Meet Our Faculty

”No two days are the same when you work with adolescents, and that is what I love most about working with seventh and eighth grade students. Their spirit, passion, and energy are infectious, and I can’t imagine spending my days any other way -- except being a rock star.”

For the entirety of my career I have worked in independent schools and with middle school students. I am incredibly excited to start my first year as the Head of the Intermediate School at Potomac after six years as the Head of Middle School at Alexandria Country Day School. Throughout my time in education I have coached soccer, basketball and baseball at the Middle and Upper School levels, and before becoming a full time school administrator I taught physical education, health and wellness, and seventh grade life science.

In my spare time I enjoy exercising, playing the guitar, reading about education, and listening to live music. My wife is the Upper School Director of Student Support Services  at Potomac and our two daughters will become Panthers this fall.

"I always had a passion for both the outdoors and disassembling things to discover how they worked."

At an early age I knew that a career in science was my desired path. I always had a passion for both the outdoors and disassembling things to discover how they worked. I am originally from New Jersey but moved away to Clemson University in South Carolina and earned my degree in secondary science teaching in biological sciences. I spent the next four years teaching 7th and 8th grade science in both North Carolina and Virginia public schools, and then I was an environmental educator for the Chesapeake Bay Foundation for a year. I was the 4th and 5th grade science teacher at Potomac before relocating to the Intermediate School, where I teach life science and advise a group of 7th graders. In the summer I change roles and direct the day-to-day operations of Summer Programs. I enjoy teaching children in the outdoors using inquiry-based and hands-on techniques. I live in Burke, VA, with my wife, Erin, and two children, Jake and Isaiah. In my spare time I like to build (when I am not taking things apart), and my home improvement project skills have increased exponentially. My favorite time is spent in the outdoors with my family.

“The intellectual energy, inclusivity and culture of kindness at Potomac have challenged and nurtured me as both a teacher and a learner over the past several years.”

The Potomac students I met when I interviewed in the spring of 2009 for an English position convinced me there was no other place I wanted to teach. While most independent schools have a mission similar to ours, these students were testament to the authenticity of Potomac’s philosophy. Indeed, the intellectual energy, inclusivity and culture of kindness at Potomac have challenged and nurtured me as both a teacher and a learner over the past several years. While I’m entering my ninth year at Potomac, my roots in the DC area and independent schools run even deeper.

After graduating from Holton-Arms in 1987, I headed to Brown University, where I played soccer and lacrosse with the same passion that I studied literature. I earned my bachelor’s in American civilization, with a focus on studying history through literature. In soccer, my teammates and I captured four Ivy League titles. New England became my second home, and I remained there for nearly 20 years, 17 of which I spent at Providence Country Day School teaching English, advising, coaching soccer and lacrosse, and finally serving as PCD's director of admission. Through coursework over several summers I earned my master’s degree from Georgetown University. With the encouragement of an inspiring professor, I wrote my thesis on athletics, learning and spirituality.

Surgical records confirm the adage that as an athlete I “left everything on the field;"thus, my physical pursuits today are low impact. I enjoy spinning, practicing Bikram yoga, and spending as much time as possible on my paddleboard or in my kayak. In fact, kayaking has helped me find Savasana—“stillness between the postures”—which can be the most elusive pose for me both on and off the yoga mat. Being on the water slows life down and provides the opportunity for reflection. I’m also energized by spending time with friends and family (four-legged members included!) and traveling whenever possible.

"My teaching career actually began at Potomac as a paternity substitute for an Upper School Latin teacher. I was so grateful to be able to return to this community full time and call it home since 2015."

I grew up outside Philadelphia and attended a small Quaker school. It was in this tight-knit community that my teachers first encouraged me to seek the answers to difficult questions, engage with teachers as equals, and always aspire to learn more. I feel very fortunate to have landed at Potomac, where the same ideals are valued. In my own teaching, I strive to empower student voice, promote empathy, and instill a similar love of learning and inquiry.

I attended Franklin & Marshall College and earned a BA in Latin and a minor in classical archaeology and ancient history. I fell in love with the Latin language and thoroughly enjoy bringing it to life for my students. I also teach a humanities course, Frameworks of Identity, that encourages students to consider who they are, and how their actions impact their community.

Outside the classroom, I love to travel and explore the world. I spent a semester living in Edinburgh, a summer in Tuscany on an archeological dig, and I often spend my summers leading student travel groups.

"Field work dominates my sixth and seventh grade science classes, whether right here in McLean or traveling with my students to Galapagos, Costa Rica, and throughout the United States and Europe."

I have a passion for science, and the field of education has enabled me to pass that passion along to tomorrow’s leaders. Since 1980 when I began teaching science at Potomac, I have guided students as they learn the process of scientific inquiry. Field work dominates my sixth and seventh grade science classes, whether right here in McLean or traveling with my students to Galapagos, Costa Rica, and throughout the United States and Europe. In addition to teaching and serving as Potomac's Middle School Science Coordinator, I work as a consultant for the National Geographic Society. Since 1994 I have trained teachers in Canada, Japan and throughout the United States to effectively use a number of National Geographic’s curriculae including the JASON Project, Crittercam, Giant Traveling maps, and Geography Action.

National Geographic has filmed my inquiry science lessons at Potomac as examples of best practices for teacher professional development programs, and I taught a master class “Exploring your world with National Geographic” at the Chautauqua Institute in 2009.. Since 2006 I have worked with the National Science Resource Center’s Biodiversity Academy.

