Humanities

Chris Bertelsen - English and Social Studies

Chris Bertelsen is a new humanities teacher at Baxter, but was first at Baxter as a student teacher in 2019. He grew up all over New England, but spent several formative years in Maine. This led him to attend Colby College in Waterville, ME where he majored in American Studies and Music, and was also a Maine State Rugby All-Star. At Colby, Chris discovered his passion for learning and spreading awareness of the experiences of marginalized communities. Raised by teachers, he brings a strong belief in the value of education in and out of school. His experiences working with young people includes assistant teaching 2nd grade, 5th grade, and K-6 physical education, working in after school programs, and 10+ years in multiple positions at Camp Bishopswood in Hope, ME. Most recently he taught 7th grade Social Studies at Scarborough Middle School. Outside of the classroom, he is an active musician in the Portland music scene, and a lover of outdoor and backcountry adventures. In the rare moments when his life slows down, he loves to knit.

Leah Douglass - English

Leah Douglass grew up in Westbrook, Maine and graduated from the University of Maine at Farmington with a degree in Secondary Education with a concentration in English Literature. She is grateful to have spent the majority of her career helping to enrich the community she is from by developing and teaching the alternative education program COMPASS at Westbrook High School. She also taught English as a foreign language in South Korea to elementary students preK-6th grade. When she is not teaching, Leah enjoys knitting very slowly, pinball, and theater. She lives in Portland with the world's goodest boy, Remy.

John Wensman - English

John has taught English in public, international, and independent schools in a range of places that start with the letter 'M' including Minnesota, Massachusetts, and Morocco. He has a BA in English and French from the University of Minnesota and an MAT degree from Brown University. He came to Maine from the Midwestern prairie eight years ago and lives in Yarmouth with his partner and a couple of large, furry cats. Outside school he’s overly fond of coffee and construction projects. He also enjoys cooking, running and kayaking the coast.

Caro Woodard - Social Studies

Hailing from Atlanta, Caro Woodard graduated from the University of Georgia in 2021. She then spent two years in the Jesuit Volunteer Corps, the first in Boise, Idaho and her most recent this year at Cheverus High School across the Back Cove.  She enjoys paddle boarding, hiking, and playing soccer on the beach.

Eli Hersey-Powers - English

Eli Hersey-Powers holds a BA in humanities from Pomona College and is a Portland, Maine native. He has taught students in Princeton, New Haven, as well as in France.