Meet Our Faculty
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What do students learn in your class or when they work with you?
I love to teach writing and especially how to write personal essays. Giving students a chance to explore their own lives, to treat their experiences as something worthy of study and reflection is both a lot of fun and a chance to shape and understand self. In my class, students learn about voice and how to make sure their own voice is present in their writing.
What's your favorite topic to talk to students about?
At dinner time, I like to ask students: what part of this meal were you responsible for? Someone at the table almost always harvested, chopped, peeled, or cooked some part of the meal. In addition to getting some stories of how that went, the topic is also a nice reminder of the work we all share here.
Director, English Instructor
B.A. Harvard University
M.A. Brown University
M.F.A. Vermont College of Fine Arts
M.A. Georgetown University
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What do you love to do outside of the classroom/shop/kitchen/ field?
My main hobby is “making stuff,” which includes drawing, painting, dyeing, knitting, sewing, carving, and other related crafts. I also gather edible plants and mushrooms.
Where's your favorite spot on campus and why?
My favorite spot on campus is the [redacted]-facing hill right next to [redacted] where I forage morels and chanterelles in spring and summer.
Math Instructor
B.A. Hamilton College
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What drew you to work at the Mountain School?
Before I joined the faculty in 2017, I knew of the Mountain School through co-founders Nancy and David Grant and my two cousins who attended in the early years of the program. "The way learning should be" was a phrase a family member used to describe the school. I knew of the excellent reputation of the school and the progressive education offered. Nature, the outdoors, and student-centered learning on a farm, what could be better, in my mind? It would be awhile before a job opened up in Alumni Relations, but I had come to know more about the place in the course of taking part in the Vershare snowshoe-a-thon over a few winters. At the time, this event would include lunch at the Mountain School and a chance to interact with students and faculty. These students loved school and had such an incredible spirit about them. I knew I wanted to work at the Mountain School once I met the people, felt the ambiance, and tasted the amazing food. The students and alumni are so devoted and excited about the school, and for good reason.
Where's your favorite spot on campus and why?
Pinetop, the lean-to surrounded by pine trees, oriented to a view of the local hills and the NH mountains. It's an easy woods walk from central campus and is such a peaceful spot. I love watching the leaves emerge in spring and the colors change in the fall. It is also a stop on the snowshoe-a-thon and is a place dear to me, and it is also beloved by many Mountain Schoolers.
Director of Alumni and Donor Relations
B.A. Middlebury College
M.Ed. Suffolk University
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What do you love to do outside of the classroom/shop/kitchen /field?
I love to go wherever my dog wants to walk at the end of the day. Usually down to Back Brook, or up to Pinetop, but never to where the sheep are fenced in because of some prior electrifying experiences.
What is the book you'd suggest Mountain School students read?
“The Serviceberry,” by Robin Wall Kimmerer. What the world needs right now is more community, more gratitude, more abundance. Read this essay to hear the argument, and then come to the Mountain School to live it, and then go make the world a better place.
Registrar and Data Manager (remote)
A.B. Haverford College
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What drew you to work at the Mountain School?
The late Stephen Jay Gould once said that we cannot win this battle to save species and environments without forging an emotional bond between ourselves and nature as well—for we will not fight to save what we do not love. That saying resonates with me, and I’ve long sought to help forge that bond, both for myself and others. And there are a lot of ways to do this. Research. Stories (some new, some lost for too long). Investigations. Contextualization. Deep Curiosity. Presence. But for me, nothing really surpasses immersion in the outdoors. There has never been a more important time to seek the connections between humans and the environment—to see ourselves as a part of not apart from the natural world—and the Mountain School provides the framework for all of that to happen. That’s why I’m here.
What’s one of your favorite stories from teaching or working with students at the Mountain School?
It’s a collection of similarly themed stories that can be summarized in one sentence: I love when I see a notable manifestation—a smile, wide eyes, an audible “ohhhh”— of that moment when the proverbial lightbulb goes on, when a student makes a connection between seemingly disparate topics and a personal celebration ensues. Heck, I like it when the lightbulb goes off in me!
