Tammy Katzeff ’87

Alumni Voices

Tammy Katzeff ’87

Beaver Reflections:
I graduated from Beaver in 1987 and came in 8th grade. Overall, I had a great experience academically and socially. I loved how classes were taught where it was more of a discussion rather than a teacher lecturing at the students. I think this enabled us to learn in a different way and be able to explore areas we may not be able to at other schools. For me personally, this worked very well, and I really enjoyed this type of education. It is such a small community and this way of teaching helped bring everyone closer. Obviously there are pros and cons of being part of a small school, but, overall, the friendships I made at Beaver I hold very dear and close to my heart. At Beaver, I really enjoyed photography. I had a darkroom at home which made it easier for me to work on my art. Even today, I am still big on photography and pictures. Looking back, Mr. Gao stood out to me during my time there. He was such a unique teacher but also loved the material he taught.

What is #happeningnow in your life:
I left Beaver with the intention of becoming a psychology major. I loved the psychology classes I took at Beaver so I went to Clark University, a psychology-oriented school. However, I ended up changing my major to Spanish while there due to my love for foreign languages. I loved studying and learning Spanish, French, and Italian. I thought that I would not want to teach and would want to be an interpreter. Unfortunately, finding a job as an interpreter was difficult so I decided to actually take a job as an after-school teacher. After the first class, I told myself that this was my calling, and I have been teaching ever since. I was a Spanish teacher at Tenacre Country Day School for 21 years and actually started the Spanish program there. I left in June 2020 and have been teaching language remotely ever since. Along with teaching, I also have a pet sitting business called Tammy’s Pet Sitting! Since the vaccine came out, business has basically tripled and the summer has been very busy since so many people adopted pets.

“Having never expected to teach remotely and then be thrust into this unknown position was a jarring experience yet one that made me reflect and take a step back. It is important to come away from the whole past year with a silver lining or some good that you take out of it.”
– Tammy Katzeff ’87

Advice to Beaver students:
Really try to seize the opportunities and never be afraid to try something new. Follow the path that you are interested in. I have always found Beaver to be a very encouraging community and they will be supportive no matter what you choose to study, research, or create.

Beaver Country Day School admits qualified students of any race, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, religion, creed, handicap status, national origin or ethnicity to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, religion, creed, handicap status, national origin or ethinicity in the administration of its educational, admission, financial aid, athletic or other school-administered programs or policies.