By Lulu McDonald ’24

Psychology at Poly began with a single AP course taught by faculty member Ron Sarcos P’29, ’29. Over time, the offerings evolved into distinct, multi-level courses that explore foundational to advanced psychology. But when, exactly, did psychology at Poly evolve from a mere “experiment” into an integral part of Poly’s academic fabric? According to Ron Sarcos, who teaches all three of Poly’s classes in the discipline, it happened during the pandemic.

The Origins of Psychology at Poly

The first psychology course at Poly was AP Psychology, after Sarcos himself proposed the addition to the curriculum. At the time, Sarcos was teaching Spanish, having been recruited to Poly’s World Languages Department in 2005. But, having a master’s degree in Psychology from NYU, he was excited to get to teach across both disciplines.

When I asked him what it was like teaching Spanish and Psychology simultaneously, he said that at first, “it was confusing.” He remembers that he would “walk into Spanish class still talking about psychology, and then show up to psych class and say ‘buenos días’ without even noticing. The kids got a kick out of it.”

I asked if there was any interesting overlap between the two subjects. “In psych we talk about how language develops, what happens in a bilingual brain, and a bit of Chomsky on why it’s nearly impossible to sound exactly like a native speaker in a second language,” he explains. “Teaching psychology made me more aware as a Spanish teacher too. I think I paid closer attention to how foreign language learners and heritage speakers approach Spanish differently. [It] made me rethink exercises, adjust expectations, and meet students where they were. So what felt like two separate worlds ended up giving me new tools in both.”

He started off teaching AP Psych with one section of sixteen students and didn’t know if the course would last. “But,” he says, “the interest kept building.”

“[We] did not anticipate the dramatic demand for [AP Psych],” recounts Head of Upper School Sarah Bates. “Over a few years, it was clear that students were drawn to both the subject and Mr. Sarcos’ teaching.”

The Expansion of Psychology at Poly During Covid-19

At first, Psychology was part of the History Department, despite being a social science. But after many years, it was moved to the same “Interdisciplinary Courses” category as subjects like Journalism and Economics. This shift to expand psychology at Poly happened around the same time as the pandemic, which was also when Poly was transitioning away from AP courses.

“During the pandemic,” Sarcos recounted, “when life felt so uncertain, I thought an [introductory] course could give students a chance to connect and make sense of things.” Thus, one psychology class became two, and Introduction to Psychology was born.

Soon, the demand for both Introduction and AP (now, Advanced Topics) grew too overwhelming for Sarcos, who was balancing multiple sections of both Spanish and Psych. When Sarah Bates asked Sarcos if he wanted to switch to teaching psychology full-time, he was “thrilled,” she says. Since then, Sarcos has added Advanced Social Psychology to his slate of classes, and the Intro to Psychology elective has become, according to Bates, “one of our most requested offerings!”

Making Psychology Personal for Poly Students

Teenagers are irrefutably drawn to psychology as a subject, and it’s clear that Sarcos has cultivated an engaging environment for students to explore their own psyches. “[Students] feel like the subject explains things they already care about,” Sarcos says. “They talk about anxiety on TikTok. They see group behavior play out online. They argue about identity with their friends.” He adds that they feel “like they’re studying themselves.”

As previously mentioned, it is no mystery why a subject like psychology would take off with such fervor among students during the COVID years. With an unpredictable global pandemic happening during what is already such a formative period of life for teenagers, it makes sense that students would naturally latch on to psychology as a way to grapple with the changes happening both in the world around them and within themselves.

Head of Academics Michal Hershkovitz P’16, ’18 agrees. “Students and adults alike increasingly realize that our complex world demands interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary frameworks of analysis,” she says, “and that these approaches to knowledge offer us the promise of more robust understandings of the human condition.” With psychology in particular, she adds that “adolescents are deeply interested in their own motivations and impulses, and the field offers a critical lens for illuminating and explaining human behavior.” 

“Prior to taking psychology at Poly, I had not known much about the subject… Now, at college, I am majoring in psychology and neuroscience.” – Jasmine Grant-Phillips ’24

The academic breadth of Sarcos’ three psychology classes spans everything from cognition and behaviorism to neuroscience, personality psychology, and analysis of dynamics like conformity and attraction in social psychology. 

Jasmine Grant-Phillips ’24, a veteran of all three psych classes at Poly, nurtured a passion for psychology for three years in Poly Upper, in Grades 10, 11 and 12.  “I liked that Mr. Sarcos was genuinely enthusiastic about teaching psychology,” she says, reflecting fondly on Sarcos’ discussion-based approach to class time. “Prior to taking psychology at Poly, I had not known much about the subject… Now, at college, I am majoring in psychology and neuroscience.”

Grant-Phillips is one of many Poly students who have found their passion in Sarcos’ classes. Bates recalls that “countless students over the years [have told] us that they are majoring in psychology, or a related field, in college due to their experience[s] in Mr. Sarcos’ class.”

“It’s even more special,” says Sarcos, knowing that students have continued with psychology after their classes with him. “That makes me feel like I’m giving back to the same community I’ve been part of for twenty years now.”

About the Author

Lulu McDonald ’24 is an alumna currently in her second year at Durham University in England, studying music, English, and philosophy. She writes about music and pop culture on her Substack ‘Pop Princess Diaries’, and for Durham University’s student arts and lifestyle magazine. She is also a member of the St. Cuthbert’s Society women’s rugby team and the lead singer in her band Pink Lemonade.

During her years at Poly, McDonald was an integral part of numerous performing arts productions and an early member of the Excellence in the Arts program. She appeared in Upper School musicals including The Prom and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, she was featured in the Grades 9 and 10 play Ghost Story as Emily Dickinson (“Little Rose”). As a prolific singer and musician, McDonald was a member of Advanced Concert Choir and a leader of the student-led Coffeehouse talent shows. She also performed in several annual dance productions such as Afternoon of Student Choreography and seasonal dance concerts. In 2024, McDonald was the recipient of school awards for both academics and arts including the Poly Cup, the Pitkow Spanish Award, and the Frank R. Hancock Award. That same year she was inducted into the Cum Laude Society.