As Mt. Hebron embarks on a new academic year, it is clear to see that the students in the Class of 2019 are not the only ones new to the school this year. Many new teachers and other administrators have joined the Mt. Hebron staff, most notably Principal Andrew Cockley. These new staff members include ESOL teacher Ms. Charity Durham, guidance counselor Ms. Susan Bradley, secretary Ms. Marta Ichrist, Pupil Personal Worker (PPW) Ms. Betsy Rice, special educator Ms. Kathleen VanDeCastle, and a new member of the Black Student Achievement program (BSAP), Ms. Sharonda Ebanks. Teachers Ms. Ana Wyborski and Ms. Dani Borgia are also new to the Mt. Hebron staff.

Ms. Borgia teaches her Algebra 2 GT class.

Surprisingly, some of the new staff members are not exactly “new.” While it is both Ms. Wyborski and Ms. Ebanks’ first year as HCPSS employees, Health Assistant Ms. Jaime Thomas has previously worked at both Running Brook Elementary and Atholton High School. Both ESOL teacher Ms. Lisa Viglotti and Math teacher Ms. Julie Kingsley taught at Mt. Hebron before deciding to take some time off. Ms. Kingsley then spent a year at Oakland Mills High School before returning to Mt. Hebron.

Just as experience is varied among the new staff, expertise differs as well. Ms. Borgia has joined the math department, and Ms. Wyborski teaches English 9 and 10. When asked about their decisions to become teachers, the commitment these ladies have to educating and helping students prosper became clear.

Ms. Thomas also shared her reasons for becoming a Health Assistant. “I love taking care of people and what better way to do that then to take care of kids and have a really great schedule,” she said.

Many in the Mt. Hebron community may have taken notice of all of the new teachers and administrators, but they may not  be as aware of the changes in the BSAP. Ms. Ebanks works as an achievement liaison for this program and will be working at both Mt. Hebron and Atholton this year. Ms. Ebanks graduated as a social worker and has been in the field for 13 years.

Interestingly enough, Ms. Ebanks did not originally intend to pursue a career in social work, Ms. Ebanks claims she did so because of her natural problem-solving skills and her desire to advocate for the rights of others. In the BSAP, she now connects students with the resources and information they need to succeed.

“I am here to support all students and help them to be the very best that they can be,” Ms. Ebanks said. “My office is located in Student Services, and I am at MHHS on Thursdays and Fridays and some Wednesdays. Please feel free to stop by and say, ‘Hi!’ “

One thing that all of these “freshmen” agree on is that Mt. Hebron is a fantastic place to work.  In Ms. Wyborski’s words, “I’m lucky to have such a strong support system in my fellow faculty members. Everyone has been extremely welcoming and helpful.”

Welcome to Mt. Hebron! We cannot wait to meet each of you and learn more about you!