Environmental Science Instructor, Outdoor Program Coordinator
B.A. Dartmouth College
M.A. University of Delaware
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What drew you to work at the Mountain School?
On farms and among farmers I have found comfort, community and home. My migration to the Mountain School is much in service of this love for sharing in growth among peers. I find that meaningful conversation often sprouts outside a classroom while engaged in embodied work. To teach and in turn learn among garden beds is an opportunity I relish to share with all Mountain School students.
What do students learn in your class or when they work with you?
In my teaching, I seek to emphasize systems-based learning. In doing so, I believe we can build frameworks for understanding and better interpret the interdependence of every subject. From interdisciplinary food systems to traditionally so-called ‘hard sciences’ like physics, I think we ought to learn these subjects not as singular but importantly in conversation with one another. Our world is complex and to understand it we must look at the tree and the forest simultaneously. With me, students should anticipate derivations of physical principles that devolve into discourse on the poetry of the world in motion.
Physics & Food Systems Instructor
B.S. The Ohio State University
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What do you love to do outside of the classroom/shop/kitchen/ field?
I love being with students in all the various TMS places and spaces: out in the woods tromping through the woodlot and snow in the sugarbush tromping through the snow, getting dirty on the farm, chopping while chatting in the harvest kitchen, and most of all chopping wood and cheering each other on!
What do students learn in your class or when they work with you?
In Spanish class students learn to confront what feels challenging and step outside of their comfort zone. They build confidence and accuracy in their Spanish language skills and express themselves in new and different ways. Most importantly they learn to sing songs loudly and dance wholeheartedly as if no one was listening or watching.
Spanish Instructor, Academic Support (remote)
B.A. University of California, Santa Cruz
M.A. University of California, San Diego
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What drew you to work at the Mountain School?
I was drawn to work at the Mountain School because of the emphasis placed on authentic learning and community building. Working at the Mountain School also means that I have the opportunity to learn new ideas and skills alongside the students, which I appreciate as a lifelong learner.
What do you love to do outside of the classroom/shop/kitchen/ field?
Outside of the classroom, I love to cook, hike, and climb. I am hoping that in the coming months, I can recruit some experts to help me get back into knitting since that seems to be a campus favorite.
Chemistry & Environmental Science Instructor
B.S. University of Wisconsin- Madison
M.S. University of Wisconsin- Stevens Point
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What drew you to work at the Mountain School?
I love teaching but I don't love the dissonance between the silo-ed nature of formal education and the dynamic, interconnected ways that humans actually inhabit the world. The Mountain School offers a rare opportunity to engage students fully as people and to make learning relevant in that context. I also very much value the opportunity to work with students who arrive so open to thinking deeply and to being transformed; it's a privilege as a teacher to help facilitate that kind of meaningful change. And I love to be outside!
What do students learn in your class or when they work with you?
My goal as a teacher is to give students tools to make sense of the world outside of the classroom. I want them to be able to ask lots of questions, to think critically, to carefully consider context and connections, and to be able to work constructively and imaginatively with others to make a better world. Another goal of mine and of the Mountain School is to give students practice trying new things, to take risks even (or maybe especially) when outcomes are uncertain. And most importantly, I want them to learn to be kind.
US History & Environmental Humanities Instructor
B.A. Reed College
M.A. University of New Mexico
Ph.D. University of California, Berkeley
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What do students learn in your class or when they work with you?
Students learn some hard skills for sure--how to fence a pasture, how to herd sheep, how to catch a chicken. The more lasting lesson is what animals have to teach us about paying attention. Understanding the needs of a cow or a pig or a baby lamb almost always requires putting aside our human assumptions and imagining the world from an entirely different perspective. Watching students learn to do that well is always an honor.
What's one of your favorite stories from teaching or working with students at the Mountain School?
