Northwood Spotlight: Andrew Schulman

School Psychologist

Where are you originally from and what brought you to Mercer Island schools?
I was born in New York City and moved to Seattle approximately 30 years ago. I came to Mercer Island from a much larger local school district, seeking the collegiality and sense of community that comes with working in a smaller district. (I won’t complain about a much shorter commute, either. ;-D)

What grade/area do you teach/support and how long have you been in education?
This is my 5th year working as a school psychologist (this is my “retirement” job), and while I currently work with elementary and preschool-age children, I have also worked in high schools and middle schools in other Washington school districts. 

What is your favorite sport or hobby to do when you are not at school?
I enjoy cooking (and eating) as a way of connecting with diverse cultures and traditions – enough so that I live across the street from the Pike Place Market. I am also a voracious reader, a lover of international travel, and a gardener, whether indoors or out.

What is the most adventurous thing you’ve ever done?
Raising my now-adult daughter – what an adventure!

What are some small things that make your day better?
A pause in the sunshine (seasonal availability), a good meal, getting to know a new colleague, hearing student laughter.

Tell us about your immediate family and pets.
My wife, Betsy, is a human resources attorney and an Indiana native, and we have been married for nearly 35 years. Our daughter, Dani, turns 25 next week, and is currently working as a lab manager for an environmental science and climate change laboratory at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Our dog, an Akita named Nami, is a local celebrity in our tourist-frequented neighborhood and has been referred to as “The Princess of Pike Place.” (The hotel we live next to is so enamored with her that the management threw her a catered birthday party in their rooftop garden.)

My parents, my sister, and my niece and two nephews live on Bainbridge Island, and we all visit back-and-forth frequently.

Is there a skill you would like to master?
Italian. Maybe Spanish, too!

November 2022