In addition to being a National Board Certified teacher, I have received a Woodrow Wilson teaching fellowship (1994), a Grosvenor fellowship for travel to the Arctic Ocean (2009), and a Fulbright fellowship to Japan (1997). I have a master's degree in science education and biology from Boston University and an undergraduate biology degree from Regis College.

“After 11 years, Potomac feels like home, and I can’t imagine being anywhere else.”

I came to Potomac in 2008 with a wide range of counseling experience including in-home behavioral counseling, foster/adoption casework and school-based counseling.  Over the last 11 years in our caring and kind community, and I have developed relationships that have helped me grow as a counselor and person. It is incredibly rewarding to work with such talented students and an engaged group of colleagues.

Adolescence is a time of rapid growth and change fraught with unique and diverse challenges, both developmentally and personally. In my role as Upper School Counselor, I seek to provide guidance that will allow each student to reach their full potential. It is also my hope that students will come to understand that asking for help and support are signs of strength.

I reside in Alexandria with my husband, Ryan, and two daughters, Cecilia and Sophia.  I am looking forward to the entire family joining the Potomac community as Ryan will be the Intermediate School Head and our two daughters will become Panthers this fall.

"The connection between healthy body and healthy mind has never been as important as it is today. The world is an ever-changing and stressful place, and what better way to counter that than through exercise, sport and play."

I have a true calling for kids and sports. The combination of teaching K-6 physical education and coaching grades 7-12 allows me to begin at the most fundamental stage of instruction and continue through a student’s US athletic career.

My undergraduate degree is from James Madison University, and I have completed graduate-level coursework at both George Mason University and the University of Virginia. Professional memberships include the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance (AAHPERD) and the Virginia Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance (VAHPERD).

The connection between healthy body and healthy mind has never been as important as it is today. The world is an ever-changing and stressful place, and what better way to counter that than through exercise, sport and play. The importance of teaching “life lessons” such as focus, perseverance, sportsmanship and teamwork through physical activity cannot be underestimated, as those skills can be applied in all aspects of life.

"I am passionate about infusing math with art and thinking routines. I also love all kinds of making and design thinking. However, my greatest passion and joy as an educator is building strong connections with my students and their families!"

My 27-year teaching career began in El Salvador where I taught at private Catholic schools, and the American and British Schools. I have taught PK, Kindergarten, first, third, fifth, and sixth grade, and a brief stint as a College professor at Universidad Tecnológica de El Salvador. 

In 2001, I took a year off from teaching to work as an Academic Consultant for Cambridge University Press. As an academic consultant, I got to live in Guatemala and traveled to Mexico and throughout Central America and Panama providing professional development to ESL/EFL teachers. It was a wonderful experience, but I missed being in the classroom!

I first came to the USA in 2002 as a member of  VIF (Visiting International Faculty Program). In 2006, I was honored as Wake County Public Schools Teacher of the Year. Wake County is one of the largest counties in North Carolina. I moved to the DC area to work at Sidwell Friends School where I spent 10 years as a Third Grade Teacher. 

This year, I am embarking on a new adventure as the K-1st Grade Math Coordinator at The Potomac School. I am passionate about infusing math with art and thinking routines. I also love all kinds of making and design thinking. However, my greatest passion and joy as an educator is building strong connections with my students and their families!

I am a self-taught artist. I create paintings that proudly show my Latino traditions and culture. I was a featured artist for Hispanic Heritage Month at the Office of Multicultural Affairs at University of North Carolina Greensboro, and served as a Latino Community Advisory Board for the North Carolina Museum of History.

I live in Rockville, Maryland with my daughter Isabel, and our two cats Lola and Gabi. Isabel and I love traveling! One of our goals is to visit all major archaeological sites in Latin America.

"I enjoy the challenge of shaping a student’s mindset toward math."

Potomac’s practice of building solid relationships with students enables me to reach students, whether they’re in my advanced calculus classes or express fear or anxiety regarding math. I enjoy the challenge of shaping a student’s mindset toward math. Often times, when I ask students why they like math, their response is, “Because there is a right answer.” To me, the creativity and problem-solving skills that go into learning the processes to ultimately reach the right answer are more important than the answer itself. Helping students recognize that they can understand more concepts at a deeper level than they believed before entering my class is just part of that reward. While I continue to grow professionally through conferences and workshops, my university experiences include earning a bachelor’s degree in an interdisciplinary math and economics program at the University of New Hampshire and a Master of Arts in educational leadership for private schools at Teachers College, Columbia University.

“We all have different gifts, so we all have different ways of saying to the world who we are.”  -Fred Rogers 

Students should take pride in their uniqueness and celebrate their strengths and gifts! Within my classroom I strive to create an environment for learning in which all students feel valued and represented - providing a space for our community of learners to flourish and thrive. Learning should be a time in which students are both able to demonstrate their strengths, while challenging themselves by learning through experience and discovery.

Entering into my third year in education, I am incredibly excited to join The Potomac School community! Born and raised in the Northern Virginia area, I made a quick stop in East Lansing, Michigan where I received my B.A. in Anthropology from Michigan State University and returned to Northern Virginia to complete my M.Ed. in Education Leadership with a concentration in Independent Education Leadership at George Mason University’s School of Education. Prior to my arrival to The Potomac School, I worked in various educational spaces both in and out of the classroom: Math/Orton-Gillingham tutoring/interventions, serving as a Grade 4/5 teacher, and developing curriculum for a recently launched private school in Northern Virginia. 

In my time outside of the classroom, I enjoy cooking, spending time outdoors, cheering on MSU’s sports teams, exploring museums, and sharing time with my friends, family, and dog.