For the 2023-2024 school year, The Hill welcomes many new members of the faculty to our community. They hail from diverse backgrounds and will contribute to the school in a range of capacities.
Amanda Conrad
Amanda Conrad joins the English department as an English 2 and 3 teacher and will also help coach winter and spring track and field. She chose Hill for “the strong connections, the family feel, and the unwavering support system that is difficult to find in a traditional school setting,” as well as the opportunities to make a difference in students’ lives both in and out of the traditional classroom setting. Conrad is most excited to work with the students at Hill and to share her passion for teaching and learning.
Carbery Campbell
Carbery Campbell teaches English 1 and 2. She also assists coaching the girls cross country and swimming teams. Campbell attended St. Andrew’s School, a boarding school in Delaware, for high school and loved the academic rigor and sense of community that boarding school provided.
“Hill has a strong community and a welcoming atmosphere, so I felt that it would be a great fit for me as a teacher,” Campbell stated in an email.
Campbell looks forward to getting to know the students and teaching great books of all different genres, as well as participating in various Hill traditions, such as Lawrenceville Weekend.
Dylan Jennings
Dylan Jennings joins Hill as a history and social science instructor. He teaches 20th-century history and honors U.S. history. Jennings also serves as a dorm parent for the Foster dormitory, an assistant boys cross country coach for the fall term, and a coach for ultimate disc in the spring term. When asked “why Hill?”, Jennings remarked that he “wanted to be part of a boarding school environment and especially a school that really stressed the importance of community. I’ve failed to visit a place that has made me feel more at home than my short time at Hill.” He is looking forward to getting back into the classroom, spending time with his new colleagues, and exploring the town and surrounding communities.
Evik Galicia
Evik Galicia will be joining Hill as a world languages instructor of Spanish. He will also serve as an assistant coach for soccer and will also potentially coach rock-climbing this winter. Galicia chose Hill not only because of its reputation and prestige but also because “Hill felt like a family right away, and that kind of environment was something hard to find in public school environments.” He is excited about meeting, working, and learning from his future students.
Hazem Saleh
Halem Saleh joins Hill as an instructor of computer science. Saleh’s decision to teach at Hill was influenced by the “unique blend of challenges and rewards” the school offers. He is excited about many aspects of life at Hill, which include “using innovative teaching methods, making a positive impact on holistic student development,” as well as “interacting with a diverse student body, and forming enduring connections within the school community”.
Dr. Jason VonWatchenfeldt
Jason VonWatchenfeldt joins Hill as Dean of Faculty. VonWatchenfeldt will also teach in the Religious Studies and Philosophy Department teaching Good & Evil. In addition, he will also be coaching JV Boys Golf in the Spring. He was attracted to Hill because of his love for the sense of community and culture Hill has and cultivates through shared experiences like chapel, seated meals and the dress code. “Even as a former rival coach, I was always impressed by the other coaches/faculty I met from Hill, and really respected the student-athletes I encountered because of not just their athletic ability and competitiveness but also their respect for their competitiors and the way they carried themselves on the court, field or course.” VonWatchenfeldt commented. He is most excited about “beating all my former colleagues at Lville this fall during Lville weekend”. He is also excited to see how Hill will continue to grow and adapt, and to see the community Ms. Devaney will lead m to become in the coming years.
Jason Vore
Jason Vore joins Hill as a math fellow and will also help coach football, wrestling, and baseball. Vore has been familiar with Hill for quite a while — as a Lawrenceville alumnus — and jumped at the chance to join Hill when offered the opportunity. Many aspects of Hill’s community stood out to Vore like Hill’s tight knit, family-style environment and its commitment to helping young people grow not just as students, but as community members, leaders, thinkers, athletes, artists, friends, citizens, and human beings. Vore is excited to be able to positively contribute to the community while enriching our mission and culture at Hill.