A few years ago I was running errands in town late in the lambing season. While I was away the last ewe delivered her lamb. By the time I got back to campus students had managed the entire birth: the mom was in a lambing pen with hay and a fresh bucket of water, the lamb was dried off and nursing, and everything that had happened was recorded in the sheep barn log. If there were a final exam for livestock work, that would have been it!
Livestock Manager & LGBTQ+ Student Coordinator
B.A. University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill
M.A., M.Phil. Yale University
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What's your favorite topic to talk to students about?
I enjoy talking to students about our wonderful small community here in Vershire and the nearby elementary school, which we visit during activity blocks.
What do you love to do outside of the classroom/shop/kitchen/ field?
I enjoy spending time with my family and spending as much time outside as possible.
Office Manager, Transportation & Standardized Testing Coordinator
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What do you love to do outside of the classroom/shop/kitchen/ field?
I love gardening! I grow mostly native plants and flowers for pollinators, and I enjoy watching all the wildlife around me. It’s a wonderful way to slow down, look closely at plants and insects, and feel connected to nature.
What's your favorite topic to talk to students about?
Music! I really enjoy learning about the students through music, and any aspect of music that sparks their interest - songwriting, production, vocals, musicianship, lyrics, harmony… anything they want to talk about music, count me in!
Voice Teacher & Residential Faculty
B.M. New England Conservatory
M.M. New England Conservatory
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What do you love to do outside of the classroom/shop/kitchen/ field?
I love walking just for the sake of it, whether that means exploring nearby trails or simply wandering through the neighborhood. Traveling both near and far sparks my curiosity, especially when I can dive into local history, handmade art and crafts, and food, which shape a community's identity but are also part of our collective history that connects us all. I also enjoy searching for second-hand treasures, nurturing plants, and throwing impromptu dance parties with my family.
What is the book you'd suggest Mountain School students read?
The book I would suggest students read is The Family of Man. It is a moving collection of photographs and quotes that celebrates our shared humanity and the connections that bring us together, based on the 1955 MoMA exhibition curated by Edward Steichen. This book has inspired many twentieth-century artists like Sebastião Salgado, Diane Arbus, and Garry Winogrand. While it may seem simplistic and somewhat dated, its underlying message of empathy and connection remains powerful. Its spirit has influenced generations of photographers and artists to tell stories that matter and to remind us that every story matters. I believe it encourages students to see the world with curiosity and kindness, qualities that are important in school and life.
Director of Admissions, Enrollment & Financial Aid
B.A. California State University - Northridge
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What do you love to do outside of the classroom/shop/kitchen/ field?
I lived the majority of my life in the same place. It is easy to forget what the world has to offer when you're so comfortable in the little world you made at home. So, because I loved my world so much, I didn't find a need to explore. However, in high school, much like many others, I began learning about myself and my passions. When I wasn't in class or at work, I was taking long walks in the woods, climbing trees and imagining what mission a little beetle must be on for it to be moving so quickly through the rugged terrain of twigs and leaves. I began writing more too. When I became a teacher, I brought to the classroom what I learned in my adolescence. Throughout my years of teaching, I aim to teach students, just as they have taught me, about themselves. We learn about purpose, humility, space and community. We learn about each other through conversations and reading. Ultimately we learn about what it means to be an individual participating in a collective public.
What drew you to work at the Mountain School?
When I came across TMS, I was immediately drawn to the mission and focus. Students and staff are challenged to know our personal practices but exist beyond them. At TMS, we learn how to understand and navigate the worlds in which we live, big or small, and The Mountain School is a place where I am excited to endlessly discover.
English Instructor & Affinity Group Coordinator
B.A. Syracuse University
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What drew you to work at the Mountain School?
The faculty, beautiful scenery and farm, and of course the kitchen space.
What do you love to do outside of the classroom/shop/kitchen/ field?
I love getting to know the students and cooking with them. Students teach me something new everyday.
Chef
B.A. Johnson State College
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Where's your favorite spot on campus and why?
My favorite spot on campus would have to be pine top, due to it being a fairly secluded area where I can pull my car up to and camp out with a nice view.
