Faculty Biographies
R.J. Hawley III, Executive Director
rjhawley@brookewood.org
September marks R.J. Hawley’s fourth year as Executive Director of both Brookewood and The Avalon School. Brookewood’s former Assistant Headmaster brings a broad range of administrative skills to the extensive business and planning responsibilities of both institutions. R.J. came to Avalon in 2003, following two years at The American School in Switzerland (TASIS); he assumed the role of Assistant Headmaster at Brookewood School in 2013.
During his more than 20 years in independent school education, he has taught journalism and ethics and a wide range of science and mathematics courses, and also garnered extensive experience as a college counselor both here and in Europe.
R.J. is a graduate of Georgetown University, where he studied biology and philosophy and began his intensive exploration of Aristotle’s works on man. He completed his Master of Science in Educational Administration at Trinity Washington University in 2013.
He and his wife, Kristen, and their five children, Will (Avalon ’20), Alec (Avalon ’24), Maggie (Brookewood ’19), and Clare (Brookewood ’25), and George (Avalon '36) live in Silver Spring, MD.
RICHARD MCPHERSON, Headmaster / President
rmcpherson@brookewood.org
Richard McPherson helped found The Avalon School in 2003 after more than two decades of experience in the independent school education of young men. He is the former headmaster of The Heights School, an independent day school for boys in grades 3-12, located in Potomac, Maryland. Under his leadership, enrollment rose from 270 students to 460, and the number of Advanced Placement Scholars grew from three to 32. He also led the school through an ambitious building and improvement program of more than $3 million, providing an excellent foundation for shepherding Avalon and Brookewood through the coming years.
Rich assumed the role of Headmaster at Brookewood School in July 2016, in addition to his administrative duties as President. Rich is also teaching World Geography, 8th grade Religion and Geometry.
A graduate of Harvard College (’79), Rich taught for two years before pursuing a career as an actuary in New York, where he held positions at Coopers & Lybrand and Metropolitan Life. In 1984, he was named an Associate of the Society of Actuaries. That year also marked his return to his true vocation – education. Prior to assuming the position of Heights' headmaster in 1997, Rich taught a variety of courses, coached a host of sports and led the 1991-92 varsity basketball team to a top-twenty ranking in The Washington Post. He was the recipient of a National Endowment of the Humanities fellowship at Harvard in 1988, where he studied Aristotle’s natural philosophy.
In 2003, Rich’s leadership in the field of education, record of service to the Church, and volunteer service to the poor led to his investiture into the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of St. John of Jerusalem on Rhodes and Malta, commonly recognized as the Order of Malta, by His Eminence Theodore Cardinal McCarrick.
A native of Massachusetts, Rich is a devotee of author G.K. Chesterton, poetry, the Boston Red Sox, and mathematical conundrums. He, his wife Janice, and a selection of their six children - Avalon graduates Matthew (’10) Gil (’11), and John Paul (’13), as well as Michael (’17), and daughters Anne Marie and Maggie (Brookewood ’16), and a rotating roster of international students, reside in Clarksburg, MD.
Charmie Vince, Director of Advancement and Alumni Relations
cvince@brookewood.org
Ellen M. Clifford, Associate Director of Advancement and Communications
eclifford@avalonschools.org
Ellen Clifford, an Avalon founder, brings more than 30 years of fundraising and communications experience to her role as advancement director at Brookewood School and coordinator of the Autumn Auction and Spring Gala. She also serves as an Assistant Head of School at Brookewood’s brother school, The Avalon School.
A development professional for twenty years in independent schools including Harbor School, Bullis, and The Heights School, she specializes in the creation and expansion of advancement programs.
Prior to entering the field of education, Ellen served for 12 years as a senior writer and editor at the U.S. Agency for International Development, and as a production associate and publicist for the Washington Bureau of ABC News, on Capitol Hill in both the U. S. House and Senate, and as special assistant to the co-chairman of the Republican National Committee. Her work in education includes six years as an independent school trustee and board chairman.