Jessica Hurst
Jessica Hurst will teach two courses in the mathematics department: integrated mathematics 42 and introductory calculus. Hurst helps coach JV girls soccer and fencing and serves as a dorm parent in Rolfe dormitory. After working 8 years in public education in Delaware, Hurst found herself “seeking the opportunity to experience more collegiate-level teaching experiences”. Hence, when Hill came onto her radar, she “knew it was the perfect fit”, because of “its dedication to helping students grow into independent and well-rounded students while still focusing on strong academics.” She is most excited to fulfil her role as a dorm parent as it “will be an entirely new experience,” but she “looks forward to the challenge and getting to know the amazing students in the dorm.”
John Fath
John Fath is a new teaching fellow in science and will be instructing both biology and AP psychology sections. Fath will also serve as the head tennis coach for the girls during the fall term and the boys team in the spring. Fath had known about Hill and its legacy for a long time, but it was only when he was searching for a teaching job in Pa. that “The Hill resurfaced for me as not just a place of wonder, but a community and family to potentially join.” He is most excited for “chapel, convocation, commencement, and all of the unique elements of Hill that set it apart from other secondary schools and boarding schools”.
Kathleen Devaney
Kathleen Devaney joins Hill as the 12th Head of School. Devaney was first impressed by the grandeur of the buildings and the beauty of Hill, and when she had the opportunity to meet students, faculty and staff, she knew that she wanted to stay and be a part of the community. “There is a clear feeling of pride in and identity with the Hill experience, and I loved the fact that the school had seated meals and a chapel program,” Devaney stated in an email. “I was also impressed by the high standards Hill holds itself to—both individually and collectively. This is a special place, and I am proud to be included in this community.” She is most excited about getting to know the students.
Leo Wang
Leo Wang will teach both regular and honors chemistry. He will also supervise Community Service in the fall. Although he was unfamiliar with Hill initially, when he came to Hill to teach a demonstration class, he “found the Hill a great place for learning and a welcoming community.” Wang is most excited about H-term this year.
Mark de Kanter
Mark de Kanter, who has taught various science classes for 28 years, joins Hill as a science instructor, teaching a section of AP biology and three sections of the advanced environmental science seminar. He also serves as a Dean on Duty, but most significantly, he will be supporting his wife, Kathleen Devaney, in her new role as Head of School. Despite his love for his job and colleagues at his previous school, he wished to work at an institution in his career, and upon driving onto Hill’s campus, Hill immediately resonated with him and Devaney, even through the window of their car. De Kanter is excited to watch sports games, arts performances, and to immerse into the busyness of boarding school life.
“I love the rhythms and energy of school, and while the start always feels like a whirlwind, what seems novel now will soon be familiar and part of our lives,” de Kanter concluded.
Millie Rhodes
Mille Rhodes joins the mathematics department. Rhodes teaches two sections of integrated mathematics 43, two sections of AP calculus AB, and 1 section of AP statistics. She cannot wait to share her enthusiasm for mathematics with her students. She also serves as a dorm parent in Wendell, joining her husband, Dr. Mark Rhodes, who has taught advanced mathematics at Hill for the past three years. Having heard so much about The Hill from him, she knew that Hill was where she wanted to be. Rhodes was also looking for a larger boarding school with a vibrant community of students and adults and was situated close to a major city. Even though she enjoys working in STEM, she was truly missing the arts and “knows that this school will not let me down.”
Sara Vukas
Sara Vukas teaches AP psychology and integrated science 1. She coaches the swim team during the winter term and will work with the training program in the spring. “I was drawn to Hill by the sense of community and family that I felt the minute I walked on campus. I was also very intrigued by the integrated science program,” Vukas explained.
Vukas is especially excited to “help students find their passion and guide them on the next steps of their educational journey.” She is also excited to “become part of this great community and discover all that Hill has to offer.”
Taylor Coats
Taylor Coats will teach integrated mathematics 22 and 33 in addition to serving as an assistant coach for the spring crew team. Though Coats has a background in STEM and after previously teaching philosophy and English at another boarding school, he was looking for a position at a boarding school in a STEM field.
“Hill was a perfect fit,” Coats explained. Having taken a year-long sabbatical to care for his infant son, Coats is particularly excited to get back in the classroom and learn about the culture and traditions at Hill.
*Not featured Kat Ross Kline, director of the Ellis Theatre Guild
