Upper School Academics

"What I enjoy most about the work I do is that I’m able to provide academic, social-emotional, and behavioral counseling for students, all while making sure students are heard, seen, and feel as if they belong."

Through my work as a counselor educator, I developed a fondness for using research to guide instruction. I saw the benefit of gaining exposure to research findings and ideas that might help shape my own conceptual understanding of school counseling. My interactions with other counselors and educators reinforced my belief that a greater understanding of the importance of counseling and mental health will make stakeholders more aware of mental and emotional health’s impact on student outcomes. I believe this foundational knowledge is crucial when supporting the holistic development of a student. 

Additionally, I am a fifth-year Ph.D. candidate (ABD) in the Counselor Education at the University of Connecticut. My degree focuses on educational equity and social justice. Moreover, I’m a certified school counselor and Crandall-Cordero Fellow at the University of Connecticut. My research interests surround African American male academic achievement, social and emotional wellbeing, and college & career readiness. I have various educational experiences in low-income, culturally diverse communities (Hartford, CT, Philadelphia, PA, Orangeburg, SC, Abington, PA) and schools with students and families identified as being at high levels of risk or underserved.

What I enjoy most about the work I do is that I’m able to provide academic, social-emotional, and behavioral counseling for students, all while making sure students are heard, seen, and feel as if they belong. I'm looking forward to working, supporting , and building with all of our Potomac community! 

Food for thought

"In times of crisis, the wise build bridges while the foolish build barriers”. - King T’Challa

"I am so excited to join the Potomac community and to learn together, exploring our potential to build a better world one step at a time."

After relocating to Virginia from California and a brief hiatus from teaching, I am thrilled to be back in the classroom doing what I truly love.  I am so excited to join the Potomac community and to learn together, exploring our potential to build a better world one step at a time.  Having taught various ages, I am excited to be with the youngest learners.  Kindergarteners are full of surprises-- they give so much joy and insight to the world, our relationships to each other, and ourselves.  I know I’ll be learning so much from them and I hope to share their joy in return.

"As a Potomac lifer, I feel so lucky and honored to start my teaching career at the very school that shaped me into the person I am today. "

After four years at Ohio Wesleyan University, I graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education and a minor in Psychology. With a certification in grades Pre-K through 3, I moved back to the Washington area to pursue my teaching career. Potomac's ability to shape young academic, social, and emotional minds is just one of the many reasons I returned back to the school I've always loved. A few things I enjoy doing in my downtime are drawing, painting, traveling, eating spaghetti, and going shopping!

"I have had the opportunity to work with and benefit from some very gifted and talented administrators, coaches, mentors and teachers. A common theme I gleaned from all of them has been the dedication to the process."

I began my career over thirty years ago as a young teacher and football/lacrosse coach at the St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes School in Alexandria where my first scrimmage as an assistant coach was vs the Potomac School. Since then, I have served as teacher, coach, administrator, advisor and grade-dean at Flint Hill, St. Albans, Saint John Paul the Great, and the Maret School. I had the opportunity to work with and benefit from some very gifted and talented administrators, coaches, mentors and teachers. A common theme I gleaned from all of them has been the dedication to the process. It is during the process where both the students and teachers/coaches are engaged in active learning and teaching. Trust is built, obstacles are overcome and confidence is built, especially in athletics.

Coming to Potomac, I believe I have come full circle, back to my roots, Athletics. I am excited to join the Potomac School community and am looking forward to being a part of the process that will enable our student-athletes and teams the opportunity to push and test themselves and their programs even further. I am also eager to work with a dedicated group of coaches who believe in the process and in their athletes' potential.

My wife Christine and I just celebrated our 25th Anniversary and we have two sons. Ben, who attends Connecticut College, and Luke, who has just started as a freshman this year at Boston College.

“There is no greater reward than being present when a student’s light bulb glows because they suddenly figured something out which they had previously struggled to understand.”

My coaching career is all about helping students understand they can accomplish so much more than they ever realized. The concept of competing in speech and debate is scary for most students. But like any sport, coaching is about teaching the skillsets and the knowledge needed to be successful. I don’t believe in a lot of rules for students with one big exception: Having fun!

As a coach, I’ve been fortunate. I’ve coached state and national champions, All-Americans, and students who went on to successfully compete in college. But not everyone is going to be a champion. But they can be on a team that always aspires to be the best!

My approach to teaching is my approach to coaching. Thus, Speech That Matters and the entrepreneurial classes are all about changing the way we think to accomplish things we never thought possible.

Growing up in the shadow of Wrigley Field, my Chicago roots remain an important part of my identity, but I developed a deep appreciation for the eastern part of the country while studying mathematics at Middlebury College. After graduation, I returned to the Chicagoland area to teach at Lake Forest Academy, an independent boarding school in the northern suburbs. Over more than two decades there, I taught across the high school math curriculum and served as a coach, mentor, advisor, and dorm parent. 

