School NewsJul 20, 2021

updated Nov 13, 2023

Welcome to MHS!

Introducing New Members of the Miss Hall’s Community

Cherèva McClellan joins MHS as the Dean of Students, succeeding Christie Higuera, who moves into a new role as Director of Residential Life & Student Leadership Coordinator.

Cherèva comes to MHS from the College of Saint Rose in Albany, NY where she was Director of Student Life and Coordinator of Family Relations since 2016. At Saint Rose, Cherèva coordinated social programs, large-scale events, and leadership training programs, while also serving on the president's diversity and inclusion advisory committee. At MHS, she will oversee all aspects of the School’s Student Life Program, including leadership development, residential life, advising and advocacy, and the continued advancement of the Student Life Curriculum. She will also serve as a campus Resident and as a member of the School’s Leadership Team, the senior administrative team that meets regularly to exchange information, set institutional goals and policy, advise the Head of School, and anticipate future needs and opportunities for the School’s ongoing growth. Previously, Cherèva was Assistant Director of Student Involvement and Leadership and Resident Director at Fisher College, in Boston. She holds an M.A. in Forensic Psychology and a B.S. in Legal Studies and a B.S. in Psychology from Roger Williams University.

Telia Marks-McCall is our new Director of Athletics and Auxiliary Programming, responsible for leading the Athletics Department while also designing and coordinating all auxiliary programming on campus. She will also serve as a campus Resident. Telia joins Miss Hall’s from Miss Porter’s School, in Farmington, Connecticut, where she served as the Assistant Athletic Director and Head Basketball Coach for two years. Previous roles include Director of Basketball Operations for Quinnipiac University’s women’s basketball team in Hamden, Connecticut, and Recruiting Assistant for the University of Iowa’s women’s basketball team. Telia also previously played professional basketball in Luxembourg and Finland, and was a four year member of the University of Virginia’s women’s basketball team. She holds an M.Ed. in Organizational Leadership from Quinnipiac and a B.A. in Sociology from the University of Virginia.

Kristen Milano is our new Director of Health and Wellness. A Pittsfield native, Kristen most recently worked since 2013 as a School Counselor at Bedford High School in Bedford, Massachusetts, providing academic, social-emotional, and college/career counseling to students. From 2014 to 2016, she was a Teaching Fellow at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. At MHS, Kristen will lead our team of nurses and counselors to provide direct, daily care to students, while working collaboratively with Athletics and Student Life departments to advance all aspects of student wellbeing. And, she is a firm believer in the interconnectedness of academics and social/emotional health and our new, integrated model of health and wellness. Kristen, who will also serve as a campus Resident, holds an Ed.M. in Prevention Science & Practice and a Certificate of Advanced Study in School Counseling from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, as well as a B.A. in English Literature from Williams College.

Erica Washburn has been named Director of Horizons. Erica comes to MHS from the Punahou School in Honolulu, Hawaii, where she worked since 2019, serving as Explorations Coordinator, DEI Working Group member, and Social Studies Teacher. From 2015 to 2019, Erica was a History Teacher at Miss Porter’s School in Farmington, Connecticut, where she also served as History Department Chair for the 2018-19 academic year and as Assistant Director of Equity and Inclusion. At MHS, Erica oversees the School’s signature Horizons program, through which students participate in weekly on and off-campus internships, volunteer opportunities, class-wide projects and workshops, building leadership and advocacy skills, exploring career interests, and influencing the world around them. Erica holds an M.A. in History and a B.A. in Secondary Education and History from Boston College.

In her new role as Director of Residential Life & Student Leadership Coordinator, Christie Higuera will be the point person for all things Residential Life at MHS, as well as student travel. She will also be the advisor to the Bigs and Proctors and will collaborate closely with the Class Coordinators as they work with student leaders. Christie served eight years as Dean of Students, leading by example, guiding students and teams to set ambitious goals and accomplish them, and contributing positively to the community. Since joining Miss Hall’s in 2002, she has held several roles, including Assistant Dean of Students, Dean of Student Programs, Assistant to the Academic Program, while also coaching athletics. Christie holds a B.S. in Communications from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and is pursuing a Master of Education.