A parent, distance bike rider and doughnut and dog lover, Fen Portmann-Katz is a social worker in the ExCEL Program, which provides a learning environment for students who need specialized support. Portmann-Katz interned at the Winthrop House and fell in love with the community, then decided to join when a position at ExCEL opened up. They said they would love to travel to Peru, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam and Italy.
What do you find great about the high school?
I’m in ExCEL, and something that I think is really amazing is the sense of community and the way the students and staff interact with one another. There’s clearly a lot of trust. I also think the access to really wonderful teachers, classes, clubs and resources is pretty amazing.
What hobbies do you have outside of school?
I like being in nature with my dog and my daughter. I have a 17-month-old. I love to read and I really love to cook; my wife and I cook a lot together.
If you could have lunch with one person dead or alive, who would it be?
Terry Gross. She’s a reporter; you’ll hear her show Fresh Air on NPR. She’s a journalist, so she interviews all sorts of folks. She asks really brilliant questions, and she’s had conversations with so many different kinds of people from so many different parts of the world and from different walks of life. I would just love to hear about her experience hearing from people, listening to their stories and telling their stories.
What passions do you have?
I’m really interested in how young people engage with each other and the world and what impacts them and makes them respond to things the way they respond to things. The brains of young people interest and excite me. I’m really passionate about creating action-oriented change in equity within big systems and how to help facilitate that change without taking up too much space. I’m also really passionate about being a parent. Being a parent is probably the best thing in the world and my favorite part of life, so I think being a parent to my kiddo is my number one passion.
