Originally studying chemistry and English as an undergrad, Ms. Maithreyi Ravula later pursued her Master’s in Education from Rutgers. Starting her teaching career at EHS during the 2021–2022 school year, she now serves as the 11th grade AP Seminar and 10th grade English teacher.
Alongside a passion for English and teaching, Ravula is an avid cloud-watcher. She regards it as the perfect hobby for her because of her keen appreciation for patterns and organization. She loves to spend her time admiring the different types of clouds in the sky and learning about the legends, myths, and cultural stories behind them.
Cloud-watching has been a long-term hobby for her.
“I was always fascinated by clouds, as a child. I spent a lot of time laying in the grass and cloud-watching,” Ravula said. She recalls going to the library as a kid frequently and checking out a picture book called Clouds by Gail Saunders Smith, just to stare at the pictures.
Ravula sees and feels the depth behind the experience of cloud-watching. Cloud appreciation, she feels, is about appreciating what’s above your head, “because that’s the joy of appreciating what you have.” She firmly believes that appreciating clouds means leaving your life open to the mysteries of the universe and being willing to listen to messages from things outside your tiny bubble.
“Clouds are like thoughts,” said Ravula, explaining that just like our environment shapes our thoughts, so too are clouds shaped by geographical features. She finds peace in pushing aside her thoughts to focus on, what she considers to be, Earth’s thoughts.
“I’m always looking for ways to stay true to my inner child,” she said, adding that she wants to focus on hobbies that matter to her, especially cloud-watching, spending time with nature, and being with her family. Ravula finds cloud appreciation as a way to release the negativity in her brain and environment. She believes it helps her connect with nature, feel happy, be positive, and maintain a positive outlook on life.
One of her most memorable experiences with cloud watching came after the end of last school year. At this time, Ravula saw her first Mammatus cloud, a distinctive cloud formation that appears as pouches or bulges hanging from the base of the cloud. This experience left her with amazement, fascination, and joy as she never imagined seeing this storm cloud-related formation so close to home!
“There’s a lot of magic and beauty in this world, if you simply care to look up,” said Ravula.
Check out many of the awesome pictures Mrs. Ravula took of some beautiful clouds at this link!