The mother of two grown daughters (her youngest married a former Avalon teacher in 2011), Ellen lives in N. Bethesda, MD.
Tara Boogaerts, Lower School Natural History Teacher
tboogaerts@brookewood.org
This is Tara’s sixth year at Brookewood. She began assisting the lower school with reading development for two years while completing a masters of theological studies degree. Over the past three years, she has taught religion in the middle school. Tara also worked as the admissions director for domestic and international students and enjoyed hosting students from Italy, Spain, and Korea. Prior to her work at Brookewood, Tara was an editor and then consultant at Gartner Group, an international IT firm in Stamford, CT. She also worked for many years as a seminar manager in the professional education department at Congressional Quarterly in Washington, DC. She received a BA in Economics and a minor in International Business at University of Illinois and studied liberal arts in Copenhagen while also taking courses in microeconomics. She has also studied at The George Washington University as a doctoral student in clinical psychology. Tara is married to Pieter and has three daughters who attend Brookewood. Tara resides in Potomac, MD.
David Booz, Upper School Religion and Math Teacher
dbooz@brookewood.org
This is David Booz's third year at Brookewood. He teaches high school theology and Medieval History. He coaches the Varsity Basketball team as well as the Middle School Lacrosse Team. David hails from Southern Maryland and graduated from the Catholic University of America in 2013 with a Bachelor of Philosophy. He continued his education, graduating magna cum laude from the Notre Dame Graduate School of Christendom College in 2017 with a Masters in Theological Studies with concentrations in Systematic and Moral Theology.
Donatella Brown, Upper School Math Teacher
dbrown@brookewood.org
Donatella has been teaching high school Math and Italian at Brookewood for 8 years; this year she is teaching Italian III, Algebra 1, and Pre-Calculus. A native of Brescia, Italy, Donatella studied Mathematics for a bachelor’s degree at the Universita' Cattolica and for a PhD from the Universita' degli Studi di Milano. After receiving her doctorate, she spent one year at MIT as a visiting scientist, where she met her husband Steve Brown, professor of engineering and Dean of Graduate Studies at the Catholic University of America. She permanently moved to America in 1994 and has since had six children. She resides in Silver Spring, Maryland with her family. Her daughter Annamaria attends Brookewood, while her other daughters Marta and Veronica have graduated from Brookewood. Her sons attend or have attended the Avalon School.
Jennifer Davern, Director of Athletics
jdavern@brookewood.org
Jennifer is a founding parent of both Brookewood and the Avalon School. She is a native of the Washington area and a graduate of St. Mary's College of Maryland with a Bachelor of Arts in Human Development. Seeing a need for sports at Brookewood, she started a field hockey program in the fall of 2007. The sports program has developed to fielding six sports: field hockey, volleyball, basketball, lacrosse, and soccer. She also teaches 1st-8th grade Physical Education at Brookewood. Jennifer and her husband Kevin, the headmaster of the Avalon School, live in Silver Spring, Maryland with their six children, four of whom have graduated from Brookewood and Avalon.
Andrea Francois, Lower School Director and Fifth Grade Teacher
afrancois@brookewood.org
This is Andrea Francois’s seventh year at Brookewood. She grew up in Portland, Oregon with her 4 brothers and 1 sister. Andrea graduated from the University of Dallas in 2005 with a B.A. in English literature, as well as a Concentration (minor) in Studio Art focusing on Ceramics. While at the University of Dallas she studied abroad at their Rome campus and traveled throughout Europe. Andrea moved to the Washington, DC area in early 2010. In addition to teaching, Andrea is the Dean of the House system. Andrea also enjoys traveling with her mother and sister, hiking, camping, reading, and yard work.
