Faculty - English, Reading, and Library Media

	Lydia Brady: Classes: English 10 & 11, AP Literature & Composition Education: Bachelors & Masters Degree in English from Stony Brook University Favorite Literary Quote: "When we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better, too." -Paulo Coelho Mrs. Brady worked at Stony Brook University before joining the English department at OBHS. She is fluent in Portuguese and Spanish. Mrs. Brady is dedicated to creating an equitable classroom where students find their voice through writing and unearth the human condition through reading and discussing literature. She feels blessed to have found her purpose in teaching and hopes that all of her students feel encouraged, and supported.
	Brian Donahue: Classes: English 9, History & Literature Games Education: Nassau CC: AA, Molloy College: BA English Education, Queens College: MA English Literature Favorite Literacy Quote: "If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world." The Hobbit- JRR Tolkien Having worked with students in Oyster Bay since 2003, Mr. Donohue has taught a variety of courses including English 7, Journalism, Mass Media and The Great Film Tradition. He currently teaches English 9 and Oyster Bay’s newest course: Learning Through Video Games. In addition to his teaching duties, Mr. Donohue is also the Technology Innovation Specialist for the Faculty. Mr. Donohue started his collegiate career at Nassau Community College before moving on to Molloy College, where he was the Editor-in-Chief of the Molloy Forum, the student newspaper, and the Vice President of the Student Government. Mr. Donohue is the Boys’ Varsity Soccer Coach and the Vice President for Social Media for Nassau County Soccer. The novel he holds dearest to his heart, and the one he has reread every other year since high school, is JD Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye. His current favorite author is Neil Gaiman and his favorite contemporary poet is Shane Koyczan, two authors whose work Mr. Donohue shares with the students every chance he gets.
	Dr. Deirdre Faughey: Classes: AP Language & Composition, AP Research, College English Education: Bachelors in Literature and Creative Writing-Bard College/Masters in English Education and Doctorate in Curriculum & Teaching from Teachers College, Columbia University / Masters in Education Leadership from Queens College Favorite Literary Quote: "Try to be a rainbow in someone's cloud."- Maya Angelo Dr. Faughey has taught high school English in urban and suburban schools since 2005. Dr. Faughey is the author of Restorative Literacy Practices: Cultivating Community in the Secondary ELA Classroom, published by Teachers College Press in 2023. She has also written numerous articles about classroom teaching in peer-reviewed academic journals. In 2022, she was awarded the NCTE Paul and Kate Farmer Award for most outstanding article written by a classroom teacher that year in the English Journal. Dr. Faughey also teaches graduate-level courses in English and Literacy Instruction at SUNY Old Westbury, and has taught similar courses at Queens College, Hunter College, and Teachers College. Dr. Faughey loves working with the students of OBHS and is committed to building classroom communities where all students feel welcome and find opportunities to grow and learn as readers, writers, and critical thinkers.
	Megan Galioto: Classes: English 7, English Lab, Creative Writing Education: Bachelors & Masters Degree-English-Villanova University Favorite Literary Quote: "Though she be but little, she is fierce" from A Midsummer Night's Dream Ms. Galioto served as a graduate assistant at Villanova University. During that time, she researched and co-authored a paper on student activism and its impact on mental health, which has since been published in the Journal of Adolescent Psychology. She has also been a presenter at national education conferences. After joining the English department, initially teaching in the high school writing center, Ms. Galioto provided academic intervention services and taught Literacy Connections, a middle-level elective. She has since taught English 7, Humanities Research, Journalism, and Creative Writing. She is the advisor of the school newspaper, The Harbour Voice, and the school's literary arts magazine, Agapae.
	Sean Hogya: Classes: Humanities 7 & 8, English 8 Education: Bachelors Degree in English and Journalism-University of Scranton/Masters of Science in English Education and Literacy-Hofstra Mr. Hogya joined the Oyster Bay-East Norwich staff in 2022, after spending a decade teaching in the Bronx and Queens. Having grown up in Bayville, the appointment was a homecoming for Mr. Hogya, who attended and graduated from St. Dominic High School. He proceeded to earn his bachelor's degree in English and Journalism from the University of Scranton, and his Master's of Science in English Education and Literacy from Hofstra University. He currently teaches English 8 and Humanities research, instilling a commitment to respectfulness, close reading, credible research, and structured writing in his students. Mr. Hogya uses his background in English and Journalism to bring a modern approach to English, teaching everything from essays and research papers to video editing and podcast creation. He is the co-coach and creator of the Oyster Bay BayBots, a FIRST Lego League robotics team. His literary influences include Henry David Thoreau, John Steinbeck, and Pulitzer-prize winning New York native, Art Spiegelman. Mr. Hogya is a devotee of graphic novels and literature.
