As we welcome the 2023-2024 school year, we also say hello to many new teachers. In the Upper School, we have two new faculty members. I will introduce to you to Ms. Vicky Bolivar next week. For now, meet Mr. Alec Lockhart: our new science teacher who is filling some big shoes in P Hall, occupying what was for many years Dr. Fritschel’s room before his semi-retirement. (We’re happy to say Dr. Fritschel is still teaching one AP Physics class on campus in the lab). This year, Mr. Lockhart is teaching College Prep, Honors, and AP Chemistry as well as College Prep and Honors Physical Science. “Through the vehicle of [science], I try to build confidence, [an] inquisitive nature, and resilience in my students. These are traits that are universally applicable toward success in any field,” he states when asked about the impression he hopes to leave on his classes.
Mr. Lockhart is a native of Rocky Mount; he graduated from Nash Central High School in 2008 and afterward went on to Appalachian State University, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in Cell & Molecular Biology and a minor in Chemistry and his master’s in School Administration. After college, he moved to Daytona Beach and began his teaching career. While in Daytona, he served as his school’s science fair coordinator and had the amazing opportunity to take two teams of students to the West Coast to compete. His teams presented projects on code-breaking algorithms and accessible water filtration at the Intel International Science Fairs in Los Angeles and Las Vegas.
Outside of school, Mr. Lockhart stays busy with his four children, Mia (7th grade), Audrey (5th grade), and twins Andrew and Aerin (2nd grade), who all attend RMA. With his children, he enjoys playing video games and Dungeons & Dragons. He loves cooking and “treat[s] it more as a hobby than a routine.” He discovered this interest after a lecture in college about the chemistry of cooking, which has, in turn, inspired some of his own lessons now that he is in education. For instance, last week one of his classes made fudge to practice taking measurements. In fact, science finds its way into most of Mr. Lockhart’s interests, as his favorite movie is Interstellar. “If you’ve got an interest in black holes and 3 hours to kill, it’s pretty great,” he adds.
In these first two weeks, Mr. Lockhart is already loving the RMA atmosphere, noting, “The culture of RMA is outstandingly positive.” When reflecting on how RMA compares with other schools he’s taught at, he says there is all the difference in the world. The transition from public, Title I schools with large classes to our more intimate campus with smaller classes will allow him to go more in depth with his lessons and offer more challenging coursework. We’re thrilled to welcome him into our RMA family. Mr. Lockhart has already added so much to our community, and we look forward to watching him inspire future scientists.