Shannon Garvey, Middle School Science Teacher
sgarvey@brookewood.org
This is Shannon Garvey’s fourth year teaching middle school science classes: Earth Science, Life Science and Physical Science. After graduating from the University of Notre Dame with a major in Environmental Science and American Studies, Shannon worked as a National Park Ranger at Black Canyon of the Gunnison NP. She earned her Master’s of Science in Education from Indiana University and has ten years of experience teaching middle and high school science in both public and Catholic schools. Shannon enjoys teaching yoga, swimming and spending time with her family. She has two daughters at Brookewood, the oldest daughter in the eighth grade and another in third grade, and her niece is a senior in the class of 2018. She and her husband, Kevin, live in Silver Spring with their six children.
Judith Kearns, Lower and Middle School Art Teacher
jkearns@brookewood.org
Bachelors of Fine Arts Trinity University
Margaret Killackey, Third Grade Teacher
mkillackey@brookewood.org
Joseph W. McPherson, Academic Provost
Middle and Upper School Teacher
jwmcpherson@brookewood.org
The former headmaster of The American School in Switzerland (TASIS), Joe McPherson returned to the U.S. in 2005 to help guide the development of The Avalon Education Group strategic plan and oversee the creation of the Brookewood School for Girls.
Prior to his tenure at TASIS, Joe served at The Heights School for 29 years, thirteen as headmaster. He joined The Heights in 1972 following two years in the Philippines where he studied economics at the Center for Research and Communications. Joe was instrumental in establishing The Heights’ Potomac campus in 1978 and led the school’s evolution into a thriving independent school encompassing grades 3-12. Following his tenure as headmaster, he was named Provost and focused his expertise as an administrator on long-range planning and teacher development.
Joe was the founding headmaster of Brookewood at its inception in 2006. Along with the difficult duties of opening and heading a new school, he taught Latin and sometimes history throughout his service as headmaster. Joe stepped down from headmaster in May of 2016 and is now serving as Academic Provost and teaching two history classes.
A graduate of Harvard College (’70), Joe holds a J.D. from Georgetown
University School of Law. He and his wife Madlyn live in Silver Spring, MD. They are the parents of six grown children and grandparents of many grandchildren.
Anne Parkinson, First and Second Grade Teacher
aparkinson@brookewood.org
Anne Parkinson graduated from Mount St. Mary’s University in 2013 with a B.S. in Elementary Education. While at Mount St. Mary’s, Anne completed teaching internships at Lewistown Elementary School and St. John Regional Catholic School. During college, she also taught ballet in the Emmaus Catholic Homeschooling Organization to girls ages 3-8 and privately tutored Kindergarten. Anne has had the opportunity to travel around Italy and sing with the chorus in various places including the Vatican. Anne is an aunt to two nieces and four nephews. She has many hobbies which include, singing, cantoring at Mass, playing the piano, dancing, babysitting, baking, and spending time with her nieces and nephews.
Glencora Pipkin, Director of Marketing and International Relations; AP and PSAT Test Coordinator, College Counselor
gpipkin@brookewood.org
Glencora Pipkin, previously a high school English and elective teacher, works in Brookewood's administration as Director of Marketing and is a college counselor, registrar, and test coordinator. She came to Brookewood in the fall of 2011 after receiving a Bachelor's degree in English from the University of Dallas in 2007 and a Master's degree in English from Duquesne University. She has a broad range of teaching experiences including two years at Duquesne University, a year abroad teaching ESL in Normandy, France, and three years of teaching English and communication at Brookewood.
A dancer since 10 years old, Mrs. Pipkin loves to teach and take dance classes when she has a free moment. Currently, her husband Chris (a professor of Medieval Literature), her son and two daughters keep her busy outside of work duties.
Christiana Rakow, Upper School Science and Math Teacher
crakow@brookewood.org
Christiana Rakow earned her Bachelor’s of Science in Aerospace Engineering and a Bachelor’s of Science in International Business, both from the University of Maryland. Mrs. Rakow was an engineer/analyst for John’s Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, where she evaluated the prelaunch accuracy of the Trident II submarine navigation system along with working on other engineering projects. She also worked as a research assistant for a space systems laboratory in College Park. Some of the projects she worked on included designing technology for space suits, designing and building technology for space satellites, and other highly qualified projects. Mrs. Rakow was also a docent for the Goddard Space Flight Center Visitor’s Center in Greenbelt Maryland. She attended briefings on current NASA events and provided a general overview of NASA and Goddard to the public. She is married to Glenn Rakow and together raising three girls who attend Brookewood. She is currently teaching Chemistry, Physics, and Algebra II to Brookewood Upper School students.