	Dr. Maria Kim: Classes: English 11H, English 12, College 101: Acceptance & Beyond Education: Bachelor’s Degree in English-Binghamton University/Masters Degree in English from Queens College/Master's Degree in TESOL-Hunter College/Doctorate in Literacy Studies- Hofstra University Favorite Literary Quote: “Students don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” -John C. Maxwell Dr. Kim joined the faculty of Oyster Bay High School after teaching for seven years in the New York City public schools. She is currently an adjunct professor at Hofstra University and loves to teach literature through the lens of culture and history. She enjoys hiking and spending time with family in her spare time.
	Shannon Murphy: Classes: English 9H, English 10, College 101: Acceptance & Beyond Education: Bachelor’s degree in English and Secondary Education from Stony Brook University/Master's degree in English Literature from Hofstra University Favorite Literary Quote: "Let me live, love, and say it well in good sentences." - Sylvia Plath Before joining the OBHS English Department, Ms. Murphy taught English at Hicksville High School and abroad in Seoul, South Korea. Ms. Murphy loves teaching at OBHS and is committed to fostering a community in which all students are encouraged to become lifelong readers, writers, and critical thinkers.
	Nicole Schwartz: Classes: AP Seminar, English 10H Education: Bachelor’s Degree and Secondary Education from SUNY Geneseo/Master’s Degree in Liberal Studies in Stony Brook University Favorite Literary Quote: Walt Whitman’s “When I Heard the Learn’d Astronomer,” as Whitman suggests the importance of appreciating the beauty and simplicity of nature, as he states, “‘Til rising and gliding out I wander'd off by myself / In the mystical moist night air, and from time to time / Look’d up in perfect silence at the stars.” Ms. Schwartz teaches AP Seminar and English 10H. She has a bachelor's degree in English and Secondary Education from SUNY Geneseo and a master's degree in liberal studies from Stony Brook University. In her sixteen years of teaching, Ms. Schwartz has taught grades 7 - 11. She has coached several sports here and absolutely loves to watch her students participate in their extracurricular activities. Her favorite poem is Walt Whitman’s “When I Heard the Learn’d Astronomer,” as Whitman suggests the importance of appreciating the beauty and simplicity of nature, as he states, “‘Til rising and gliding out I wander'd off by myself / In the mystical moist night air, and from time to time / Look’d up in perfect silence at the stars.” Along with sharing her love for poetry and prose, Ms. Schwartz is dedicated to helping her students open their minds to new perspectives and ideas, speak with conviction, and listen with empathy and curiosity. She is grateful to work with the dedicated, diligent, and determined students, teachers, and families of the Oyster Bay community.
	Chris Weber: Education: Bachelor’s Degree in History-SUNY Stony Brook/Masters Degree in History-SUNY Albany/Masters Degree in Library and Information Science from Palmer School Favorite Literary Quote: “That is part of the beauty of all literature. You discover that your longings are universal longings, that you're not lonely and isolated from anyone. You belong.” ― F. Scott Fitzgerald Mr. Weber has served as Oyster Bay High School’s Library Media Specialist since 2006. He holds a bachelor's degree in history from SUNY Stony Brook, a master's degree in history from SUNY Albany, and a master's degree in library and information science from the Palmer School. Before arriving at OBHS, Mr. Weber worked for New York Public Library, Fox News, and New York University's Bobst Library. He currently coaches Boys’ Varsity Winter and Spring Track and Middle School Cross Country. He loves to read, run, watch old movies, and collect antiques and books.
	Diana Yen: Classes: English 7, 8 & 9 Education: Bachelor’s Degree in Adolescent English Education and Masters Degree in Literacy Education from CUNY Hunter/MS in Library and Information Science: School Library Media from LIU Post/Certificate-TESOL K-12 from Adelphi University Favorite Literary Quote: “Promise me you’ll always remember: You’re braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.” -A.A. Milne Ms. Yen’s career began teaching college preparation classes to 9th-12th graders through John Jay College’s Upward Bound program. Before joining the Oyster Bay High School English Department, Ms. Yen taught English and ENL for eight years at New Hyde Park Memorial High School.