I am thrilled to join the vibrant learning community at Potomac.  Working in independent schools has been a true joy.  In these unique, diverse, and ever changing communities, I have been fortunate enough to work with colleagues and students from a wide array of backgrounds and experiences.  I love the challenge that each new school year brings and the shared growth it inspires.  

My family and I now reside in Vienna and look forward to enjoying the area’s wealth of culture, natural beauty, and great food.  

I hold a BA in mathematics from Middlebury College and an MA in Secondary Education from DePaul University. 

“I believe that the salient features of math – its aura of abstract purity, its requirement of discipline, its worlds of thought to explore, and its offer of opportunities to find truth – make it not only good for the mind, but ennobling.” 

I have a bachelor's degree in mathematics from Middlebury College and have taught most high school levels, from beginner’s algebra to multivariable calculus and linear algebra. I believe that the salient features of math – its aura of abstract purity, its requirement of discipline, its worlds of thought to explore, and its offer of opportunities to find truth – make it not only good for the mind, but ennobling.

Outside of math, I completed a graduate degree in music composition and have played the piano for more than 20 years. I am pleased to be teaching a few piano students at Potomac.

I teach math in the Upper School and also serve as our US Service Learning Coordinator and an advisor. In math, I’m especially interested in helping students move beyond rote steps to develop real conceptual understanding and critical thinking, whether we’re working on proofs or exploring problem-solving strategies. I believe learning should balance challenge with curiosity, and my role as a teacher is to guide students toward making connections, asking thoughtful questions, and finding meaning in what they learn. In my service learning role, I design experiences that connect students with our community, spark reflection and empathy, and support student-led initiatives.

I studied mathematics at Georgia Tech and have taught a range of courses, but what keeps me inspired is watching students grow—not only in their skills, but in how they see themselves as learners and community members. I also have a not-so-secret love of color-coded spreadsheets (yes, they really do make their way into my teaching and project planning). Outside of school, I’m usually reading—I love all genres but especially memoirs—or spending time on hobbies like traveling, gardening, baking, and hiking.

I am excited to have joined Potomac as the Director of IS and US Track and Field and Cross Country in August, 2023.

Track has been a huge part of my life! I am an NCAA Champion and two-time Olympian in Track & Field in the 800m event and represented Team USA at the 1992 and 1996 Olympic Games as well as at several World Championships and other international events during my career, including the 1999 Pan American Games in Mar del Plata Argentina where I won the gold medal.

After an NCAA Championship and All-American career at Harvard University, I competed professionally for 10 years on the international circuit earning top ten world rankings and competing across the globe. A huge honor for me is that I remain one of the top ten fastest 800m runners in US history with a personal record of 1:57.04.

Prior to Potomac, I was a head coach of track and field at the Holton-Arms school as well as a volunteer assistant for the University of Maryland Track and Field team since 2003. In addition to serving as a Director of Potomac's cross country and track and field programs, I am also an assistant athletic director.

"In my classroom each day, I seek to create an environment that simultaneously engages my students and also encourages them to take risks."

Ever since my 10th grade English teacher brought Macbeth to life in the classroom, I've had a passion for learning about literature in an interactive, engaging environment. After graduating Phi Beta Kappa from Davidson College, I studied and taught both English and theater before pursuing an Master of Arts in English from New York University. Since then, I've been teaching English in the classroom while continuing to pursue my love of theater in my free time. In my classroom each day, I seek to create an environment that simultaneously engages my students and also encourages them to take risks; when they feel passionate about the material, they are able to absorb so much more. As a result, in my role as Upper School director of curriculum and academics, it's my privilege to support our talented faculty and diverse student body as they make new discoveries about themselves and the material daily.

“I still remember my jazz band instructor explaining how improvisation is ‘just like swimming underwater."

Teaching and learning can happen anywhere. This may sound sappy and clichéd, but for me, it continues to be a guiding mantra. As a student at Holland Hall in Tulsa, OK, Carleton College in Northfield, MN, and Teachers College in New York City, I was lucky to have dedicated and engaging teachers and professors. They brought the material to life and challenged me to think critically and creatively.

However, some of my most formative learning experiences came from outside the classroom. I still remember my jazz band instructor explaining how improvisation is “just like swimming underwater,” and my football coach reliving the moment when his coach screamed, “block or get out of the way!” at him. These lessons were about the problem at hand, but came to mean something more – something that I still carry with me some 20 years later.

It is the appreciation of these lessons that has brought me to teaching, coaching, and my duties as a dean. Whether I’m finding new ways to stretch my students’ understanding and appreciation for history, challenging student leaders to think about an adaptive problem differently, or working with the ice hockey team to learn how to read a play and support each other as a unit, I find deep satisfaction in working and collaborating with students to solve problems and squeeze lessons out of our experiences. I am fortunate to be working at Potomac, a place that encourages these rewarding opportunities.
 

