About Mary Lou Youngberg
Education: Bachelor’s degree (summa cum-laude) from the University of Tennessee, master’s degree (magna cum-laude) from the University of Alabama
Why are you at CSAS? I am an enthusiastic supporter of the Paideia philosophy outlined by Mortimer Adler in The Paideia Proposal. Our school was founded to embrace this philosophy of learning and to further the mission adopted when our school began in 1986. It is my hope that every parent and every upper school student becomes familiar with the The Paideia Proposal, our mission, and what it is that makes us (and our sister school, CSLA) unique and distinct. I support our emphasis on active learning and community involvement.
Family: I am married to my best friend. I have two sons who are both grown and married. I have two young grandsons who light up my life. I love pets but don’t have any at this time.
Hobbies: I enjoy traveling, especially if it involves spending time with family members I like to write and correspond with family and friends who live in other states. I like to shop for school resources to enhance the classroom environment and make it more fun for the students. I enjoy taking lots of pictures (both personal and school-related) on my digital camera and then deciding which ones to keep and share. I find reading to be a relaxing and rewarding way to spend leisure moments, especially when I read poetry or inspirational pieces. I like to watch movies at home with my husband. I enjoy listening to a wide variety of music.
Favorite Sport: My favorite sport is hallway bowling with plastic pins with my young grandsons.
Favorite Book: My favorite book is the Bible not only for the obvious reasons (It is the word of God. It is a great source for answers to our questions and a comfort in times of need.), but also because it is interesting and a springboard for great discussions about life and living.
Favorite Quote: This is rather silly, but I just love the line in the Wizard of Oz, “There’s no place like home.” You will find other quotations written in calligraphy gracing the walls of my home and my classroom, but I just love the feeling of being at home and the way Dorothy (played by Judy Garland) expressed it to Aunt Em near the end of the movie.
Favorite subject when I was a student: Math . . . definitely math. I still like math. I like to read about and think about the golden ratio in life and the Fibonacci series. A close second in high school was acappella chorus.
