Meet Michael Stimpfel

Why are you passionate about New Harmony?

I struggled in high school, largely because I had difficulties finding school work to be meaningful and engaging. New Harmony’s educational design concept of allowing and assisting students in pursuing their passions and interests really resonates with me as I know it would have allowed me to be an active participant in my education.

Who was your most influential teacher during high school and why?

Mr. Buhler, my 7th grade Algebra teacher. He definitely wasn’t my favorite teacher at the time because he expected so much from his students, but he did a beautiful job in making math interesting and relevant, and I now fully appreciate how hard he pushed all of his students to exceed.