Dr. Brodie was born and raised in Long Island.  She went to Calhoun High School – which is located in Merrick.  From there, she attended SUNY Albany where she received her undergraduate degree.  She majored in communications and minored in history due to her love for the subject.  She had her heart set on broadcasting as a full time career, but when she discovered that she would have to move across the country just to get her career started, she quickly realized this wasn’t the right occupation for her.  With that being said, Dr. Brodie decided that she really wanted a profession that reflected her true interests. So, she decided to attend Queens College where she received her masters degree in teaching. She started out by teaching in New York City.  After five years of teaching in the city, she continued her teaching career at Northshore High School for 19 years, and then Baldwin High School for two years. Dr. Brodie is certified to teach social studies grades 6th-12th. Her favorite subjects to teach were AP European History and sociology.

Many people might be wondering what Dr. Brodie’s viewpoint is on the requirement of standardized testing.  Unfortunately the Regents are state mandated tests, but Dr. Brodie did have great input as to what she believes such standardized tests should be like.  Yes, it is important to assess students to inform teachers about where they stand as an individual, but according to Dr. Brodie, regents can be compared to “one size fits all” clothing articles.  Everyone is their own person, therefore everyone will have their own answer to a particular question. She believes that Regents and standardized tests need to have more room for interpretation. In her eyes, written based questions are the way to go, that way each student is free to answer as they wish – they aren’t restricted to one answer, as they are for a multiple choice test.

When asking Dr. Brodie what she planned to change at the LHS, she quickly replied and said it’s not about changing the traditions, it’s about “what else we can do to be even better.”  Dr. Brodie does not currently know what actions she will take in the future to make the LHS even better than it already is, as she is still getting a feel for the way things work around here, but she is very excited to see what the future will hold.

A pleasant surprise was Dr.Brodie’s response when asking her what her first impression of Lindenhurst  was. The first words that came to her mind were, family and community. She mentioned how she appreciated the generations that have lived through Lindenhurst and how she loved the “very close knit community.” In addition to her admiration towards Lindenhurst, she also mentioned the traditions and activities she is looking forward to. Dr.Brodie is awaiting Trick or Treat on Charles Street, hallway decorating, the annual volleyball tournament, and class wars/Powderpuff. She is certainly not looking forward to kissing the bulldog but will accept the challenge and the great tradition behind it. 

Aside from her Lindenhurst life, Dr.Brodie has many interests and hobbies, that certainly make her a well rounded leader. She’s an early riser and wakes at 3:50 am to go to Crossfit at 4:30, before coming to LHS. She integrated extremely well into the Crossfit community and has adopted a life of health and fitness. Along with the lifestyle, she has also gained many friends through her fitness journey and says her and fellow Crossfit enthusiasts have become family to her. 

Dr. Brodie is not just an athlete in her spare time, but also quite the academic, as one can imagine. She is an avid reader and always has a novel close by. She is the trailblazer behind that School Book club here at LHS and welcomes all students and parents alike. They are currently reading Educated by Tara Westover and encourages everyone to come down and try it out. 

Family, now that’s a word that means a lot to Dr.Brodie. She is the oldest of three, having both a younger brother and sister. She has an eighteen year old son, who is her one and only. He is currently attending Adelphi University. Though her favorite member of her family is her yellow Labrador Retriever Max, named after Maximus Decimus Meridius from her favorite movie Gladiator. Speaking of movies, her other favorite is The Wizard of Oz, and she admits to watching both movies every time they are on. Another family oriented hobbie Dr.Brodie enjoys is baking birthday cakes for family and friends. She channeled her inner pastry chef to create works of art within cake. 

Dr Brodie gave the students of LHS wise advice for their lives inside and out of school. She first mentioned to be as involved as you can and participate avidly in school events. She wants students to find something they are passionate about and go and pursue it in the here and now. She made it a point to say that school is much more enjoyable when you have something to look forward to. Lastly, she recommended to build relationships with friends and teachers during your four years at high school. 

It was a pleasure meeting and speaking with Dr. Brodie!  She seems like a wonderful fit for the students and staff at the LHS. Everyone in the school can not wait to see all the great things she is going to accomplish!

Fun fact: Dr. Brodie is actually Lindenhurst High School’s first ever female principal!  Dr. Brodie is very appreciative for receiving this position. She describes being the first female principal as a “cool feeling to know that people out there trust me to take care of this place.”