Faculty & Staff Directory

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."

At Marvelwood Since: 2006
Athletics/After-School Activity Assignment: Theater, Round Square

Shelly grew up in nearby Millerton, NY, and attended Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, NY, where she pursued studies in English and Education. During her time at Vassar, she completed field work in both elementary and high schools and interned with the foster care department of DCFS. With over 20 years in independent and boarding schools, Shelly has held a variety of roles including Learning Specialist, English, ESL, and Health teacher, Department Chair, dorm director, Grade Dean, and Dean of Students. Her career and experience also reflects her deep commitment to character education, Social Emotional Learning, Diversity, Equity, inclusion, social justice, and service, which she integrates into all of her work with joy, empathy, passion, and humor.

In her free time, Shelly enjoys writing, reading, baking, and boxing. She loves exploring the local landscape with her husband Chris, their two children Abby and Gavin, and their dogs, Justice and Keira. Shelly is also active in community service with her family and has recently developed interests in gardening and home renovating.

At Marvelwood Since: 2024

Kate received her bachelor's degree in psychology from Keene State College in May of 2015 and completed her master's at the University of St. Joseph in 2015 with a focus on clinical mental health counseling. Kate was licensed as a Licensed Professional Counselor in 2017.

Kate has been working in the counseling field since 2011, doing individual and group work in both residential and outpatient settings. She has extensive experience working with adolescents and adults, counseling them to address a variety of mental health challenges. Kate uses a gentle approach, combining both motivational interviewing and cognitive behavioral therapy to help clients increase self-esteem, build, and utilize coping skills and form connection with others.

In her spare time, Kate enjoys traveling, being outdoors and spending time with family and friends.

At Marvelwood Since: 2024

At Marvelwood Since: 2016

Dr. Lin joined Marvelwood in September, 2011. Though she had a BS degree in physics from Nankai University of China and a Ph. D in physics from Purdue University, her major was actually biophysics as she had always been interested in life science. She did postdoctoral research at University of Pennsylvania, and then her career moved to business for a few years.

Dr. Lin teaches in both the math and science departments. Passionate about helping her students reach their full academic potential, she has taught math and physics at various levels including AP Calculus BC, AP Calculus AB, Calculus, AP Physics, and Physics. As the only faculty at Marvelwood who speaks Chinese, Dr. Lin also serves as the liaison between the School and our Chinese families. She greatly appreciates the opportunity to help bridge cultural differences and expectations within the School community. Her son, David Ma, is a Marvelwood alumni, Class of 2020!

At Marvelwood Since: 2011

Kathleen is a Fellow of the Orton-Gillingham Academy and Director of Kildonan Teacher Training Institute. Kathleen began her Orton-Gillingham odyssey at Massachusetts General Hospital. She served as Fellow in Residence for the Norwalk Public Schools from 2019- 2021. She holds an MA and MAT in English and holds teaching certification in New York, Connecticut, and Massachusetts. She has extensive experience training teachers in the Orton-Gillingham approach at the Classroom Educator, Associate, and Certified levels. She is thrilled to be working jointly for Marvelwood and Kildonan bringing 1:1 Orton-Gillingham language training to students and teachers at Marvelwood.

At Marvelwood Since: 2020

Wendi has been teaching at The Marvelwood School since the fall of 2006. She teaches ESL to our international students, is the Director of Student Activities, and facilitates Freshman Academy. Wendi LOVES teaching and having fun. Prior to her time at Marvelwood she taught in a public school setting and opened a shelter for battered women and children in the Cayman Islands. Wendi truly appreciates the close-knit community which The Marvelwood School offers. Seeing students at breakfast and enjoying some down time together and getting to know them outside of the classroom is what Wendi loves the most. As Director of Student Activities, she enjoys working with teachers and students to plan FUN events throughout the year. Wendi lives on campus and is lucky to be able to do what she loves with those she loves nearby, her husband, Bobby, and their three children Noah, Nicholas, and Caroline.

At Marvelwood Since: 2006

Liza graduated from the University of Rochester in 2013 with high distinction in Psychology and Spanish, and a minor in Mathematics. She was a member of the Psi Chi honor society and captain of the Varsity Lacrosse team. During her junior year, Liza studied in Barcelona, Spain where she did an internship in social work. Her senior practicum project involved working with students with developmental disabilities.

Liza grew up in New Milford, Connecticut with brothers, Zach ‘04, who also works at Marvelwood, and Charlie, who graduated from New Mexico State University and is currently a golf professional at Siwanoy Country Club in Bronxville, NY. At New Milford High School, where she graduated number six in her class, Liza was captain of the Varsity Soccer and Lacrosse teams, as well as a member of the indoor track and swimming teams.