What do you love to do outside of the classroom/shop/kitchen/ field?
I like to camp, fish, disc golf, and play video games.
Facilities Assistant Manager
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What do you love to do outside of the classroom/shop/kitchen/ field?
I love to dance, sing, ski, hike, and ride my mountain bike.
Where's your favorite spot on campus and why?
My favorite place on campus is Garden Hill--because even though it always looks like the "to-do list" to me, it's also a spectacular place with long-range views that feels really expansive; it's both grounding and inspiring to be there; we have a long history.
Farm Manager & Food Systems Instructor
B.A. Smith College
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What drew you to work at the Mountain School?
The opportunity to be around young people! I desperately missed them after I retired (life was boring!).
What do students learn in your class or when they work with you?
It varies: sometimes unexpected talents, sometimes to accept less than perfection, which is really hard for some of our students. Often they discover that they enjoy things that they would not have assumed they might. I love the surprise when someone does something that they are proud of that they didn't think that they could do.
Craft Instructor
B.S. University of Central Florida
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What is the book you'd suggest Mountain School students read?
Mink River by Brian Doyle
What do you love to do outside of the classroom/shop/kitchen/ field?
Outside of here I enjoy making music, climbing rocks, hiking and gardening with my wife and kiddo.
Chef
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What's your favorite topic to talk to students about?
I enjoy talking about vernacular farming traditions with students
What drew you to work at the Mountain School?
I came to the Mountain School for the community.
Kitchen Manager
B.A. Johnson and Wales University
Meisterbrief – Die Akademie des bayerischen Bäckerhandwerks Lochham
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What drew you to work at the Mountain School?
Being an alum of a semester program myself, I have always been a strong supporter of a term away from home in high school. I still catch myself (24 years later), telling stories of my semester program, or saying, "well, at my semester program, we did ...." When the opportunity arose to work at the Mountain School, it felt like coming full circle.
What's your favorite topic to talk to students about?
My very favorite part of working at TMS is watching students become themselves more deeply. When I talk to them, I like to encourage them to figure out what they need to care for themselves. As you can imagine, being the school nurse, I don’t always see the students on their best day. I like to say, “Okay, is this a big deal? Or a little deal?” and then we figure out the plan, mostly together. Watching them grow from their seedling self into a fuller plant self, is truly the most rewarding part of my job.
School Nurse
B.S.N. University of Southern Maine
M.A.T. University of Puget Sound
Registered Nurse, Vermont Board of Nursing
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What drew you to work at the Mountain School?
I have had a number of students at my previous school attend the Mountain School and all of them have returned reporting that the experience was life changing. I have said, "I want to go to The Mountain School!" I have always wanted to grow up on a farm so when a position opened, it was a no-brainer!
What do you love to do outside of the classroom/shop/kitchen/ field?
I love to take road trips to explore our country. It's a pretty amazing place!
School Counselor
B.A. Gettysburg College
M.Ed. Keene State College
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What drew you to work at the Mountain School?
What drew me to work at TMS was the focus on student immersion in farming! Every day there are students participating in some kind of farming activity that directly impacts the rest of the TMS community.
What do students learn in your class or when they work with you?
When students work with me in the sugarbush they are learning everything about maple syrup production. From managing a healthy, resilient sugarbush to grading the final product, to understanding the economics of pure VT maple syrup tin our region.
Farm Assistant Manager & Sugar Maker
A.A. Community College of Vermont
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What drew you to work at the Mountain School?
Nikki the Llama! But seriously, I am extremely excited to join a school where I can share my many interests--math, but also social justice and knitting--with students. The vibe at TMS is so welcoming and supportive and I can't wait to be a part of that.
What is the book you'd suggest Mountain School students read?
Braiding Sweetgrass, by Robin Wall Kimmerer. This book changed my perspective on how we can fight for a better world for all of us to live in by being in consonance with the natural world and honoring the indigenous wisdom of this land we live on.