Michelle Ratti, 5th grade Natural History Teacher, Upper School Italian and Science Teacher
mratti@brookewood.org
Michelle is very glad to be back at Brookewood, teaching Natural History to 5th graders as well as Anatomy & Physiology and Italian to upper school students. She is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame, where she received her Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry, and she is also a graduate of Catholic University where she received a Master’s degree in Philosophy. She has previously taught high school girls at Oakcrest and at the Academy of the Holy Cross. Most recently, she has been teaching younger children as she home-schooled her own children for a while and then taught at Avalon-Brookewood’s kindergarten. She enjoys both the more rigorous academic work with high school students and the adventurous scientific work with younger students. She and her husband, Stefano, live in Kensington with their three boys who attend the Avalon School.
Irene Sorensen, Middle and Upper School Italian Teacher
isorensen@brookewood.org
Irene is a founding teacher at Brookewood and a native Italian from Brescia, Italy. She is currently teaching Italian to 4th, 5th, 6th, 8th and 10th grade students. While in Italy, she taught Latin, Greek, and Ancient History at the secondary school level. She attended Liceo Classico in Brescia and received a Master Degree in Classical Literature at the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Milan. Her daughter Sophia currently attends Brookewood, while two of her daughters have graduated recently from Brookewood.
Irene is an excellent cook, and she often invites classes to her home to learn the art of pasta making. She currently lives in Rockville, Maryland with her husband and five children.
Michael T. Stroot, Upper School Math Teacher
mstroot@brookewood.org
Bachelor of Science from University of Santa Clara and Masters of Science from University of Maryland
Cherie Walsh, Upper School Academic Dean, 7th Grade and Upper School English Teacher
cwalsh@brookewood.org
Cherie joined the Brookewood faculty in 2016. Before that, she’d taught high school English in independent schools for more than a dozen years; she has also taught academic writing to undergraduates and has been a homeschool teacher. Cherie holds a B.A. in English and drama from Queens College and two master’s degrees (M.A. in English, M.F.A. in poetry writing) from the University of Maryland. She lives in Hyattsville with her husband, Bob, and two sons, Quentin (Avalon ’23) and Christopher (Avalon ’25). She is honored to be a part of this joyful, intellectual, reverent community.
Helen Williams, Director of Admissions and Administration
hwilliams@brookewood.org
Helen Williams is the Director of Admission and Administration at Brookewood. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology/Sociology at Upper Iowa University. Helen was a military spouse for 17 years prior to her husband retiring. Before she became the Director of Admission and administration, she volunteered at both Avalon and Brookewood for six years. Her particular role currently has given Mrs. Williams the chance to get to know and enjoy Brookewood girls everyday, which she deeply appreciates.
Outside of administration, she is the middle school swim team coach. She also coordinates Homecoming and Prom and enjoys swimming and an occasional triathlon in her spare time. She resides in Kensington with her husband, Ted, son Cort (who attends the 12th grade at Avalon) and daughter Katie (who attends the 10th grade at Brookewood).
Julie Wilson, Middle School Academic Dean, Upper School Math and History Teacher
jwilson@brookewood.org
Julie Wilson is from a founding family at both Avalon and Brookewood. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Loyola College in Baltimore and her law degree from the University of Maryland School of Law. Although she obtained a J.D., she left the practice of law to raise her family. She returned to the workforce as a teacher, and this year she is teaching U.S. History, AP U.S. History, Algebra 1/2, Art Appreciation, and Geography. Three of her five daughters graduated from Brookewood, and a son graduated from Avalon. She lives in Silver Spring with her husband and some of their eight children.
rjhawley@brookewood.org
September marks R.J. Hawley’s fourth year as Executive Director of both Brookewood and The Avalon School. Brookewood’s former Assistant Headmaster brings a broad range of administrative skills to the extensive business and planning responsibilities of both institutions. R.J. came to Avalon in 2003, following two years at The American School in Switzerland (TASIS); he assumed the role of Assistant Headmaster at Brookewood School in 2013.
