Many current sophomore students who signed up for honors or Advanced Placement (AP) level world history classes during course requests last school year logged into their Skyward accounts on Aug. 1 to see a particular name on their screens: Dr. Brian “Furg” Furgione. 

He’s recognizable around the school. His upbeat, enthusiastic, giddy attitude radiates from a building away on campus, and anyone with eyes and ears can tell that he’s passionate about his work. 

Beginning his higher-level education at Rutgers University in New Jersey, the cheerful world history teacher double-majored in Journalism and History.

Although both of his parents are in the education field, Furgione didn’t originally plan to follow in their footsteps.“I double-majored in History and Journalism because I loved storytelling and wanted to travel the world writing about historic places: basically Indiana Jones with a notepad instead of a whip,” Furgione said. 

After freelancing and substitute teaching to make ends meet in the New York area, he moved to Florida. It was here that he earned his master’s degree and PhD at the University of Central Florida (UCF). Furgione started teaching at the middle school level in 2011, which he has stuck with ever since, with some detours into the private sector as a researcher.

“Journalism taught me how to ask the right questions. History taught me why the answers matter,” Furgione said. 

He chose to remain an educator, even after dipping his toes in the water of the corporate world, not only for his family, but also for its purpose. 

“I love my family, [and] being on the same schedule as my daughter definitely helps. Now, having my son on campus with us [as a part of Early Childhood’s “Little Lions” program] is really awesome; while the money was nice, the shift [from corporate to education] was purposeful. I get to help students develop their voices, their confidence, and their sense of agency. Right now, it feels like much more meaningful work,” Furgione said. 

This sense of “meaningful work” is not lost on his colleagues. Jennifer Dilmore, Furgione’s northern classroom neighbor, agrees that not only does Fugione achieve this meaningful goal, but it’s also what sets him apart.

“What sets Furg apart is his ability to build meaningful connections with his students while also maintaining professionalism,” Dilmore said. “His classroom is a place where students feel valued and respected.  He is lots of fun, super knowledgeable, and his students work to match that energy.”

Fugione harbors a supportive and encouraging space within the four walls of his classroom. Junior Isabella Maciel was an honors world history student of Furgione’s. She remembers her experience in his class fondly. 

“He always encouraged us, he always made me feel smart,” Maciel said. 

Not only does Furgione foster a warmhearted energy within his classroom, but he also encourages his students to think and acknowledge the real-world value of world history, a subject he chose to teach because of its complexity.

“It’s a story that never stops unfolding, it’s always connected to [the] modern context, and that’s what makes it so engaging to teach. It’s the story that answers the question: ‘How we got to now?’”

This is a question that Furgione asks his students to ponder frequently. 

“Furg regularly challenges his students and engages them to consider ‘how we got to now’- a phrase he regularly uses to help build context for why world history matters,” Dilmore said. 

With all of these factors considered, Furgione took on a new challenge this year as the new AP world history teacher. A challenge not at all incompatible with him, considering Furgione already has experience teaching college level courses. 

Teaching aspiring educators at the same place where he earned his master’s and PhD, Furgione spends his nights instructing university classes at UCF. AP world history was an obvious evolution for Furgione.

Each day is a busy one for Furgione, his days fully booked. So how does he manage it all?

“It’s definitely a juggling act, but one that makes me better at both jobs. Coffee helps, organization helps more,” Furgione said.

He believes that the two jobs feed off of each other. Bringing real-life experience to his college students, he lives and learns. 

“It’s exhausting sometimes, but it’s also the most energizing kind of busy I know,” Furgione said. 

Furgione keeps the stamina going with fun activities, such as a scavenger hunt in the media center. Here, students simulate a traveler moving from city to city, trying not to contract the Black Plague, using tokens at each city, or table, to indicate whether they are safe from the disease or not. 

This is just one activity that Furgione’s classes participate in. He collaborates with his fellow world history teachers at Oviedo High School, such as Dilmore, to combine the classes for this fun activity.

Another example of Furgione’s methods to keep the energy lighthearted is as simple as a weekly game. Every Friday, in each of his classes, Furgione plays a game of  “Jeopardy!” with his classes. Yes, “Jeopardy!” the iconic game show. 

It’s a game that is near and dear to his heart. He describes to his students at the beginning of the year his dream of appearing on the hit game show. 

“My favourite part of his class was Fridays when we would play Jeopardy; my class was really good at it,” said Maciel. 

This Jeopardy practice doesn’t stop in the classroom. He shows off his skills to his fellow  teachers.

“[He] is a wealth of knowledge – he has won the Social Studies Department Jeopardy competition several times!” Dilmore said.

His efforts to make our school, and the world a better place don’t go unnoticed; he is respected and appreciated by not only his students but also his colleagues.

Furgione was named Seminole County Public Schools’ 2016 Teacher Of The Year while working at Milwee Middle School. Last year, in 2024, he received a $1,750 grant for Grants For Great Ideas. He continues to do great work, even without recognition for the simple things he does each day.

“You wear about twenty different hats in a single day – educator, counselor, coach, listener, curriculum designer, tech specialist, etc,” Furgione said.

Furgione gives his students a class experience to remember, in more ways than one. 

“He is fantastic to work with and his students are lucky to have him,” Dilmore said.