Faculty & Staff Directory

At Marvelwood Since: 2022

Laurie has been with Marvelwood since 1987 and Chair of the Science Department for much of that time. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Biology from Lake Forest College and her M.Ed in special education from The University of Hartford. During her undergraduate years, she worked with Dr. Charles R. Brown on his pioneering studies focusing on the costs and benefits of coloniality in Cliff Swallows. Today, in collaboration with the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection,Kent Land Trust & the Purple Martin Conservation Association, Laurie and her students engage in research on a different member of the swallow family, Purple Martins. In fact their efforts have restored and expanded breeding populations of inland martins over the past 18 years from about 10 breeding pairs to well over 400!

Laurie is on the Board of Directors for the Kent Land Trust and the Purple Martin Conservation Association. She is one of two advisors of Marvelwood’s Envirothon team which won the state competition in 2021 and 2024 and which went on to represent the state of Connecticut at the annual NCF-Envirothon Annual International Competitions.

Over the years Laurie and her students have initiated numerous research projects for local communities involving aquatic macroinvertebrates, amphibians, birds, and amphibians. The school’s amphibian studies were included in the book Science and Conservation of Vernal Pools in Northeastern North America: Ecology and Conservation of Seasonal Wetlands in Northeastern North America. Several amphibians documented were also mentioned in Conservation of Amphibians and Reptiles in Connecticut

Student generated avian data was instrumental in the designation of the Macedonia Forest Block Important Bird Area. Data was also collected and shared with the recent Connecticut Bird Atlas Project. Finally, various data collected on local fauna has also been used in the generation of habitat management plans and Forest Bird Assessments for Kent Land Trust.

Laurie has also been the recipient of numerous conservation educator and volunteer awards.

At Marvelwood Since: 1987

Will is a curious and dedicated teacher of voice and music. He began music directing at the community theater in his hometown in 2013 where he fell in love with teaching. Since, he has worked in prestigious music schools, summer programs, and colleges in California, Boston, and New York City, including NYU Steinhardt's voice department and Berklee's Summer Musical Theater Intensive. In 2019, Will joined the music staff at Trinity School NYC, teaching voice lessons and subbing for vocal music classes. He is thrilled to join the Marvelwood community this fall!

At Marvelwood Since: 2023

Ben Eskind is a recent graduate from the Bard College Master’s in Teaching program with a certification to teach English Language Arts, grades 7 - 12. He earned his Bachelors of Arts from Bard College in 2010, majoring in political studies—his final project explored the relationship between American jazz music, democracy and citizenship. He later earned his Master’s in Science from the University of Rochester, in community mental health counseling.

He is an intellectually curious person with an abiding belief in student-centered learning and the value of a liberal arts and sciences education. Prior to teaching, Ben worked as a community-based mental health counselor in Rochester, New York, providing counseling services to youth and families. After graduating from Bard as an undergraduate in 2010, Ben began his career in sustainable farming—eventually founding his own small-scale organic farm in the Finger Lakes region of New York.

Ben is teaching courses in English and American Literature at Marvelwood, and will also be teaching in the Strategies Department and the Connections Program. He will also be coaching Varsity Cross-Country.

Outside of his teaching and coaching roles, Ben is an appreciator of the arts, an avid cook and bread baker, and enjoys hiking, biking, and spending time with family and friends.

At Marvelwood Since: 2021
Athletics/After-School Activity Assignment: Cross Country

Blythe worked in publishing for five years after graduating from Trinity College, but soon determined that teaching was her goal. With a Masters degree in hand, she joined the Marvelwood faculty in 1990. Twenty-eight years later, after having created an iconic Honors English 12 class, being named Female Faculty Member of the Year four times, and serving in most of the School's administrative positions, she was appointed Interim Head of School in 2018 and was officially named Marvelwood’s seventh Head of School in June, 2019. She is especially proud of the School's fiercely dedicated and infinitely talented faculty, and remains energized and enthusiastic about her responsibilities and the challenges inherent in school leadership.

Blythe was grateful for the opportunity to work alongside her husband Mike, a fixture in Marvelwood's Mathematics department for over 25 years. She and Mike agree that their longtime dedication to Marvelwood is a testament to the fact that they feel that the School represents who they are as people. The Everetts live on campus, where they raised their two children, Sam ‘14 and Maggie ‘16. The family cherishes the natural surroundings of their Skiff Mountain home.