Math Instructor & Social Justice Coordinator
B.S. Yale University
Ph.D. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
M.A. Union Theological Seminary
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What drew you to work at the Mountain School?
Summer Farm Crew, scuffle hoes, and a very charismatic group of piglets. (RIP Spotty Dog, Little Red Brown, Three Friends, and others.)
What is the book you'd suggest Mountain School students read?
I'd suggest pairing E.B. White's essay "Death of a Pig" with his far more famous work Charlotte's Web. "Death of a Pig" for its perfect craft and sentences and White's musings on time and mortality on a New England farm; Charlotte's Web for its radical perspectives on ecology, reciprocity, and humanity.
Art & English & Food Systems Instructor
B.F.A. School of the Art Institute of Chicago
M.F.A. Washington University in St. Louis
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What drew you to work at the Mountain School?
What drew me to the Mountain School in Vershire, Vermont was the promise of community, and the chance to trade traffic for fresh air. As a member of the facilities team, I came for the tools and tractors, but I stayed for the morning fog rolling over the fields, the sound of students laughing as they split wood, and the countless small moments where connections happen unexpectedly. Whether I’m fixing a leaky faucet or helping a student learn how to swing an axe, I feel lucky to be part of a place where work, learning, and life are all tangled up in the best kind of way.
What do students learn in your class or when they work with you?
When students work with me, they learn how to fix things, build things, and occasionally a new expletive or two. They learn how to swing a hammer, start a stubborn engine, or split a log without taking out their shin. More than that, they learn patience, problem-solving, and how to take pride in getting their hands dirty. We talk about tools, sure, but we also talk about life, responsibility, and how to work together to take care of this place. Whether we’re splitting wood or clearing a trail, my hope is that they walk away with a little more confidence, a few new skills, and a sense that their contributions make a real difference.
Facilities Manager
B.S. American Military University
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What drew you to work at the Mountain School?
Joining a community of folks who believe in impact beyond themselves means a great deal to me. The Mountain School is a place of authentic connection with a deep respect for the land it sits on. As someone who grew up in a small Vermont town, the interdependence that TMS models is one I value and feel at home in.
What do you love to do outside of the classroom/shop/kitchen/ field?
Outside of TMS, you can find me hiking in the woods, picking up local produce at farm stands and neighbor's homes, chasing after my daughter, attending Moth storytelling events and TedTalks, scheming new travel plans with my husband, writing books, and, ironically, enjoying not having a social media presence of my own!
Social Media Coordinator (remote)
B.A. University of Vermont
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What do you love to do outside of the classroom/shop/kitchen/ field?
I've been a huge fan of folklore and mythology since I was a kid and spend a lot of my time exploring the intersections of folklore and nature. This takes many forms - from reading folktales from around the world to exploring the folk horror film subgenre to looking at world-building in video games and tabletop RPGs to studying the history of the druids.
What do students learn in your class or when they work with you?
That so much of what makes life enjoyable and meaningful exists outside of the narrow definitions of success and achievement that exist in our contemporary societal paradigm. Yes, classwork is important - we should all strive to understand the world around us through different lenses of history, culture, literature, mathematics, science, and art (such is the great privilege of being alive - to understand the world and its inhabitants), but equally important is the pursuit of joy and laughter and the work of building a life that feels fulfilling. Such fulfillment, despite what we're told, is not dependent on those external awards and achievements or the titles affixed to our names, but is inexorably bound up in the communities of which we are part and the places to which we belong.
Assistant Director
B.A. Sarah Lawrence College
M.S. University of Nebraska - Lincoln
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What do students learn in your class or when they work with you?
In the classroom and kitchen, I try to help students build awareness of their relationships to food. We look at how values shape decisions—how to navigate the impacts of our global food system while still finding meaning, connection, and enjoyment in what we grow, cook, and share.What do you love to do outside of the classroom/shop/kitchen/ field?
I train in karate and spend time hiking, kayaking, and gardening whenever I can.
Culinary Studies & Mindfulness Instructor
B.A. Prescott College