Loyola University in Chicago. However, teaching wasn’t his original goal.
“I was classified as pre-law, but my freshman year of college was in the fall of 2001, which was when 9/11 happened. Being in a bunch of the classes I was in during 9/11, was not enjoyable. There were a lot of heated arguments,” Depew continued. “I started to think about what I actually valued and wanted to bring into the world.”
There was a value in teaching that called to Depew and students agree that he has made a great impact on their lives.
“Depew has changed my perspective on my own ability to articulate myself and has shown me that I still have room to grow,” Eric Burke, senior, said.
The comfort of his classroom has enhanced the openness of students. There are no bright lights or hard-edged desks. Depew shows an effort to make his students feel comfortable.
“I think the environment makes a difference; it feels more homey,” senior Caeley Hamm said. “His classroom also always smells so good, it’s calming compared to my other ones.”
Despite teaching a college class, and providing every single student with his individual attention, Depew is described by Lamberti as “very down to earth and low-key.” Depew emphasizes this claim when he describes how much he loves walking on the Dupage River trail: no reading or writing, just pure enjoyment.
Heba Abuhindi, senior, said one of Depew’s most memorable aspects is “probably his hair flips,” which several other students agree with.
Depew makes a difference in students’ lives by the small things and the big things. Lamberti described Depew as “selfless” when it comes to the education of each student. He feels Depew goes above and beyond to provide his students with what they need, in any way he can.
“I don’t think there’s a core memory from teaching; it’s more a lot of small memories where students are able to have small wins and little victories,” Depew said.
