As a self-proclaimed “verb junkie”, Stephanie Bernritter uses language and the energy inherent in words to create movement and expression as an English teacher at West High School in Salt Lake City. Stephanie is a writer and free-thinker, using language to connect to people and place. While living in South Africa in 1998, Stephanie was diagnosed with Leukemia, and fortunately overcame the disease with intense treatment and a bone marrow transplant. This near-death experience provided her with a new lease on life, teaching and expression. Ultimately, she is anchored by impermanence, which guides her open and innovative approaches in teaching poetry to a diverse student base at West High School.

Stephanie distinguishes herself by connecting to her students through non-traditional modes of communication; she teaches poetry by marrying text and movement. You may see her beginning a class with yoga, or assigning an open installation performance with students in the city center; “there are infinite possibilities when movement is used to create critical thinkers,” she believes. She challenges her students to find new ways to use and understand language and words, giving them the skills to define their own success.