During his more than 20 years in independent school education, he has taught journalism and ethics and a wide range of science and mathematics courses, and also garnered extensive experience as a college counselor both here and in Europe.
R.J. is a graduate of Georgetown University, where he studied biology and philosophy and began his intensive exploration of Aristotle’s works on man. He completed his Master of Science in Educational Administration at Trinity Washington University in 2013.
He and his wife, Kristen, and their five children, Will (Avalon ’20), Alec (Avalon ’24), Maggie (Brookewood ’19), and Clare (Brookewood ’25), and George (Avalon '36) live in Silver Spring, MD.
RICHARD MCPHERSON, Headmaster / President
rmcpherson@brookewood.org
Richard McPherson helped found The Avalon School in 2003 after more than two decades of experience in the independent school education of young men. He is the former headmaster of The Heights School, an independent day school for boys in grades 3-12, located in Potomac, Maryland. Under his leadership, enrollment rose from 270 students to 460, and the number of Advanced Placement Scholars grew from three to 32. He also led the school through an ambitious building and improvement program of more than $3 million, providing an excellent foundation for shepherding Avalon and Brookewood through the coming years.
Rich assumed the role of Headmaster at Brookewood School in July 2016, in addition to his administrative duties as President. Rich is also teaching World Geography, 8th grade Religion and Geometry.
A graduate of Harvard College (’79), Rich taught for two years before pursuing a career as an actuary in New York, where he held positions at Coopers & Lybrand and Metropolitan Life. In 1984, he was named an Associate of the Society of Actuaries. That year also marked his return to his true vocation – education. Prior to assuming the position of Heights' headmaster in 1997, Rich taught a variety of courses, coached a host of sports and led the 1991-92 varsity basketball team to a top-twenty ranking in The Washington Post. He was the recipient of a National Endowment of the Humanities fellowship at Harvard in 1988, where he studied Aristotle’s natural philosophy.
In 2003, Rich’s leadership in the field of education, record of service to the Church, and volunteer service to the poor led to his investiture into the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of St. John of Jerusalem on Rhodes and Malta, commonly recognized as the Order of Malta, by His Eminence Theodore Cardinal McCarrick.
A native of Massachusetts, Rich is a devotee of author G.K. Chesterton, poetry, the Boston Red Sox, and mathematical conundrums. He, his wife Janice, and a selection of their six children - Avalon graduates Matthew (’10) Gil (’11), and John Paul (’13), as well as Michael (’17), and daughters Anne Marie and Maggie (Brookewood ’16), and a rotating roster of international students, reside in Clarksburg, MD.
Charmie Vince, Director of Advancement and Alumni Relations
cvince@brookewood.org
Ellen M. Clifford, Associate Director of Advancement and Communications
eclifford@avalonschools.org
Ellen Clifford, an Avalon founder, brings more than 30 years of fundraising and communications experience to her role as advancement director at Brookewood School and coordinator of the Autumn Auction and Spring Gala. She also serves as an Assistant Head of School at Brookewood’s brother school, The Avalon School.
A development professional for twenty years in independent schools including Harbor School, Bullis, and The Heights School, she specializes in the creation and expansion of advancement programs.
Prior to entering the field of education, Ellen served for 12 years as a senior writer and editor at the U.S. Agency for International Development, and as a production associate and publicist for the Washington Bureau of ABC News, on Capitol Hill in both the U. S. House and Senate, and as special assistant to the co-chairman of the Republican National Committee. Her work in education includes six years as an independent school trustee and board chairman.
