“I have found a wonderful home,” said Guillermo López-Prieto after less than one month of being at Hackley. Moving from halfway across the country can’t be easy, especially when one is unfamiliar with the new area. However, the welcoming nature of the Hackley community has allowed Mr. López-Prieto to feel at home in a short span of time.

Along with around 30 other new faculty members, the 2022-2023 school year is López-Prieto’s first year on the Hilltop. He has filled the position of an Upper School Spanish teacher and has already built a name for himself of being a wonderful teacher. Immigrating from Cuba to Kentucky in 2003, Guillermo López- Prieto began his journey in the U.S. He attended the University of Louisville, and proceeded to attend the University of Indiana for graduate school to obtain his Ph.D.

After years of studying, Mr. López-Prieto accepted a position as a college professor before deciding to move to New England. Before the big move, he checked out numerous independent schools in the Northeast that he could apply to, one being Hackley. He instantly became fascinated with the Hilltop because of its interesting and old history and student body. He applied for the position and was thrilled when his interview was scheduled. As we know, his dream came true and he was accepted into the Hackley community!

Mr. López-Prieto has described his time at Hackley so far as, “an incredible experience” and “a wonderful place to work.” The reason why his transition into the community has been so seamless is because of his helpful colleagues, as well as students who are always willing to offer a helping hand in times of need, like getting lost in the twisty hallways of Raymond. Mr. Sosa-Velasco as well as Ms. Randazzo have been especially helpful to him. Ms. Randazzo has provided guidance in setting up his Schoology classroom, and Mr. Sosa-Velasco has made himself available to answer any questions Mr. López-Prieto has had.

This year Mr. López-Prieto teaches four sections; two of Spanish III, one of Spanish IV, and one of Post AP Spanish. This provides him with a wide variety of students to teach from the different grades in the Upper School. He claims that he enjoys teaching all three curriculums, but he especially likes the grammar sections of Spanish III and IV, and although the film and literature of Post AP are different, he still quite enjoys it.

“Each class has its own challenges, but at the same time its own rewards,” he said.

Although Mr. López-Prieto strongly enjoys the curriculum aspect of his job, he also loves getting to know his students who share their knowledge from previous years, and teach him aspects of Hackley and Tarrytown.