"I received my master's degree in English from NC State University and my undergraduate degree in English education from UNC Chapel Hill."

I received my master's degree in English from NC State University and my undergraduate degree in English education from UNC Chapel Hill. I am joining Potomac from the Connelly School of the Holy Child where I have taught all levels of upper school English over the course of my 12‐year tenure and also served as the department chair and as a college counselor.

"I am extremely proud and excited to become a member of the faculty of The Potomac School."

I look forward to working with and getting to know all of the teachers, staff, students and families of the School.

Prior to coming to The Potomac School, I taught special education in the emotional disabilities program at Walt Whitman High School from 2008-14. I was the defensive coordinator for the football program for over five years and was also an assistant coach for the wrestling program for three years. I also coached baseball for eight years for the KOA sports program, based out of Bethesda.

I am a 2001 graduate of Walt Whitman High School in Bethesda. After Whitman, I attended a post-graduate year at Bridgton Academy in Bridgton, Maine. (A quick fact about Bridgton: it is the oldest and only one year post-graduate program in the country.

I graduated from High Point University in North Carolina in 2006 with a Bachelor of Science in Sport Management. Following High Point, I enrolled in Johns Hopkins University School of Education, where I received my master’s degree in special education with an emphasis in mild to moderate disabilities.

In addition, it is fun to note that I am first cousins with another excellent faculty member at The Potomac School, Claire Berg.

“In 2007, I spent a year in Istanbul on a Fulbright Teacher Exchange Scholarship and taught high school math in a Turkish private school.”

I hail from Boston and have earned two degrees in secondary mathematics education--a bachelor’s from Boston University and a master’s from Framingham State College. After graduation, I worked for several years in a Massachusetts public school where I taught all levels of math, from Algebra 1 through AP Calculus. In 2007, I spent a year in Istanbul on a Fulbright Teacher Exchange Scholarship and taught high school math in a Turkish private school. I loved my time abroad, contracted the travel bug and, after a few years back in Massachusetts, took off for Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, where I spent three years teaching integrated and IB math at an international private school in Malaysia while exploring Southeast Asia.

I feel so fortunate to have had caring, inspiring and motivating teachers when I was growing up – from my third-grade teacher, who believed in my abilities; to my only female high school math teacher, who was proof that women could be both caring and smart; to my adventurous French teacher who taught me how to discover the world. I bring everything that I’ve learned from them to my students with the hope of challenging, inspiring and motivating the next generation.

“My high-school choir teacher was so inspiring that after one semester of college I changed my major from the social sciences to music education.”

I have been a musician most of my life, since reluctantly starting piano at age seven and enthusiastically beginning the violin at nine. I have had the privilege of studying with excellent teachers and playing and singing in outstanding ensembles. My high-school choir teacher was so inspiring that after one semester at the University of Kansas I changed my major from the social sciences to music education. I wanted to help students experience the joy that music had brought me. Upon hearing my plans, my high-school counselor dolefully announced that I was wasting my potential. He couldn’t have been more wrong. Every day, I get to share the joy of playing music with students of many ages and abilities. Through my teaching, I strive to help students improve their technical and expressive skills so they can better convey emotions without words. Making music makes us part of a human endeavor that started with the earliest man and will continue as long as there are people. Waste my potential? Hardly! Helping my fantastic students reach their potential is a wonderful career.

"I am looking forward to sharing my insight on the college admission process with the Potomac community while being an integrated member of our school community."

Early on in my admissions career, I realized the importance of putting the person above the process by personalizing and humanizing the admissions process and having honest conversations with parents and students. I am pleased to be able to create meaningful and lasting relationships in my new role in Potomac’s College Counseling Office.

As a high school student at Northfield Mount Hermon School, I worked closely with my teachers and mentors and always appreciated the time, care, and interest they took in my activities. I am looking forward to sharing my insight on the college admission process with the Potomac community while being an integrated member of our school community.

Originally from the Boston area, I attended and graduated from The University of New Hampshire with a bachelor's degree in history in 2005. Upon completion of my undergraduate program, I worked in college admissions in the Boston area, first at Boston University and then at Emerson College. In 2011, I received my Master of Education in higher education administration from Northeastern University. After one too many New England winters I decided to move to Washington, DC, and began working in the undergraduate admission office at American University, where I worked for nearly four years, recruiting and guiding parents and students from around the world through the admission process. My professional affiliations include The Western Association for College Admission Counseling (WACAC), The National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC), and the Potomac and Chesapeake Association for College Admission Counseling (PCACAC).

On a more personal note, despite living in DC for the past five years, I am still a devoted and die-hard Boston sports fan; go Pats! I also enjoy visiting Nantucket and the White Mountains whenever I am back in the New England. Closer to my new home, I try to take advantage of all that DC has to offer and am looking forward to attending many events here on campus at Potomac.