The mother of two grown daughters (her youngest married a former Avalon teacher in 2011), Ellen lives in N. Bethesda, MD.
Tara Boogaerts, Lower School Natural History Teacher
tboogaerts@brookewood.org
This is Tara’s sixth year at Brookewood. She began assisting the lower school with reading development for two years while completing a masters of theological studies degree. Over the past three years, she has taught religion in the middle school. Tara also worked as the admissions director for domestic and international students and enjoyed hosting students from Italy, Spain, and Korea. Prior to her work at Brookewood, Tara was an editor and then consultant at Gartner Group, an international IT firm in Stamford, CT. She also worked for many years as a seminar manager in the professional education department at Congressional Quarterly in Washington, DC. She received a BA in Economics and a minor in International Business at University of Illinois and studied liberal arts in Copenhagen while also taking courses in microeconomics. She has also studied at The George Washington University as a doctoral student in clinical psychology. Tara is married to Pieter and has three daughters who attend Brookewood. Tara resides in Potomac, MD.
David Booz, Upper School Religion and Math Teacher
dbooz@brookewood.org
This is David Booz's third year at Brookewood. He teaches high school theology and Medieval History. He coaches the Varsity Basketball team as well as the Middle School Lacrosse Team. David hails from Southern Maryland and graduated from the Catholic University of America in 2013 with a Bachelor of Philosophy. He continued his education, graduating magna cum laude from the Notre Dame Graduate School of Christendom College in 2017 with a Masters in Theological Studies with concentrations in Systematic and Moral Theology.
Donatella Brown, Upper School Math Teacher
dbrown@brookewood.org
Donatella has been teaching high school Math and Italian at Brookewood for 8 years; this year she is teaching Italian III, Algebra 1, and Pre-Calculus. A native of Brescia, Italy, Donatella studied Mathematics for a bachelor’s degree at the Universita' Cattolica and for a PhD from the Universita' degli Studi di Milano. After receiving her doctorate, she spent one year at MIT as a visiting scientist, where she met her husband Steve Brown, professor of engineering and Dean of Graduate Studies at the Catholic University of America. She permanently moved to America in 1994 and has since had six children. She resides in Silver Spring, Maryland with her family. Her daughter Annamaria attends Brookewood, while her other daughters Marta and Veronica have graduated from Brookewood. Her sons attend or have attended the Avalon School.
Jennifer Davern, Director of Athletics
jdavern@brookewood.org
Jennifer is a founding parent of both Brookewood and the Avalon School. She is a native of the Washington area and a graduate of St. Mary's College of Maryland with a Bachelor of Arts in Human Development. Seeing a need for sports at Brookewood, she started a field hockey program in the fall of 2007. The sports program has developed to fielding six sports: field hockey, volleyball, basketball, lacrosse, and soccer. She also teaches 1st-8th grade Physical Education at Brookewood. Jennifer and her husband Kevin, the headmaster of the Avalon School, live in Silver Spring, Maryland with their six children, four of whom have graduated from Brookewood and Avalon.
Andrea Francois, Lower School Director and Fifth Grade Teacher
afrancois@brookewood.org
This is Andrea Francois’s seventh year at Brookewood. She grew up in Portland, Oregon with her 4 brothers and 1 sister. Andrea graduated from the University of Dallas in 2005 with a B.A. in English literature, as well as a Concentration (minor) in Studio Art focusing on Ceramics. While at the University of Dallas she studied abroad at their Rome campus and traveled throughout Europe. Andrea moved to the Washington, DC area in early 2010. In addition to teaching, Andrea is the Dean of the House system. Andrea also enjoys traveling with her mother and sister, hiking, camping, reading, and yard work.
