Pre-College Instructors

Our distinguished instructors are selected not only for their impressive academic credentials, but also for their enthusiasm, passion, and proven capability to connect with and inspire students. They are dedicated, warm, dynamic, experienced, and caring individuals who return year after year. Read on to meet some of our veteran instructors!

Alexis Garloff

Towson University, B.S., Forensic Chemistry, DNA Analysis

While at Towson University, Alexis focused on numerous aspects of forensic science, including crime scene analysis, forensic toxicology, forensic DNA analysis, and forensic anthropology. In addition to her coursework, she worked in the Towson University…Read more

Amy Khalid

University of Florida, Graduate Certificate, Forensic Drug Chemistry (in progress); Syracuse University, M.S., Biomedical Forensic Science; Rosemont College, B.A., Biology

After completing her undergraduate studies, Amy worked for five years in the healthcare industry at Bryn Mawr Hospital. During her time there she worked with patients as a Patient Care Technician and also worked as a Laboratory Assistant in the Processing and Receiving …Read more

Ansley Rubinstein

Harvard University, B.A., Near Eastern Languages & Civilizations and Arabic Literature

While at Harvard, Ansley focused on modern Arabic language and literature and spent time in Jordan and Egypt. For three summers, she wrote for the internationally published travel guide, Let’s Go, traveling to Australia, Greece, Austria, and Germany to explore both cosmopolitan…Read more

Benjamin Mach

Sydney Institute of Technology – Fashion Design Studio TAFE, B.A., Fashion Design

While at S.I.T. Fashion Design Studio, Benjamin studied womenswear design focusing on the creative and technical aspects of creating apparel. After being awarded the Grand Marnier Evening Wear Award in his final year he went on to launch his first collection under the spotlight of the national media and Australian fashion industry. This recognition led to various collaborations with textile artists, namely Indigenous Australian artist Robyn Caughlin, …Read more

Bridget Lanigan

San Francisco Art Institute, M.F.A, Photography; State University of New York at New Paltz, B.F.A., Photography

While at the San Francisco Art Institute, Bridget received an MFA Fellowship Award, and studied with renowned artists Doug Hall and John Priola. Bridget’s photography has been exhibited around the country, including at New York’s Dorsky Gallery, San Francisco’s Diego Rivera…Read more

Erika Jo-Brown

University of Houston, Ph.D., Creative Writing and Literature; University of Iowa Writers’ Workshop, M.F.A., Poetry

A native New Yorker, Erika Jo has led Putney programs in Florence, Oxford, London, and Vermont. She teaches English and Medicine and Society at the University of Houston, where she earned her PhD in 2019.Her dissertation focused on the use of humor as a political weapon in contemporary poetry by women.…Read more

Gabriela Stablein

New York University, M.A., International Education; Marquette University, B.A., Psychology and Spanish Language, Literature, and Culture

While at Marquette University, Gabriela focused her research on ethnic identity development and conducted cross cultural exchange volunteering projects with international students. She continued her language studies in college by spending six months on the Marquette en Madrid program. …Read more

Gyuri Kepes

University of Massachusetts Amherst, Ph.D., Communication (candidate) University of Hartford, M.A., Communication; University of Massachusetts Amherst, B.A., Communication, Certificate in Latin American Studies

Gyuri recently completed his Ph.D. research and in the fall will be joining Landmark College in Vermont as an Assistant Professor of Communication. His research has taken him around…Read more

Irene Zhang

Colby College, B.A., Education, Anthropology, East Asian Studies

While at Colby College, Irene devoted her passion for education to working at summer camps and student-teaching at local schools in Waterville, Maine, as well as back home in China, mainly teaching languages to students of different age groups.…Read more

Josh Harmon

Amherst College, B.A., French Literature, B.A., Music Performance

Josh is a musician, filmmaker, and comedian from Short Hills, New Jersey. In 2020, he created the viral video series “Rhythms of Comedy,” in which he plays drums alongside popular clips from movies and TV shows. With over 2 billion views and nearly 7 million followers, Josh is now the most viewed drummer on the internet. …Read more

Kelly O’Connell

University of Massachusetts Amherst, B.A., Psychology, B.A., Education

Kelly fell in love with traveling and learning about cultures during her study abroad semester in Perugia, Italy, in 2008. Since then, she has visited 30 countries across Asia, Europe, and South America. This past year she accomplished a long-time goal of walking El Camino de Santiago, a 550-mile trail across northern Spain.…Read more

Karim Tayyan

University of Málaga Spain, M.Mkt., International Marketing Management; University of Málaga Spain, B.Eng., Industrial Technology Engineering

While at the University of Málaga, Karim studied abroad in Petrosani, Romania; Birmingham, UK; and São Paulo, Brazil. After college, he spent two years traveling around Europe, South America, and Asia. In this time, he worked on projects for several nonprofit organizations in Spain and in Brazil with an NGO that works with children with cancer. …Read more

Landon Courville

Washington and Lee University, B.A., Politics, minor in Film Studies

At Washington and Lee, Landon earned his degree in politics, with a focus on global politics, and studied abroad in Japan. Most of his free time in college was devoted to W&L’s residential life program where he was an RA for three years, helping freshmen navigate the transition from high school to college.…Read more

Monika Chojnacki

School of the Art Institute of Chicago, M.S., Historic Preservation (in progress); The Catholic University of America, B.S., Architecture

While at the Catholic University of America, Monika majored in architecture and spent a semester in Rome studying ancient architecture, historical restoration, and adaptive reuse. After graduation she remained in Washington, D.C., and worked for the Smithsonian Institution as a historic preservation intern, as well as the Hirshhorn Museum …Read more

Naomi Gordon-Loebl

Washington University in St. Louis, M.F.A., Creative Writing; University of Michigan, B.A., Creative Writing & History

After finishing her undergraduate studies in creative writing and history at the University of Michigan, Naomi spent five years as a teacher and youth development professional, helping people who had left school to complete their high school equivalency diplomas. …Read more

Nat Watkins

The University of Texas, B.A., Psychology

While at the University of Texas at Austin, Nat studied Psychology and received additional certifications in emerging technologies and user experience design. Following her studies, she worked as a psychological researcher on a cross-cultural study funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in Namibia, Africa. …Read more

Ravi Chhatani

Loyola University of Maryland, M.B.A., Finance; University of Maryland, B.S., Finance & International Business

While at school, Ravi focused on microfinance and the effects of global migration in the economy. After working for two years in investment banking and corporate finance, Ravi decided to sell everything he owned, pack only the necessities, and embark on a seven-month trip to Latin America. …Read more

Regina Yorkgitis

Vanderbilt University, M.Ed., Learning and Design; The College of New Jersey, B.A., Communication Studies (Public Health Concentration)

After graduating from The College of New Jersey, Regina began teaching science in Charlotte, North Carolina, as a Teach for America Corps Member. Regina is passionate about STEM education and has recently been learning web development coding languages (HTML, CSS, JavaScript).…Read more

Rianna Cranberg

American University, B.A., Political Science

While at American University, Rianna concentrated in comparative politics, led first-year orientation programs, and directed the AU Improv troupe. During her junior year, she studied cultural integration and migration in Denmark for a semester (and a field course in Italy) and traveled in the Netherlands, Germany, Austria, and Spain. …Read more

Thom Kennon

Hunter College, B.A., Humanities and Literature

For more than 35 years, Thom has taught graduate and undergraduate business and marketing courses at New York University, Yeshiva University, The Miami Ad School, Ducere, and the University of Canberra. During this time, he has also led strategy for U.S. and global brands…Read more

Interested in being a Pre-College instructor?

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