Herself a “diehard” day student when she attended Emma, Mariah knows firsthand what it’s like to juggle like a jester, serving as club head for Junior Singing Group (JSG) and Campus Players and co-creating a student-run dance theatre company, in addition to her academic pursuits. 

Mariah’s involvement at Emma foreshadowed her lifelong passion for theatre, which she pursued with gusto. From the English-Speaking Union Exchange program at Wycombe Abbey in England to a theatre degree from Northwestern University and a certificate from  London’s Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, Mariah found a love for teaching that led her to Manhattan, where she worked as a vocal coach and theatre instructor. After spending 14 years at her previous school, a move back to the Capital District brought Mariah back to Mount Ida. 

What makes an accomplished instructor decide to leave the classroom in favor of an office filled with the accoutrements needed to engage and entertain teenagers? “Much of theatre work is about helping people feel seen and heard and supported and giving access to people who might not otherwise have it,” Mariah says. Building a program of student activities for Emma students feels much the same. “There are many bits of this job that feel similar to what I would do as a director—a collaborative, ‘let’s create a thing together’ kind of experience.”

Mariah explains that balancing the necessary activities, like going to Target to get essentials or shopping at Crossgates Mall, with fun and stress-relieving pursuits, nurtures the mental health of our students.  She also looks for things that are meaningful and help students feel represented and seen.

It’s not work that Mariah does alone. This year, she has reintroduced the Weekend Activities Committee, a small group that helps bring the student voice into the planning process. “I love being able to help people work in community to create something they couldn’t create alone,” Mariah says. “Working with students on something that’s their own idea—something that feels meaningful to them on a deeper level—allows them to bring their identity and celebrate who they are beneath the surface.”

From weekend trips to Boston or New York City, to stay-at-home activities like Troy Waterfront Farmers Market, craft-making parties, museum visits, and bubble tea runs, Mariah works to make sure students can find a place to channel their energies. Many of the most meaningful events and activities come out of clubs, which Mariah organizes, and Community Engagement Opportunities (CEOs) and affinity spaces, which are facilitated by the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. These include crowd favorites like the Asian Student Union’s giant Lunar New Year celebration, the Black and Latine Student Union’s annual Apollo talent show, and the weekly CEO at the Mount Ida Food Pantry.

On a smaller scale, some of Mariah’s most rewarding moments involve helping students connect with their cultural identities in little ways. “When we did Ukrainian Easter egg dying with students 

from Ukraine, Poland, and Russia, they were so happy to be able to do that; it felt like home for them,” Mariah shares.

Beyond weekend activities, recent work in Student Life has restructured clubs to make them more sustainable and impactful. “There’s more integration between club activities, weekend activities, and events, which is helping clubs raise awareness about their work,” Mariah explains. The team has added student-run interest groups to the mix as well. These groups bypass the club structure and give students a chance to just experiment with things that interest them.

Mariah finds that teaching students how to plan an event or manage club and interest group activities is much like teaching them how to pull off a stage production. From working on deadlines to communicating effectively across organizations and their various departments, there is much to teach and much to learn. Working with people in housekeeping, food service, facilities management, or event planning provides opportunities for Mariah and her students to practice their values—equity, identity, culture, sustainability—in everything they do and with everyone they meet.

Beyond her primary responsibilities, Mariah has led yoga and meditation Jestermesters and serves on the Environmental Sustainability Committee and its curriculum review subcommittee, bringing her perspective on the intersection of sustainability and social justice to their discussions. And, of course, she gets to keep one foot in the theatre with her work as assistant director of Revels.

Reflecting on her return to Emma, Mariah is thrilled that the school remains committed to girls’ education, as well as to being inclusive, which is such a vital part of the work she does. Her unique perspective of personal memories informs and strengthens what she sees today. “My advisory group sits in the deep end of the pool for Morning Reports now,” she jokes, referring to the recent renovation of the original gymnasium into the Klingenstein Concert Hall. “Having the memory layer over the current reality is such a fun experience, and I’m glad to be back here supporting this current generation.” 

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Students who would like to be on the Weekend Activities Committee this year, please look out for the application form, which will be posted in Students Weekly on September 14.

This piece was written for "Emma Voices" in the Spring/Summer 2025 issue of Signature magazine.

Pictured above: Mariah with members of the Weekend Activities Committee Yuri Omega ’25 and Sarah S. ’27