Neil DeRosa
Neil Derosa has worked at Pace since 1973 as a vital part of the Pace Community. He has served as a Technology Coordinator, the varsity boys tennis coach, and a Middle School Discovery Teacher. Mr. DeRosa has lived in Atlanta his entire life and earned his Bachelor of Science degree from Georgia Tech. He also has two daughters, two sisters, and three nephews and nieces who have attended Pace and says “It is the gift of a lifetime. I will miss daily interactions with caring, motivated students, parents, teachers and staff that create an educational culture that is without parallel,” Mr. DeRosa says. He also says “I encourage students to reach out when you need help, academic or otherwise” and “Pace teachers and school leaders love you and have your best interest at heart.” He notes his memories from the 2017 ICGL trip to India and says “The teachers and students were fantastic. One of my favorite memories was defeating Lovett for the Tennis state championship, my sister, Robyn, participating on Pace’s first Varsity Girls Basketball team and winning the 1977 Region Championship” says Mr. DeRosa. Mr. DeRosa plans to venture on a month-long fly-fishing trip to Wyoming and Montana.
Ted Ward
Mr. Ward has been a vital part of Pace Academy since 2019. He has acted as the Associate Director of the ICGL and an Upper School History teacher. He graduated from Georgia Southern University with a bachelor’s degree in history and a master’s degree in education. “I am going to miss the lifelong connections I have made with students, families and faculty at Pace,” says Mr. Ward. He organizes many of the community service and ICGL projects in the Pace community, so he has had an impact on every student. “I remember our first meal packing event on Martin Luther King weekend and how mind-blowing it was to see about one hundred Pace students and faculty be so enthusiastic about service,” Mr. Ward says. Mr. Ward has worked to engage the Pace community with different organizations and people around Atlanta to help them by packing meals, organizing food drives, tutoring students and many other forms of service. “I want to remind people that helping others in so many ways is only the first step and that we need to work to get to the root of the problems in order to help our community,” says Mr. Ward. Mr. Ward plans to return to educational equity and help older students who do not thrive in the traditional education system with their career pathways.
Alex Ermides
Graduating with a bachelor’s degree in engineering science, Mr. Ermides has been an amazing Upper School Computer Science teacher since 2022. His enthusiasm for computer science excites his students to learn more about computers and what they can accomplish. “I love how tightly knit the Pace community is and how I have made connections with many students here,” says Mr. Ermides. “I remember how my Intro to Programming class started a coding rivalry with one of my AP classes and they went head to head in competitions which was super fun,” Mr. Ermides says. During class, students learn different programs and how to use them in different contexts. “I love Mr. Ermides’ class because he knows so much about computer science and is willing to help whenever you need it,” says Sophomore Eva Swales. Mr. Ermides is now moving to North Carolina and hopes to work in a technical job outside of teaching to confirm that teaching is what he truly wants to do.
