What brought you to Emma Willard School?

As a longtime independent school educator in our area, I have seen Emma as a benchmark for excellence. When I helped co-found the Tech Valley Center of Gravity (a community makerspace in Troy), Emma Willard was planning its bicentennial in 2014. We collaborated to host a Mini Maker Faire, and from there, I made collegial connections, worked GirlSummer, and when Anne Mossop (the previous director of Practicum) retired, I was excited to apply for a full-time opportunity at Emma in the Experiential Learning Department. I worried I might miss full-time teaching, but my work with individual students is so satisfying, I haven’t had the chance!

That said, I am a longtime Emma fan. My sister-in-law (outgoing Alumnae Association Council president) Maggie Bownes Johnson ’83 is my favorite Emma alum! Her intelligence, authenticity, and kindness are truly inspiring. In my role as the 11th-grade class dean, she is always in the back of my mind—what was it like to come to Emma as a new junior? When I set foot on campus every day, I hope to help our students value the unique qualities they bring to this experience and grow toward an ever more authentic version of themselves. 

 

What is a typical day at Emma like for you?

There is no typical day, which is part of what I love about it! I might meet with a student about a new idea for an off-campus Practicum, host a community member for coffee and conversation about ways to work with our students, cover a 11th-grade advising group whose advisor is out, schedule trips and drivers (even drive a student myself), teach my Signature class, support a student hosting a special event, meet with class officers to plan Ring Dinner, return parent calls and emails, and serve the Conduct Review Committee. Our days are long, and that makes the year fly by!

 

What is one thing about working at Emma that would surprise people?

Emma is my first boarding school. Before I came, I thought students who lived here would have more time; they don’t commute, this is their home. But I’ve found that our boarding students are at least as busy as their day school counterparts, and often even busier because they are also effectively navigating dorm life with all that entails (roommate negotiation, laundry, making good decisions about food, homework, time management, bedtime).

I’m also really happy that Emma as an institution invests in students who otherwise would not be able to access this amazing opportunity and community. I encourage bright students who say, “I wish I could go to a school like Emma,” to apply!

 

What were you like in high school?

You mean, what was I like in the 90s? Ha! This is a photo of me the summer after 9th grade. I often felt a bit out of place and realized then the power of finding “your people.” 

 

 

I was a successful public school student, but I desperately wanted all schools to be better for all students. (Still do.) I visited many public and private schools and even sat on the board for a small charter school. I didn’t intend to work in independent schools, but when I accepted my first position, the good teaching and learning I saw happening was so compelling that I stayed. That began a career where I have learned from some truly amazing educators. Now I am mentoring and leading newer teachers, which is exciting!

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Interested in learning more about how you might become a part of the Emma Willard School community? Visit our employment page!

Interested in learning more about experiential learning at Emma? Visit the Experiential Learning Department page, or contact Admissions.