Faculty & Staff Directory

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.

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 has been grateful for the opportunity to work alongside her husband Mike, a fixture in Marvelwood's Mathematics department. 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, a graduate of Western Connecticut State University, and Maggie ‘16, who was her class’s valedictorian and went on to graduate summa cum laude from Roger Williams University. The family cherishes the natural surroundings of their Skiff Mountain home.

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.

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.

Andrew joined the Marvelwood family as the Outdoor Educational Coordinator in 2021. Andrew graduated from Norwich University / The Military College of Vermont in May 2021 with a Bachelors of Science in Environmental Policy & Management and was awarded the rank of Cadet First Lieutenant with the title of Regimental LEAP / Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer-In-Charge for the Cadet Regiment.

Andrew’s love for the outdoors started at the age of 5 when he first joined the Scouting movement in his hometown. From there, Andrew joined Troop 25 in Manchester, CT and participated in two one-week expeditions on the Appalachian Trail and the Connecticut River in 2014 and 2015 before earning the rank of Eagle Scout. In 2016, Andrew attended the Leadville Outward Bound School in Leadville, Colorado to participate in his first mountaineering leadership course. Most recently in Summer 2021 before joining the Marvelwood family, Andrew served as a Crew Leader for the Northwoods Conservation Corps in Errol, New Hampshire at Lake Umbagog National Wildlife Refuge working alongside the Department of the Interior and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in conservation efforts including trail maintenance and habitat restoration.

Andrew lived in Manchester, CT before moving to the Ethel Walker School in Simsbury, CT in 2020 with his family and their furry companion, Lily. Andrew currently resides here at the Marvelwood campus in the Sterling dorm as a Dorm Parent and will be overseeing the Outdoor Adventure (OA) Programs in the Fall and Spring Trimesters.

“My hope is to educate and inspire students to engage themselves in outdoor activities that can lead them to becoming environmental pioneers among their peers and properly ensure the next generation to be the ‘boots on the ground’ in the climate change and environmental movement. With the knowledge, experience, and contacts I have amongst conservation organizations and government agencies, I encourage students to reach out of their comfort zone to get engaged in activities such as conservation corps work. Not only did I gain friendships that will last lifetimes, but the connections we made during our time on the trail opened our eyes to new and exciting possibilities for our future.”

Brian Hunt serves as the School’s Safety Coordinator Consultant, bringing 10 years of private school safety and security experience to Marvelwood. In addition to a Bachelor of Science in Emergency Management and Public Safety Leadership, Brian holds OSHA certification in General Industry and Construction, is an authorized OSHA outreach trainer in General Industry, and an instructor with the American Heart Association (CPR/AED, First Aid, Bloodborne Pathogens). He has several FEMA certifications including incident response and school safety, National Incident Management System (NIMS), and Incident Command System (ICS), and is a certified ALICE instructor (active shooter/violent intruder). A certified EMT and firefighter, Brian has been an active volunteer with local fire and ambulance departments for the past 13 years, and served as the Emergency Management Director for the Town of Kent for five years.

Heather Hunt was appointed Academic Dean in June, 2019. Heather returns to Marvelwood having recently earned a Doctoral degree in Education (Ed.D), with a focus on curriculum and instruction, from Capella University. Some of her research for the degree included an in-depth study of the Strategies Program at Marvelwood. Heather also holds a post-Master's Certificate in Leadership and Accountability from Capella University, a Master’s of Education (M.Ed.) in Curriculum and Instruction from Concordia University, and a Bachelor's degree in Biology from Marist College.

Heather’s previous responsibilities at Marvelwood have included Registrar, Associate College Counselor, Weekend Head, science and ESL teacher, Star Dorm faculty, advisor, and involvement in student activities. In addition to her role as Academic Dean, she also teaches freshman science, Anatomy, ESL Biology, and Capstone. Heather and her husband, Brian, who is the Safety Consultant for Marvelwood, have one son, Brian Jr. '25. They love cruising, camping in their travel trailer, and spending time with family and friends.

Before coming to Marvelwood, Misty worked on Broadway and in regional theatre. She also taught in the public school system in Maine and New York City. She loves teaching and is extraordinarily thankful for independent schools both personally and professionally as she sees everyday the difference it makes in a child's life. Misty is a voracious reader and loves hiking in Acadia National Park where she grew up. Of course, her greatest joy is being the wife of fellow teacher, Dennis White, and the mother to their daughters, Isla and Everleigh. The four of them live on campus with their rescue dog, Franki and their rescue cat, Lola.

"Being a residential faculty member means the world to me. I used to teach in public school and didn't realize until I came to Marvelwood that I never really knew my students. Living in a boarding school allows me to understand and know my students in a personal way.

"I'm most proud of being a mom and I hope that I can bring some of that patience and joy of that to my students. I'm also pretty proud of my work in the theatre. My students are amazing, and I hope they know how much they all mean to me and how proud they make me every day."