This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
After living in New York City for five years, Jordan Poindexter has returned to Massachusetts as a Cambridge resident and registered behavioral technician. She hopes to rebuild connections with her communities. Beyond the classroom, she moves from teaching to Pilates, ballet and ceramics.
What do you like to do outside of school?
Outside of school, I like to read thriller books, which sounds crazy. But reading gets me out of the present world. I’m in a different world in my head, and the excitement of the plot twist keeps me on my toes and focused on the plot.
What is your favorite genre or a favorite TV show/movie?
Psychological thrillers are my favorite, and dramas.
I love a good plot twist and mystery. I watched more reality TV when I was growing up, which is funny. In elementary school I used to watch “Real Housewives.” Now I don’t watch it much, but I find them entertaining.
Do you have a hidden talent?
I feel like ceramics is my hidden talent. I don’t have a lot of time to showcase it, but when I do engage in it, I’m able to express my talent. I took it four times in high school, and I haven’t taken it in a while. But ever since I graduated high school, I’ve continued to take classes. I was going to Maud Morgan in North Cambridge. I love to coil, smooth it out and build it up. The cool thing about it is you can see it come together.
Do you have a dream vacation?
I would love to go to Japan. That’s on my bucket list. I’ve been wanting to go there for a long time. I love the culture, I love the food, and from what I’ve seen, the media, the way it’s portrayed, it seems like a pleasant place to go to. And there’s so much to do: the city, the fashion, especially. I love admiring fashion across the globe. The street fashion there is iconic to me.
Would you say you’re more relaxed or risky? Do you like doing extreme activities?
I’m very chill. I don’t take risks a lot. If I do an adventure, it’s on vacation. For example, when I went to Jamaica in July, we went ATV riding, and that was a lot for me. A lot of mud, a lot of hills and a lot of bumps on the road. I was scared to do it because I almost fell off the bike a couple times, but I was able to catch my balance. I was having a lot of fun, but it’s not something I would usually do.
Do you have a favorite local restaurant?
Right now, I love Felipe’s. Felipe’s is a Cambridge staple. It’s a Mexican taqueria right in Harvard Square, like Anna’s Taqueria in Brookline, but better. I get a cheese burrito, chicken tinga, rice, corn, lettuce, onions, cilantro, hot sauce and guacamole.
