Gina Penley

Psychologist Gina Penley began working at the high school this year and has found it to be a welcoming and supportive environment for students and staff. When she isn’t helping to foster an inclusive environment at school, she enjoys cooking, going on walks with her dog and finding sand dollars on the beach.

How are you liking your new job at the high school?

I love it. The differences between where I was and here are just outstanding. Everybody’s so much more kind and willing to go the extra mile to make sure everybody feels included and that’s wonderful.

What is your favorite part of your job?

Connecting with students, building relationships and having mutual trust with others.

Why did you choose to work with teenagers?

I knew that when I started psychology, I either wanted to work with very old people or very young people. In my undergrad, I worked with a professor who ended up being my adviser on research with kids. I started going in that direction, and never thought that I would be big into working with teenagers, but when I started working in a high school in Maine, I realized that I loved working with teenagers. Both my master’s program and Ph.D. were in that direction.

Can you tell me a little bit about where you grew up?

I grew up in Maine in between Bangor and Acadia National Park. It was a very small town that didn’t even have a stoplight. It’s really pretty. I grew up going to the ocean and that’s still the place I go to whenever I need some extra healing.

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

I love to cook and bake and cook every night. I have a son who loves to bake with me, so we bake together a lot. He’s only five and he loves to make the mixer go. I also love to go to the ocean and look for sand dollars, which reminds me of my childhood. I found a lot of sand dollars in Maine.

Do you have any pets?

I like being able to be active so I have a big dog, and I love to take him for walks. My dog’s name is Duncan. He’s a Lab Malamute mix, and I go for walks with him and my family a lot near our house.