By Ronan Dolan ‘20

If you find yourself walking the halls of the language department at Brother Rice, you would probably discover a room covered head-to-toe in German accessories. This room belongs to Brother Rice’s very own, Dr. Leslie Luxem.

Receiving her bachelors and masters degrees at the University of Florida, Doc went on to Rice University to receive her doctorate. Doc, who is going on her 20th year at Brother Rice, accomplishes a multitude of tasks from her very special classroom.

Of course, her most important task is as the German teacher at Rice.

Doc likes to maintain a classroom that is low pressure but always on task and productive, allowing for her students to always feel comfortable about their work but and to really understand the material.

Senior Tommy Gorman said, “Doc Luxem is a very hard-working teacher who cares about her students very much.”

Acting as House Dublin’s House Dean, Doc Luxem is in charge of managing house leaders, developing fun tasks for house members, and setting a good example for all of her students in House Dublin.

But, perhaps one of her most interesting projects is German Club. Better known as Kaffeeklatsch, this club is a place where, in the words of senior Lawrence Pavlick, you “come for the kaffee, but stay for the klatsch.” The club is free for any student in the school to join and consists of wonderful coffee, in-depth conversations, delicious strudel, and vibrant German rock music.

Doc’s love for the German language came from an experience during her high school years.

Her senior year, Doc was a flutist whose symphonic band was chosen to represent the United States in Vienna for a band competition. The city and its language enchanted her, and her love for the language resulted in her choice to study abroad during her college years. After college, Doc chose to move to Bonn, Germany. It was here where she met her husband and started to work as a German/Enlish translator in the Pakistani embassy.

Senior Ryan Rice said, “Doc has always been a great teacher and an even better friend. Taking her class for four years has been one of the best academic choices I have ever made, and I’m happy to say that she has prepared me for college.”

Brother Rice is a place that encourages excellence in all aspects. Doc Luxem is one of the great examples of a leader who displays excellence and Brother Rice is a better school because of it.