Get to know our newest faculty and staff members – joining Beaver in the 2019-20 school year – below:
Whitney Koch – Upper School Science
I’m coming from … BC High School
When I’m not at work you can find me … walking my two dogs, George and Chet or running, biking and rock climbing!
TV show I’m binging on … Mindhunter and Stranger Things. Really anything true crime or science fiction
My favorite thing about Boston is … it’s so close to so many amazing places to get outside. Typically on the weekends I leave the city and spend lots of time outdoors
Book I’m reading / Podcast I recommend … The Nature Fix (all about the impact of nature on our physiology) and listening to The Clearing (true crime podcast)
My favorite color is … purple
My favorite food is … anything that brings people together! I love cooking for people and sharing meals
My favorite animal is … there is no such thing as my favorite. But, one of my coolest animals is Libby the Bearded Dragon!
Coffee or tea? YES
Maurice “Mo” Hill Jr. – Associate Director of Admission and Financial Aid
I’m coming from … Worcester Academy
When I’m not at work you can find me … studying for law school, watching mindless television, whale watching, or being the best chef in my family
TV show I’m binging on … The Boys (on Amazon Prime)
My favorite thing about Boston is … Dim Sum at China Pearl
Book I’m reading / Podcast I recommend … Year of Yes by Shonda Rhimes
My favorite color is … red
My favorite food is … lobster
My favorite animal is … I have two: the whale and the elephant (check out my office)
Coffee or tea? Tea (Starbucks Iced Peach Green Tea Lemonade)
Joel Zavala – Upper School Spanish
I’m coming from … Boston College High School
When I’m not at work you can find me … repairing my old house
TV show I’m binging on … 30 Rock
My favorite thing about Boston is … trying ethnic restaurants
Book I’m reading / Podcast I recommend … WorkLife with Adam Grant and Malcolm Gladwell
My favorite color is … green
My favorite food is … Vietnamese
My favorite animal is … dogs
Coffee or tea? coffee AND tea
Bethany Eddy – Costume Designer and Costume Shop Manager
My favorite thing about Boston is … The MFA
Book I’m reading / Podcast I recommend … listening to The Dresden Files on Audible
My favorite color is … purple
My favorite food is … ice cream
My favorite animal is … otters, but the BVR kids have dubbed it to be Unicorns
Coffee or tea? Why not both?
Sadie Weinberger – Upper School History
I’m coming from … Beaver, where I’ve been since last November! Before that, coming from Providence Public Schools
When I’m not at work you can find me … salsa dancing in Rhode Island
TV show I’m binging on … The L Word
My favorite thing about Boston is … FoMu vegan ice cream
Book I’m reading / Podcast I recommend … Joyful Militancy by Carla Bergman and Nick Montgomery
My favorite color is … the color of ferns
My favorite food is … fresh figs
My favorite animal is … a bear
Coffee or tea? coffee in the morning, tea at night
Alix Etienne – Assistant Director of Admission
I’m coming from … Fayerweather Street School
When I’m not at work you can find me … watching boats in the Boston Harbor from LoPresti Park
TV show I’m binging on … The Boys, Chefs Table, and anxiously awaiting GoodEats: The Return with Alton Brown
My favorite thing about Boston is … the fall. Nothing beats fall colors and sweater weather
Book I’m reading / Podcast I recommend … currently reading Hippie by Paulo Coelho and listening to Throughline, The Daily, Passing Through, and Hey, girl
My favorite color is … to wear – grey, on walls – blue, the real answer to the question purple
My favorite food is … mac n cheese
My favorite animal is … Slow Loris
Coffee or tea? tea
Michael Sansoni – Choral Director
I’m coming from … Tsukuba, Japan (just north of Tokyo)! But I lived in Boston before I was there
My favorite thing about Boston is … walking around Jamaica Pond
Book I’m reading / Podcast I recommend … On The Clock: What Low-Wage Work Did To Me and How it Drives America Insane by Emily Guendelsberger
My favorite color is … PRINTS
My favorite food is … Ten-don: Tempura fried shrimp, sauced, and layered over a bowl of Japanese rice
My favorite animal is … my cat Olive
Coffee or tea? home-prepared drip coffee with beans from Counter Culture or Tandem
Vlad Derisier – Dance Choreographer
I’m coming from … Beaver. Prior to that, I was working for a health insurance company
When I’m not at work you can find me … the nearest OrangeTheory Fitness, teaching at FireBeat Dance Studio or taking a class at the Dance Complex
TV show I’m binging on … just finished Dark and looking for a new adventure
My favorite thing about Boston is … how easily you can see so much of the city on foot
Book I’m reading / Podcast I recommend … Spectacular Failures- tru The Truth for radio style storytelling
My favorite color is … teal
My favorite food is … ice cream
My favorite animal is … dogs all the way
Coffee or tea? usually coffee
Melinda Ching – Upper School Math
I’m coming from … City on a Hill Charter High School
When I’m not at work you can find me … in the mountains
TV show I’m binging on … I don’t watch too much TV. But New Girls is hilarious. Gilmore Girls is my all-time favorite
My favorite thing about Boston is … the rock climbing community
Book I’m reading / Podcast I recommend … I love listening to Radiolab. They always have such interesting stories!
My favorite color is … at the moment, I love teal. But I’m a big fan of red too
My favorite food is … Asian (Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Thai, etc)
My favorite animal is … I loveeee dogs!!
Coffee or tea? Both. I love coffee, but sometimes it makes me too jittery. Chai tea is great. Dirty chai tea is the perfect mix for me
Wren Huston – Upper School Math
I’m coming from … Beaver. Prior to that, Cheshire Academy
When I’m not at work you can find me … playing tennis or practicing the piano
TV show I’m binging on … Serena William’s MasterClass
My favorite thing about Boston is … being near family and friends
Book I’m reading / Podcast I recommend … The Signal and The Noise
My favorite color is … green
My favorite food is … anything pesto
My favorite animal is … the elephant
Coffee or tea? depends on the context!
Brian MacKenzie – Upper School English
I’m coming from … Uxbridge High School, where I worked as GSA advisor and English teacher
When I’m not at work you can find me … spending time with my family, hiking in New Hampshire, on the basketball court, or trail running in the woods somewhere
TV show I’m binging on … Cheers
My favorite thing about Boston is … Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr.
Book I’m reading / Podcast I recommend … Season of Life by Jeffrey Marx
My favorite color is … blue
My favorite food is … what’s in front of me
My favorite animal is … bear
Coffee or tea? iced coffee, cold brew, black