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Incoming Middle School Director William “Bee” Stribling grew up on an orchard in Markham, Va., with his parents, six siblings, and a menagerie of dogs, cats, hamsters, cows, horses, chickens, and ducks. Named after his great grandfather, Bee also inherited his nickname–which has nothing to do with buzzing honey makers. When his great grandfather was born in 1885, his 2-year-old sister couldn’t say “baby,” but could say “bee bee.” The nickname stuck and was passed along. Bee’s family is bursting with educators, including a great-great uncle who taught at Episcopal and a great aunt who taught at St. Agnes! His godfather was his middle school principal and his godmother was a beloved substitute teacher. After graduating from Mary Washington College with a degree in art history, Bee helped his parents run the family farm…until his step mother, who was a religion teacher at National Cathedral School, encouraged him to apply his gifts to a career in education. Bee started his career teaching seventh and eighth grade history at Browne Academy. He feels each day with a middle schooler matters! Bee says, “They are both jaded and bubbly and can focus on the smallest details and ask the biggest questions at the same time.” He wants to “do good in the world by making sure kids know they are seen, loved, and held capable of making meaningful contributions to their communities.” For Bee, success means knowing yourself and caring for those around you, which often means unlearning things in order to better understand your goals. As a lover of art and history, Bee is inspired by Willem van de Velde, J.M.W. Turner, Mark Rothko and Jackson Pollock. If he could time travel, he would like to go back to important moments of change and be part of the discoveries and inventions that revolutionized the human experience. Bee and his wife, Nicole, have two children, Robert Mackay and Eleanor Marshall, who are so excited to be Lower School Saints! At home, Bee fills his iPad with books and reads every night. Their two rescue cats, Sylvester and George (who love to be awake all night!), keep him company. He enjoys a really good barbeque with all the yummy sides, running, and playing the bass guitar. As a bass player, he’s not embarrassed to say he loves the band Weezer. The whole family loves to listen to music and enjoys hiking, camping, sun, and sand.

What is something you could happily fail at?
Sports—I just love playing team sports. Of course, I love to win but the camaraderie is the reason to play.

What is your greatest strength?
I pride myself in noticing things—small things, changes in demeanor, etc. It’s such a great skill to have when working with middle schoolers.

What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever gotten?
You’re the best you’ve ever been but not the best you’ll ever be. So, keep learning.

Where in the world are you the happiest?
Definitely around a campfire with friends and family.

For what in your life do you feel most grateful?
Having a family that has supported me because they knew I had something to offer to the world.

If you could be any animal, what would it be and why?
A frog. The combination of being amphibious and having serious ‘hops’ would be fun.