Meet Our Faculty

"It is refreshing every day to come to work with a group of students who want to learn."

Learning about the past has always intrigued me, and I think sharing that curiosity with my students is the most rewarding part of my job. With the help of Potomac, I have had many opportunities to travel and hone my craft. Most recently, last summer I spent a week in England exploring the mystery surrounding the death of King Richard III. He was one of the most hated kings in English history, and he had a dramatic death, but the discovery of his body 450 years gave his story new life. This trip, like many others, gave me a newfound focus and passion that I was able to share with my students.

Over the past 13 years, Potomac has certainly helped foster my love of teaching and learning. I have loved every moment. From the children, to the parents, to my fellow teachers, I have found a real home. It is refreshing every day to come to work with a group of students who want to learn.

My education background has always been English language arts/history. After receiving my bachelor's degree in English/creative writing from San Diego State University, I decided to pursue my graduate degree in British literature/history. Upon graduating from SDSU, I immediately found a love for teaching 6th graders, and this is the age group I have been working with ever since. Sixth graders are fun, energetic, and always keep me on my toes. There is never a dull moment in my classroom, and not one day has ever felt like the one before. I consider myself lucky to have such a profession and love of learning.

“To find your passion in life is to know you would do that one thing for free, every day, for the rest of your life. To make your passion your job every day is the ultimate dream.”

Since I was 9 years old, I’ve known that Theatre Arts was my passion. Every day, I am blessed to have my passion as my actual job…what better way to live this life we’ve been given?

Creating tangible art from the pages of a script, building life on stage from a blank space and watching students breathe life into characters, are my great joys as an educator. There is no better moment than seeing a student’s confidence grow before your eyes…to watch their “light” turn on..to see them recognize their true power within. 

Drawing upon my professional experiences from performing on Broadway, off Broadway, national tours and regional theatre, I love imparting this knowledge to my students as they embark upon their own professional careers and theatrical journeys!

As a faculty member at Potomac, I am incredibly honored to work with such distinguished educators as we all work towards the same goals…fostering a rooted foundation while giving wings for our students to fly!

“I want students to love learning, to take pride in their accomplishments, to persevere when met with challenges, and to know I will always support them.”

Potomac is a special community. Every day I appreciate the students and the excitement they bring to the classroom. My colleagues feed my professional energy with their creative ideas and support of one another. And, of course, we’re surrounded by beauty on campus.

Growing up in Ohio and attending a small all-girls middle and high school, the teachers I loved and remember to this day were the ones who connected with me and pushed me beyond my comfort zone to do my personal best. More than that, however, they shared their passion and inspired me. I hope to do the same for my students.

At the University of Mary Washington, I majored in both in English and American studies, which led me to The College of William and Mary for my master’s in education. Since then, I’ve enjoyed 25+ years working in all aspects of education. My teaching career afforded me the opportunity to work with students of all ages - from preschool and high school and all grades in between, the common thread is the awe of wonder found in all my students. I want students to love learning, to take pride in their accomplishments, to persevere when met with challenges, and to know I will always support them.

In my free time, I love reading, walking our dog, and traveling with my family. From Kenya and Machu Picchu to America’s National Parks and North Carolina’s Outer Banks, being outdoors fuels my spirit.   

"Commitment behind desire breeds success. This is the foundation of my teaching and my coaching."

I'm a local guy who grew up in Prince George’s County, MD, where I attended Central High School in Seat Pleasant. After graduating, I enrolled at Bentley College in Waltham, MA, where I played NCAA Division II basketball and majored in computer science. After my freshman year, I decided to transfer closer to home and attend the University of Maryland-Baltimore County. At UMBC, I redshirted my sophomore year before joining the university’s Division I basketball program for three years. During that time, I changed my major to sociology but continued to take computer science and information-systems classes. Upon graduation, I worked as a developer and database administrator at AT&T in Herndon and as head JV boys basketball coach and assistant varsity coach at Oxon Hill High School. The next year, I was hired as the varsity boys basketball coach at Crossland High School in Temple Hills, MD. This was a time when I found my true passion for working with young adults. After six years in the computer world, I changed careers and became a full-time teacher, which was a perfect match with my coaching aspirations. It's one of the best decisions I have ever made.

Currently, I reside in Clinton, Maryland with my wife Paulette. We have four grown children - one daughter Leah, and three sons Levi Myles, Darryl and Steven, plus three grandchildren - DJ, Aniyah and Mackenzie.

I am a native of Richmond and attended St. Christopher's School for my entire K-12 education. Afterwards, I went to William and Mary to earn a degree in Business Analytics with a specific focus on Data Science and Finance. I have spent the past few years in Tennessee working at The Webb School. I taught several classes in the math department, ranging from Algebra 1 to College Algebra and Trigonometry. I also taught both AP Microeconomics and Macroeconomics. Outside of the classroom, I was a coach and worked in the school's boarding program.

