When did you start working in education and how long have you been at Poly?
I started working in education in the spring of 2006. I was a student teacher at the high school I went to, teaching upper level Latin courses. My first full-time teaching job began in the fall of 2006. I taught middle and upper school Latin and was an 8th grade homeroom teacher at an all-girls school in Massachusetts. This is my seventh year teaching at Poly.

What drew you to the dean’s position?
There are so many things that drew me to the Dean position! It’s like a dream job for me. But the biggest one was having the opportunity to work with students in a more holistic capacity. There is so much more to a good education than academics; discovering who you are and learning how to be the person you want to become are so important. Being an Upper School Dean allows me to be more of a resource to students in this supportive way, helping students navigate the intricacies of the final years of adolescence.

What’s your favorite thing about working with students?
High school students are so fun! Their senses of humor, refreshing perspectives, and imaginations are enlivening. But my favorite thing about working with students is watching them make choices about who they want to be as people.

What are your goals for this year?
So many goals! The biggest one is to be the best support to students and faculty that I can. I am your biggest cheerleader!

How is high school different than when you were our age?
Great question. I went to a school different than Poly – it was public and a bit larger. We didn’t have cell phones back then, and Facebook was only a twinkle in Zuckerberg’s eye. I think AIM only became a thing my senior year. (Do you even know what that is!?) So it felt like I had a lot more time than students do now, because the distractions weren’t as omnipresent. My parents also didn’t allow me and my sister to watch TV on weekdays, so that was a thing, too…

What’s your favorite hobby?
Cooking. Hands down.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
I don’t know that I have a “best piece of advice,” but I’ll give you my favorite quote, which I keep in my pocket as a guide when I need it. It’s from The Little Prince by Antoine de St.-Exupery. “It is only with the heart that one can see clearly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.”

What 3 words would your best friend use to describe you?
My husband says: authentic, caring, joyful.