New Faculty Join Upper School

8/9/2017

Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School welcomes 11 new faces to the Upper School.

Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School will welcome 11 new faces to the Upper School in 2017-2018.

New faculty joining the Upper School are:

Ms. Nicole Ager, Upper School - Chemistry

Ms. Ager earned a Bachelor of Science and Secondary Education degree from Western New England University in 2016. Since graduating, she has been teaching at Braintree High School, a public school in Massachusetts. A versatile and adventurous spirit, Ms. Ager studied abroad in Ireland while working on her degree. She also has extensive experience sailing, loves golf, and occasionally rides a Harley Davidson, Ms. Ager is soon to be married to Ron Foshay, who will move to campus in the fall to join her. Ron is a mechanical engineer who also graduated from Western New England. Ms. Ager will teach chemistry in the Upper School, coach golf, and serve in the dorms.

Ms. Allegra Boggess, Upper School - Director of Orchestra

Ms. Boggess graduated summa cum laude from the University of Colorado in 2007, where she earned a Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance. Ms. Boggess has spent the majority of her professional life abroad. Most recently, she served as Professor of Piano and Oboe at the Afghanistan National Institute of Music (ANIM). In addition to teaching and mentoring students and developing curriculum, Ms. Boggess founded and directed the Afghan Women’s Orchestra, “Zohra.” Prior to this position with ANIM, she taught music and English to students in grades two through twelve as part of the organization, Artists Striving to End Poverty at Shanti Bhaven School in Tamil Nadu. In addition to this professional service, Ms. Boggess has served numerous communities through volunteer work, including the Colorado Refugee ESL Program, Habitat for Humanity in Tajikistan, and Ilula Orphan Program in Tanzania. Ms. Boggess will join the Upper School as the Director of Orchestra Programs and serve in the dorms.

Ms. Nina Brocavich, Upper School - Mathematics

Ms. Brocavich comes to Rabun Gap from Episcopal High School in Bellaire, Texas, where she taught Algebra 2 and other math courses since 2013. Ms. Brocavich graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Pittsburgh with a double major in Theoretical Mathematics and Italian Language and Literature. She continued at University of Pittsburgh, in the Graduate School of Education, graduating Summa Cum Laude with a Master of Arts in Teaching: Secondary Mathematics Education. She will join the RG community with her partner, Derek Sanders, who is also a new RG faculty member. In addition to joining the Upper School Mathematics Department, Ms. Brocavich will also serve in the dorms, assist with varsity cross country, and lead the Middle School track team.

Ms. Kim Buice, Upper School - Humanities

Ms. Buice participated in the Honors Program at the University of Georgia, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in English Education with a minor in Spanish. While at Georgia, Ms. Buice took a leadership role in numerous outdoor groups including being as a trip leader in UGA Outdoor Recreation and acting as both manager and president of the UGA Whitewater Club. Ms. Buice has spent this past year in Laos as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant, serving at the American Center at That Dam and at the Savannakhet Teacher Training College. She joins the Upper School faculty as a humanities teacher. Ms. Buice will also work with the new intramurals program, help coach Middle School tennis, and serve in the dorms.

Mr. Shawn Bryson, Admissions - Head Football Coach

Mr. Bryson earned a BA in Political Science from the University of Tennessee and is a Franklin, North Carolina native. Mr. Bryson comes to Rabun Gap from the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga where he recruited talent from high schools and access organizations in the southeast and coached running backs. His considerable experience recruiting, mentoring, and coaching young men will be an asset to both on and off the field. Mr. Bryson played football at both the collegiate and professional levels. He was a captain of the University of Tennessee’s 1998 National Championship team, and is an eight-year veteran of the NFL, playing for the Buffalo Bills from 1999-2002 and with the Detroit Lions from 2003-2006. Mr. Bryson will serve as Assistant Director of Admission and Head Football Coach.

Mr. Derek Demmler, Upper School - Humanities

Mr. Demmler received his Bachelor of Arts from Roanoke College, with a double major in Religion/Philosophy and United States History. He then earned a Master in Education Studies from the University of Phoenix. Mr. Demmler has years of experience teaching high school, most recently at Stephens County High School. While in Stephens County, he taught a range of courses, including AP US History, American Literature, and British Literature. Mr. Demmler joins our community with his wife, Mary, and their three children, Bailey (2nd Grade), Hannah (4th Grade) and William (Pre-K). He will teach humanities in the Upper School as well as coach boys soccer, work with the new intramurals program, and serve in the dorms.

Mrs. Kimberly Green, Upper School - Counseling

Mrs. Green earned her Bachelor of Science in Child and Family Studies as well as her Master of Arts in Education in School Counseling from Western Carolina University. Mrs. Green has worked over ten years as a school counselor in Macon County and will join the Upper School’s Counseling Office. As the Upper School Counselor, she will support the personal, social and academic well being of our students. Her husband, Mark Green, already serves as Rabun Gap’s Athletic Trainer and they will continue to live off campus.

Mr. Esteban Karplus, Upper School - Humanities

Mr. Karplus joins the Upper School Humanities Department, where he will teach sophomore English and History. Mr. Karplus earned his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Temple University and his Master of Science in Social Studies Education from Fordham University. For six years, Mr. Karplus taught middle and upper school humanities at Hwa Chong Institution in Singapore, where he also coached tennis and Judo. Mr. Karplus will join the RG community with his wife and three young children, two of whom will attend the Lower School. In addition to joining the Humanities faculty, he will serve in the dorms and help coach wrestling and boys tennis.

Mrs. Kristen Meadors, Upper School - Math Lab

Mrs. Meadors is a graduate of University of Colorado, where she was also a student athlete, finishing as an Academic All-American in ‘04 & ‘05 for Cross Country and Track. Mrs. Meadors has also studied education as a TEACH Scholarship recipient at Colorado Mountain College. She holds an MS in Teaching and Learning from Colorado State University. In 2014, Mrs. Meadors joined the Rabun Gap faculty, teaching Biology, AP Biology, and Anatomy & Physiology / Botany & Genetics for 2 years, at which time she decided to focus on her family and soon-to-arrive son. After a brief time away, we are excited that she will return to serve in the Upper School Math Lab on a part-time basis. Mrs. Meadors will also help with track as time allows, an obvious passion which she loves to share.

Mr. Derek Sanders, Upper School - Religious Studies

Mr. Sanders graduated summa cum laude from Baylor University, earning a Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies and he earned a Master of Arts in Religion with honors from Yale University. For the past five years, he has worked at Episcopal High School of Houston teaching religious studies, coordinating community service programs and coaching JV football. Mr. Sanders will join the RG community with his partner, Nina Brocavich, who is also a new RG faculty member. As a member of the Upper School faculty, he will teach Religious Studies, assist with football and middle school track, and serve in the dorms.

Ms. Yujuan Zhang, Upper School - Mandarin

Ms. Zhang earned a Bachelor of Arts in Teaching Chinese as a Second Language with honors from Suzhou University of Science and Technology in Jiangsu, China. Ms. Zhang has spent the past few years pursuing a Master of Science in Education in Teaching English to the Speakers of Other Languages from the University of Pennsylvania, having earned her degree in May. While pursuing her advanced degree, Ms. Zhang has worked as a Mandarin teacher, an ESL teacher, and as a private tutor. She joins the Upper School faculty, where she will teach Mandarin, assist with Cirque Out, lead a FAST session, and serve in the dorms.

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