I am excited to be joining the Potomac faculty in the Mathematics and History Departments this fall. I will also be working to support the school's growing EFEB curriculum. The work that many of the students in this program have done has made a real impression on me and was a major factor in my decision to join this community. I am always excited by teachers and students who want to do unique and challenging things with their curriculum, and I can't wait to be a part of their growth.

“Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.” –William Butler Yeats

As an area native raised in Fairfax County and a Stone Ridge alumna, I earned my B.A. and M.Ed. in education from Boston College before completing my M.B.A. at the University of Mississippi. My educational journey has brought me to The Potomac School several years ago. Potomac has truly become my home away from home. Here, I’ve been encouraged to grow both as an educator and as a member of the greater school community. Beyond being a faculty member, I am also a proud Potomac parent and look forward to continuing to watch my sons grow and learn in such a wonderful, caring environment.

When I am not at school, I enjoy spending time with my husband, our two sons, and our dogs, Buff, Sherlock and Rennie. We love old cars and spending time outdoors.

“I look forward to sharing my passion for intellectual inquiry, global perspectives, analytical writing, and athletics with the Potomac community.”

Education was a surprising and exciting new journey that I discovered after college. I graduated from Brown University with a double major in political science and history and promptly moved to New York City for what I thought would be a quick two-year teaching experience with the Teach for America program. Yet, I quickly realized that when I spoke with my fellow Teach for America teachers about my plans after the program, I was not planning to follow a new career. Rather, I was planning my next steps in education.

While I was in Teach for America I earned my master’s in teaching and following the program, I earned a master’s degree in history at Boston College. After receiving my master’s in history, I joined the history department at Miss Porter’s School in Farmington, CT, where I had the opportunity to teach, coach, advise, and serve as department chair. As a graduate of a small independent school in Maine, I was excited to become part of a community where teachers were involved with the student experience beyond the classroom. As a student, I loved having teachers who also supported my extracurricular interests and understood my high school experience beyond the classroom. As a teacher in independent schools, I find serving as a teacher, coach, advisor, and club mentor a critical element in building student confidence and willingness to take risks inside and outside of the classroom.

As I relocate to Virginia with my new husband, Michael, and our yellow labrador retriever, Rowdy, I am very excited to continue to work with students in the classroom and on the athletic fields at Potomac. I look forward to sharing my passion for intellectual inquiry, global perspectives, analytical writing, and athletics with the Potomac community.

"Because of my passion for social justice, I knew I wanted a career that focused on creating and shaping leaders who genuinely care for others regardless of their background."

Coming home to the DC area is such an exciting experience for me! After attending Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles and studying communication and economics, I have the opportunity to work alongside some of the most talented and professional educators at the Potomac School. This fall I will be a Teaching, Admissions and Communications fellow.

Although my studies at LMU did not directly correlate to a career in education, I learned that our schools and how we educate our youth are one of the main influences on a child’s contribution to society down the line. Because of my passion for social justice, I knew I wanted a career that focused on creating and shaping leaders who genuinely care for others regardless of their background, and Potomac’s philosophy to “foster a diverse, inclusive learning community where all voices and viewpoints are valued” makes for the perfect environment to start this personal mission. I am ecstatic to learn how to shape a well rounded class in admissions, and how independent schools prepare for the future in advancement and communications. 

On a less serious note, if you ask me a simple question about the game of basketball: high school, college, or professional, you might regret the detailed soliloquy coming your way! 

"My students introduced me to robotics 12 years ago, and it has been my passion since."

I have had a love for computer science since I was a junior in high school and have taught it now for 15 years. My students introduced me to robotics 12 years ago, and it has been my passion since. I have led robotics and computer science programs that have traversed land, water, and space. When I am not working with students, I enjoy spending time with my wife and children, playing video games and board games, and painting miniatures.

"I love being in the classroom—the place where meanings only half apprehended in solitary reading step out into the light of a shared understanding”

I came to be an English teacher after some twists and turns. I studied computer science as an undergraduate at Harvard, and after graduation I worked on research in speech and language processing. But after a few years I decided that my interest in language and communication really centered on literary expression, and I went back to Harvard to earn a Ph.D. in English. My dissertation concerned the imagery of motion in nineteenth-century British poetry, and I have a particular interest in teaching poetry. I’ve been both a college professor and a high school teacher, and I’m very happy to have the chance now to teach at Potomac. 
 
I love being in the classroom—the place where meanings only half apprehended in solitary reading step out into the light of a shared understanding. In that meaning-making, I hope my students both hear literary texts speaking to them in terms to which they can relate and stretch their capacities for listening to hear ideas or perspectives that they had not expected to find.