INFLUENCERS

FACULTY MEMBERS SERVE AS THE TIRELESS ENGINES THAT MAKE SCHOOLS OPERATE EFFECTIVELY. THEIR POSITIONS VARY, BUT THEY ARE DRIVEN BY THE SAME SELFLESS GOAL: TO SUPPORT THEIR STUDENT BODIES TOWARD ACHIEVING THEIR FULLEST POTENTIAL IN THE CLASSROOM AND WELL BEYOND. MEET SOME OF THESE INFLUENTIAL FIGURES.

INFLUENCERS

CHRISTIAN DONOVAN Friends School of Baltimore

Newly appointed Friends Head of School Christian Donovan previously served as the assistant head of school & director of strategic research at HeadRoyce School in Oakland, CA, following seven years as the school’s director of enrollment management. Donovan played a critical role in leading HeadRoyce’s COVID-19 response team and is nationally acclaimed for his enrollment management work. Prior to joining Head-Royce, he served as director of admissions and enrollment management at his alma mater, George School, a Quaker school in Newton, PA, and in college counseling and admissions roles at the Athenian School in California.

CHRISTY COLE Glenelg Country School

Christy Cole embarks on her fifteenth year at Glenelg Country School (GCS). As director of student support services, she WHAT DREW YOU TO EDUCATION? I was fortunate enough to have inspiring and life-changing teachers during my own educational journey, so what drew me to education was the desire to pay it forward. I wanted to offer the same transformative experience to the next generation of students.

works closely with upper school administration to ensure the success of all GCS students, including those with diagnosed learning differences, social-emotional disorders, and ADHD. Born and bred in Baltimore County, Cole received a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and a minor in Special Education from Goucher College in ’99. She has taught at Valley Academy (now Jemicy Upper School), TopSide, and Camp Jemicy summer camps, and previously served as the director of admissions at the Baltimore Lab School.

WHAT DREW YOU TO EDUCATION? For as long as I can remember, I always loved being around kids. Despite that, I entered college as a computer science major but WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT YOUR CURRENT SCHOOL? There are so many things, but the one that stands out the most is that at Friends School of Baltimore we are equipping students with the knowledge, skills, connections, and confidence to be courageous change makers. To us this means that we dig deeply into the issues and challenges that face our world today and build relationships with each other that last a lifetime.

WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO ACHIEVE IN YOUR ROLE? I have several, but first is to continue offering our students an excellent academic experience, building our program to meet the needs of today’s students and families. The pandemic has certainly shown that schools can pivot, and we now have opportunities to continue reimagining what the best education should look like. CONT’D ON PG 47

took an Introduction to Special Education course the spring of my freshman year. Needless to say, after that experience I found my calling. A career in education has allowed me to continue to learn and to share my interests—from reading to athletics—with my students.

WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT YOUR CURRENT SCHOOL? One of the things that drew me to GCS is the diversity of our students and the sense of community across the campus. Some of my most treasured memories and experiences with students at GCS have happened outside the confines of my office. Each and every day is filled with something unexpected that either makes me laugh or inspires me to learn more. CONT’D ON PG 47

JENNIFER NICHOLAS Maryvale Preparatory School

Jennifer Nicholas received an undergraduate degree in secondary education from Villanova University and a master’s degree in Leadership in Teaching from the University of Notre Dame of Maryland. She is in her tenth year at Maryvale. Formerly director of the school’s St. Julie Billiart Program, which serves students with a diagnosed language-based learning difference, she is currently head and academic dean of the middle school at Maryvale.

TERRI RINEHART Mercy High School

Dean of Students Terri Rinehart joined Mercy High School in the summer of 2022. She began her robust career in education as a middle and high school history teacher before moving into administrative roles at Trinity School in Ilchester and Maryvale Preparatory School. She most recently served as assistant head of upper school at Gerstell Academy from 2019 to 2022. Rinehart grew up in Baltimore County and holds a B.S. in history and secondary education and a minor in geography from Towson University (then Towson State). Her family is a central focus of her life, and she and her husband are committed to Catholic education.

WHAT DREW YOU TO EDUCATION? I’ve always had a love for education. Working with young people, seeing the growth and changes they undergo, and watching them discover their unlimited potential has always inspired me.

WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT YOUR CURRENT SCHOOL? I love that Maryvale provides a personalized and supportive environment where each student can succeed. We allow our students to take ownership of their educational journey. We teach our girls to self-advocate. We help students identify their strengths, both in the classroom and outside, to help them excel in all facets of life.

WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO ACHIEVE IN YOUR ROLE? I want my students to leave Maryvale with the belief that anything is possible for them. I want to instill confidence in each student. I want them to feel heard and valued while at Maryvale. I want all students, despite the struggles they may face, to know that they are capable of achieving amazing things here and beyond.

WHAT DREW YOU TO EDUCATION? I felt called to be a teacher. As a first-generation college graduate, I believe in giving back. I want to empower our young people as confident and capable citizens of our nation and the globe. It is imperative to prepare our children for the changing and complex world. Working in education allows me to continue to learn, take chances, grow, and help others. It is also a plus that every day is different. I absolutely love what I do!

WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT YOUR CURRENT SCHOOL? Mercy appreciates every person and is committed to maintaining a diverse community, fostering an atmosphere of mutual respect, and inspiring all of its community members to strive for true excellence. Mercy’s innovative and rigorous academics; vast athletic, arts, and extra-curricular offerings; and faith-based traditions allow each student to find her path. I am thrilled to return to Catholic education.

WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO ACHIEVE IN YOUR ROLE? As dean of students, my focus is on caring for the whole person as I help each Mercy student reach her full potential.

HEATHER WALSH St. James Academy

Heather Walsh is excited to begin her new role with St. James Academy as the director of admission and enrollment management. She brings to the position a rich and varied background. Walsh has a master’s degree in reading/writing/literacy from the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education and robust editorial experience, which she’ll apply in her position with St. James.

WHAT DREW YOU TO EDUCATION? I didn’t necessarily intend a career in education; it’s more accurate to say that education found me. I knew that I wanted to tell stories and thought that my career path would take me into journalism, but I received some advice from a college mentor that the noise of life never seemed to drown out. He said, “Become an expert in something you’re passionate about and tell those stories.”

That advice led me to the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education, immersed in project-based learning, literacy development, and instructional design research. A graduate assistantship landed me in the Office of Information Systems and Computing – and I soon found myself creating innovative learning experiences for learners of all ages and educational institutions of all sizes. Applying best practices to new technology-based vehicles was exciting, and to this day, I love the iterative nature of education practice and how it intersects with storytelling. Over the last decade, I’ve applied those principles to helping many area independent schools and informal education organizations design learning-based outreach programs. Each program was intentionally crafted to communicate what makes the school or organization unique. CONT’D ON PG 47

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