Ms. Linda D’Arco (Photo: Amalia Theodoredis)
What is your job here at Northwood?
I’m the Dean of faculty, and I teach the innovation and design course.
What brought you to Northwood?
Professionally I was getting really interested in the design thinking process because it’s really focused on individual work. I was excited when I started to learn about what was happening here with the Northwood on Main project.
What made you pick your career?
In terms of school in general, I’ve just always been comfortable in school. I started working in schools when I was still in high school, and always loved creative learning.
What did you do before working at Northwood?
I worked at the White Mountain School as founding director for the Center for Authentic Inquiry. Our focus was on student-driven learning.
What are your first impressions of Northwood?
Increasingly surprised, impressed by the diversity of the people here, really happy about what we’re doing. I am looking forward to participating in our new diversity club.
How is Northwood different or similar from your high school?
Different, I went to an all girls day school in Columbus, Ohio. I loved most things about it. I learned to always make sure that I’m sharing my voice. This hit me in a political science class in college when I realized none of the women were saying anything. I decided I wasn’t going to be one of them.
How do you like Lake Placid?
I love Lake Placid. It’s a beautiful area. It’s interesting learning about the different populations that live here.
Tell us something most people here don’t know about you.
I have gay parents – two moms, actually.
Do you have pets?
Yes, we have two dogs their names are Buca and Cora. One is very old and the other very young.
What did you do during the summer?
I worked here, went to NuVu in Cambridge (MA) with Ms. Walker and Ms. Miller. We made inventions together for a week. We made a pair of elevator pants, and a speech therapy game for kids with lisps. Ms. Walker invented a doll with prosthetic limbs. We knew things were going well when NuVu asked to borrow the prosthetic-limb doll idea as a project for their own students.