Shannon Garvey, Middle School Science Teacher
sgarvey@brookewood.org
This is Shannon Garvey’s fourth year teaching middle school science classes: Earth Science, Life Science and Physical Science. After graduating from the University of Notre Dame with a major in Environmental Science and American Studies, Shannon worked as a National Park Ranger at Black Canyon of the Gunnison NP. She earned her Master’s of Science in Education from Indiana University and has ten years of experience teaching middle and high school science in both public and Catholic schools. Shannon enjoys teaching yoga, swimming and spending time with her family. She has two daughters at Brookewood, the oldest daughter in the eighth grade and another in third grade, and her niece is a senior in the class of 2018. She and her husband, Kevin, live in Silver Spring with their six children.
Judith Kearns, Lower and Middle School Art Teacher
jkearns@brookewood.org
Bachelors of Fine Arts Trinity University
Margaret Killackey, Third Grade Teacher
mkillackey@brookewood.org
Joseph W. McPherson, Academic Provost
Middle and Upper School Teacher
jwmcpherson@brookewood.org
The former headmaster of The American School in Switzerland (TASIS), Joe McPherson returned to the U.S. in 2005 to help guide the development of The Avalon Education Group strategic plan and oversee the creation of the Brookewood School for Girls.
Prior to his tenure at TASIS, Joe served at The Heights School for 29 years, thirteen as headmaster. He joined The Heights in 1972 following two years in the Philippines where he studied economics at the Center for Research and Communications. Joe was instrumental in establishing The Heights’ Potomac campus in 1978 and led the school’s evolution into a thriving independent school encompassing grades 3-12. Following his tenure as headmaster, he was named Provost and focused his expertise as an administrator on long-range planning and teacher development.
Joe was the founding headmaster of Brookewood at its inception in 2006. Along with the difficult duties of opening and heading a new school, he taught Latin and sometimes history throughout his service as headmaster. Joe stepped down from headmaster in May of 2016 and is now serving as Academic Provost and teaching two history classes.
A graduate of Harvard College (’70), Joe holds a J.D. from Georgetown
University School of Law. He and his wife Madlyn live in Silver Spring, MD. They are the parents of six grown children and grandparents of many grandchildren.
Anne Parkinson, First and Second Grade Teacher
aparkinson@brookewood.org
Anne Parkinson graduated from Mount St. Mary’s University in 2013 with a B.S. in Elementary Education. While at Mount St. Mary’s, Anne completed teaching internships at Lewistown Elementary School and St. John Regional Catholic School. During college, she also taught ballet in the Emmaus Catholic Homeschooling Organization to girls ages 3-8 and privately tutored Kindergarten. Anne has had the opportunity to travel around Italy and sing with the chorus in various places including the Vatican. Anne is an aunt to two nieces and four nephews. She has many hobbies which include, singing, cantoring at Mass, playing the piano, dancing, babysitting, baking, and spending time with her nieces and nephews.
Glencora Pipkin, Director of Marketing and International Relations; AP and PSAT Test Coordinator, College Counselor
gpipkin@brookewood.org
Glencora Pipkin, previously a high school English and elective teacher, works in Brookewood's administration as Director of Marketing and is a college counselor, registrar, and test coordinator. She came to Brookewood in the fall of 2011 after receiving a Bachelor's degree in English from the University of Dallas in 2007 and a Master's degree in English from Duquesne University. She has a broad range of teaching experiences including two years at Duquesne University, a year abroad teaching ESL in Normandy, France, and three years of teaching English and communication at Brookewood.
A dancer since 10 years old, Mrs. Pipkin loves to teach and take dance classes when she has a free moment. Currently, her husband Chris (a professor of Medieval Literature), her son and two daughters keep her busy outside of work duties.
Christiana Rakow, Upper School Science and Math Teacher
crakow@brookewood.org
Christiana Rakow earned her Bachelor’s of Science in Aerospace Engineering and a Bachelor’s of Science in International Business, both from the University of Maryland. Mrs. Rakow was an engineer/analyst for John’s Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, where she evaluated the prelaunch accuracy of the Trident II submarine navigation system along with working on other engineering projects. She also worked as a research assistant for a space systems laboratory in College Park. Some of the projects she worked on included designing technology for space suits, designing and building technology for space satellites, and other highly qualified projects. Mrs. Rakow was also a docent for the Goddard Space Flight Center Visitor’s Center in Greenbelt Maryland. She attended briefings on current NASA events and provided a general overview of NASA and Goddard to the public. She is married to Glenn Rakow and together raising three girls who attend Brookewood. She is currently teaching Chemistry, Physics, and Algebra II to Brookewood Upper School students.