At Marvelwood Since: 1990

At Marvelwood Since: 2020

Heni came to Marvelwood in 2007. Besides being the Mathematics Department Chair at Marvelwood, Heni enjoys teaching AP Statistics, Statistics, AP Economics, Honors Precalculus and regular Precalculus. She loves the diversity at Marvelwood and the values of being part of the Marvelwood family. Her teaching practice has focused on individual growth and building students’ confidence in the subjects she teaches. She regularly holds supplementary extra help outside the class sessions with struggling students and integrates new teaching techniques and ideas to help students learn math and econ. Prior to teaching at Marvelwood, she taught economics and statistics at the college level in Indonesia for 6 years; she also worked for a few different companies in the US for several years.

Heni earned a BA in Economics from Gadjah Mada University in Indonesia and an MBA with a concentration in Finance from Xavier University in Ohio. She resides in Kent with her husband Ryan and her second son Maxwell. Her oldest son, Samuel, graduated from Marvelwood in 2020. She enjoys gardening, cooking, and cheering on her sons in their activities.

At Marvelwood Since: 2007

Brigid joins Marvelwood as a Learning Support teacher. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Psychology from Hartwick College and a Master's in Special Education from Simmons College. She earned the latter degree while working as a teacher at the New England Center for Children in Southborough, MA. Over the past 16 years, she has taught in both public and private schools in Massachusetts and Connecticut.

Brigid lives in Kent with her two children, Clara and Gavin. Together they enjoy swimming, visiting local playgrounds and spending time outdoors.

At Marvelwood Since: 2023

Kathryn comes to Marvelwood with fifteen years of classroom experience teaching science to students in grades 7-12 in both pubic and private schools. She spent the last 3 years as an executive function and ADHD coach for teens and young adults.

She and her husband, two daughters, and dog reside in Sherman, CT. She is excited to bring her years of experience to the classroom again as a strategies 1 & 2 teacher this year.

At Marvelwood Since: 2023

Betty has been with the Marvelwood School since 1997 after retiring from a banking career. She has one daughter who has 2 sons and four grown step-children. She is the proud grandmother of a Marvelwood graduate from the Class of 2021. Betty lives in Kent with her husband, John, and their two boxers.

At Marvelwood Since: 1997

Andrew (AJ) Helmin became a member of the Marvelwood family in 2021 as the Outdoor Educational Coordinator. Originally from Manchester, CT, Andrew has been all things outdoors since the age of six when he joined the scouting movement. He has participated in various expeditions, both personal and professional including mountaineering expeditions in Colorado and river canoe excursions in New Hampshire and Vermont. Andrew attended Norwich University / Military College of Vermont as a Cadet within the cadet regiment, holding the title as the Leadership, Equity, Advocacy, Protection and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion Officer for both Cadets and Civilian students, including developing a Coast Guard Auxiliary Program for aspiring Coast Guardsmen and women.

After receiving his Bachelors in Environmental Science, Andrew attended the Northwoods Stewardship Center located in Island Pond, VT as a Youth Conservation Corps Crew Leader for the Lake Umbagog National Wildlife Refuge where he worked alongside the Department of the Interior (DOI), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), and New Hampshire Fish & Game Department in projects such as building/maintaining floating common loon nests, watershed monitoring, and public land management/trail maintenance. After his temporary season with Northwoods, Andrew came to Marvelwood.

Andrew is passionate about the outdoors and engaging those from a wide variety of backgrounds and differences. He believes that everyone should have equal access to the outdoors and to let everyone know that all who wander aren’t always lost!

Andrew currently resides on campus as a dorm parent in Sterling dorm with his four legged trail and camping partner, Jackson.

At Marvelwood Since: 2021
Athletics/After-School Activity Assignment: Outdoor Adventures

Brian Hunt serves as the School’s Safety Consultant, bringing 10 years of private school safety and security experience to Marvelwood. In addition to a Bachelor of Science in Emergency Management, with Honors distinction and a lifetime member of Epsilon Pi Phi (EPP) Honor Society, he holds many certifications and instructor level designations from FEMA, DHS, AHA, ARC, HSI, ALERRT, TEEX (Texas A&M), and others. He is also the proud owner and principal consultant of Northeast Safety Solutions, LLC.

At Marvelwood Since: 2020