Liza lives on campus in Summit Dorm, and teaches Math and Spanish and is a member of the Strategies Department. A sports enthusiast, Liza enjoys coaching soccer and lacrosse. She also serves as Associate Dean of Students, Assistant Athletic Director, and Peer Mediation advisor.

I’ve learned a lot about myself, including what standards I want to establish in my classroom from the beginning. I’m also learning how to create more engaging lesson plans, as well as be able to represent the topic I’m trying to teach to various learning styles. One of my students told me that I helped him to believe in himself more. I was so happy when he aced his final!

At Marvelwood Since: 2013
Athletics/After-School Activity Assignment: Girl's Soccer, Lacrosse

Zach is a 2004 graduate of The Marvelwood School. He was appointed Athletic Director in fall 2015. Zach started his Marvelwood career as the school head wrestling coach in 2009, leading the team to Hudson Valley Athletic League championships in 2011, 2013, 2018 and 2019. He is also the head boys lacrosse coach, winning the HVAL championship in 2022 and 2024.

After joining the faculty in 2011, Zach has worked in many departments including Admissions, Advancement and is now Associate Director of College Counseling and oversees the leadership curriculum on campus. Zach leads our Senior Leadership Overnight at Camp Jewell in Colebrook, CT in September and is the LeadX Instructor, a dual enrollment course for juniors and seniors in collaboration with the University of Delaware.

Prior to Marvelwood, Zach worked at Cumulus Media in Brookfield, CT, where he was the executive producer on "The Carey and Coffey Show," a NASCAR sports talk show on 940/1510 AM. Zach is originally from New Milford, CT, where his parents still reside; his father is the veterinarian/owner of Candlewood Animal Hospital. Zach’s sister Liza joined the faculty in 2013, and is the Associate Dean of Students and teaches Math. They also have a younger brother, Charlie, who is the Head Golf Professional at Montclair Golf Club in West Orange, NJ.

In his down time, Zach enjoys riding his bike on the Harlem Valley Rail Trail and the hills of Skiff Mountain, watching UFC, Sundays night football and hanging with his dog, Abbey, who lives with him in Lake Dorm.

At Marvelwood Since: 2009
Athletics/After-School Activity Assignment: Wrestling, Lacrosse

Steve joined Marvelwood in 2014 after six years of being a stay at home dad to his daughters Madelyn '21 and Genevieve. Prior to taking on full time Dad duties, Steve had built his career on the corporate side in business management. Steve has lived in CT since 1999 but still has ties to the Philadelphia area.

At Marvelwood Since: 2014

Karin joined the Marvelwood staff in 2005 after being a stay at home mom for 16 years. After six years as Assistant to the Health Center, Karin moved across the street to the Academic Office where she served as Registrar for three years. Currently, she is a Senior Associate for Advancement & Marketing.

Karin loves Marvelwood and her extended family here; she and her husband are very grateful that two of their children have had the opportunity to learn and grow as students at Marvelwood which helped shape them into the successful adults that they are today.

At Marvelwood Since: 2005

Linda earned a Bachelor of Arts with Distinction in English from Simmons College in Boston, and an M.Phil. and Ph.D. in English Literature and Renaissance Studies from The Graduate Center of the City University of New York (CUNY). She has taught literature and composition courses at John Jay College, City College, Hunter College, Baruch College, and Western Connecticut State University. Linda also served as a Writing Fellow at John Jay College, and held Communication and Postdoctoral Fellowships at the Bernard L. Schwartz Communication Institute at Baruch College. She began her teaching career at Charlestown High School in Boston and taught English at Vandzenes Vidusskola in Latvia.

Linda's approach to teaching is student-centered and focuses on students' intellectual, emotional, and social growth. She currently teaches Honors English 12, Honors English 10, ESL Reading and Writing, and Independent Study. She also works in Learning Support, is faculty advisor to Pen & Ink, Marvelwood’s literature and arts journal, and serves as assistant to the Dean of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Linda has taught courses in Shakespeare, Chaucer (in both Middle and Modern English), Virginia Woolf and Postmodernism, Introduction to Literature, Monsters in British Literature, Magic and Witchcraft in the Renaissance, and Composition and Rhetoric.

Linda lives in Sharon with her husband, Alfie. She loves yoga, hiking the Sharon Land Trust trails with her husband, stepdaughters, and granddaughter, and taking brisk beach walks in Watch Hill, RI. She volunteers at The Sharon Historical Society and, each July, bakes a cake for their annual cake auction. Each spring, she shares her love of gardening with Marvelwood’s students in the Organic Gardening afterschool program.

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