Michelle Ratti, 5th grade Natural History Teacher, Upper School Italian and Science Teacher
mratti@brookewood.org
Michelle is very glad to be back at Brookewood, teaching Natural History to 5th graders as well as Anatomy & Physiology and Italian to upper school students. She is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame, where she received her Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry, and she is also a graduate of Catholic University where she received a Master’s degree in Philosophy. She has previously taught high school girls at Oakcrest and at the Academy of the Holy Cross. Most recently, she has been teaching younger children as she home-schooled her own children for a while and then taught at Avalon-Brookewood’s kindergarten. She enjoys both the more rigorous academic work with high school students and the adventurous scientific work with younger students. She and her husband, Stefano, live in Kensington with their three boys who attend the Avalon School.
Irene Sorensen, Middle and Upper School Italian Teacher
isorensen@brookewood.org
Irene is a founding teacher at Brookewood and a native Italian from Brescia, Italy. She is currently teaching Italian to 4th, 5th, 6th, 8th and 10th grade students. While in Italy, she taught Latin, Greek, and Ancient History at the secondary school level. She attended Liceo Classico in Brescia and received a Master Degree in Classical Literature at the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Milan. Her daughter Sophia currently attends Brookewood, while two of her daughters have graduated recently from Brookewood.
Irene is an excellent cook, and she often invites classes to her home to learn the art of pasta making. She currently lives in Rockville, Maryland with her husband and five children.
Michael T. Stroot, Upper School Math Teacher
mstroot@brookewood.org
Bachelor of Science from University of Santa Clara and Masters of Science from University of Maryland
Cherie Walsh, Upper School Academic Dean, 7th Grade and Upper School English Teacher
cwalsh@brookewood.org
Cherie joined the Brookewood faculty in 2016. Before that, she’d taught high school English in independent schools for more than a dozen years; she has also taught academic writing to undergraduates and has been a homeschool teacher. Cherie holds a B.A. in English and drama from Queens College and two master’s degrees (M.A. in English, M.F.A. in poetry writing) from the University of Maryland. She lives in Hyattsville with her husband, Bob, and two sons, Quentin (Avalon ’23) and Christopher (Avalon ’25). She is honored to be a part of this joyful, intellectual, reverent community.
Helen Williams, Director of Admissions and Administration
hwilliams@brookewood.org
Helen Williams is the Director of Admission and Administration at Brookewood. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology/Sociology at Upper Iowa University. Helen was a military spouse for 17 years prior to her husband retiring. Before she became the Director of Admission and administration, she volunteered at both Avalon and Brookewood for six years. Her particular role currently has given Mrs. Williams the chance to get to know and enjoy Brookewood girls everyday, which she deeply appreciates.
Outside of administration, she is the middle school swim team coach. She also coordinates Homecoming and Prom and enjoys swimming and an occasional triathlon in her spare time. She resides in Kensington with her husband, Ted, son Cort (who attends the 12th grade at Avalon) and daughter Katie (who attends the 10th grade at Brookewood).
Julie Wilson, Middle School Academic Dean, Upper School Math and History Teacher
jwilson@brookewood.org
Julie Wilson is from a founding family at both Avalon and Brookewood. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Loyola College in Baltimore and her law degree from the University of Maryland School of Law. Although she obtained a J.D., she left the practice of law to raise her family. She returned to the workforce as a teacher, and this year she is teaching U.S. History, AP U.S. History, Algebra 1/2, Art Appreciation, and Geography. Three of her five daughters graduated from Brookewood, and a son graduated from Avalon. She lives in Silver Spring with her husband and some of their eight children.
