SJA Announces New Faculty and Staff

St. Johnsbury Academy announces six new faculty and three new staff members to start the 2021-2022 school year. Headmaster Dr. Sharon Howell said, ” We’re thrilled to welcome this talented new group of faculty and staff to departments across the school—and are grateful they have jumped in to be part of the community and to bring their new energy to all the challenges and opportunities we face right now.”

Faculty

Kevin Cattrell, Ph.D., joins the English Department and will live in Brantview Dorm with his family. He has been teaching many levels of students at a school outside Boston for more than ten years. Kevin has a double major in English and Classics from Bowdoin College and a Ph. D. in English from Rutgers University.

Lorna Holcombe joins us as a reading and literacy specialist in Special Services. Lorna received her BS in Elementary Education from the University of Maine/Farmington, her MED from Lesley University, and her Reading & Writing Specialist certification from Plymouth State University.

Caroline Loder ’90 will teach pottery classes in the Fine Arts Department. She has been a professional clay artist and designer for many years and received her BFA in Advertising from Syracuse University.

Sean Lynch is one of our two inaugural interns who will teach in the English Department. He will also serve as a proctor in the Barn. Sean received his BA in English from Yale University.

Sydney Minnehan is our second inaugural English department intern and will serve as a proctor in Sheepcote. Sydney received her BA in English from St. Lawrence University. She minored in Art.

Carmen Ana Pont, Ph.D., joins the Languages Department to teach both Spanish and French. Carmen received her doctorate in Latin American Studies from Sorbonne Nouvelle University Paris 3 and her Masters and her second doctorate, in French, from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She most recently taught French and Spanish at Northfield Middle/High School.

Staff

Danielle Balch joins us as the Administrative Assistant to Facilities. Danielle received her BS from Lyndon State College in Television Studies.

Ryan Cushman joins SJA as a structured study hall instructor. Ryan received his Bachelors in History/Spanish from Walla Walla University and his Masters in history from the University of Edinburgh. He most recently taught at the Anglo-American School of Moscow.

Sandra Mings-Lamar is our new Director of Adult Education and returns to SJA with wide and deep experience with adult learners. Sandra earned her BA in English at Seattle University and her MA in Educational Administration and Leadership from San Francisco State University.

Several Academy faculty and staff have taken on new responsibilities and titles:

• Angela Drew ’00 will remain teaching in the English department while serving as the Chair of the Capstone Department.

• Julie Gist will move to Special Services, where she will be the Department Secretary.

• Buffie Hegarty ’90 is now the administrative Executive Assistant to Academic Affairs.

• Julia Kearney is now with RecFit full-time where she will continue to work as a personal trainer and front desk person.

• Shane LaCroix ’12 is the Campus Life Program Coordinator.

• Laurie Lang ’99 is the Executive Assistant to Campus Life.

• Ellen Meranze has begun the direction and development of our new First-Year Immersion course.

• Matt Peters ’95 will be working with faculty, and staff on their tech integration needs as the Director of Academic Technology Services/Network & Systems Administrator.

• Katie Reed is the new Chair of the Languages Department.