Upper School

John Adams joined the Heathwood Hall faculty in the 2010, after fifteen years in public education.  A native of Atlanta, Georgia, John currently teaches World History II, AP World History, and the American South.  He is also Chair of the Upper School History Department.  In 2005, the Gilder-Lehrman Institute named John South Carolina History Teacher of the Year, as well as finalist for National History Teacher of the Year.  John received South Carolina’s first teaching fellowship from the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library in 2006.  Since coming to Heathwood Hall, John was named one of the first recipients of the James H. Gasque (“Q”) Fellowship in 2014.  John has been chaperone or co-chaperone on Winterim trips to Williamsburg/Washington, D.C; Rome, Italy; and Munich, Germany.  Since 2003, John has been certified, by the National Board of Professional Teaching Standards, in Adolescent/Young Adult History and Social Studies. His research interests include the American South, Victorian and Edwardian Britain, and Wesleyan Theology. He holds both a B.A. and an M.A. from Furman University.

Donnie Bain has been an educator for more than twenty years as a middle school math teacher, Head of S­­­chool, and Middle School Head.  He has taught math at The Lovett School in Atlanta and Rugby Middle School in Hendersonville, NC.  He has been Head of School at Morganton Day School in Morganton, NC, and Head of the Middle School for eight years at Heathwood Hall.  Donnie has a B.A. from Davidson College and Master of Education from Ga. State University.

Bryce joined Heathwood Hall’s Upper School faculty in 2017, after moving from Boston, Massachusetts. He is originally from Atlanta, GA, and earned a B.A. from Davidson College with a major in Classics with Departmental Honors and a minor in Religion. After spending two years teaching Latin at a small independent school in St. Simon’s Island, GA and one year covering a sabbatical at Georgetown Preparatory School just outside of Washington, D.C., he moved to Boston, MA in 2014 and earned an M.A. in Classics from Tufts University and an M.Ed. from Harvard University in Technology, Innovation, and Education. 

Rip Blackstone earned his law degree from the University of South Carolina in 1983 and practiced law for nine years prior to joining the Heathwood faculty in 1992.  He is chairman of the math department for the Upper School, coach of the math team and assistant Varsity and JV football coach.  Rip was named SCISA Upper School Teacher of the Year in 2016. 

Spanish Instructor Lori Byrd began her language career at Clemson University, where she studied global topics related to commerce in the Spanish-speaking world.  As a member of Sigma Delta Pi, the National Collegiate Hispanic Honor Society, Lori was involved in service learning projects, tutoring, and outside educational conferences.  She earned teaching experience from classes in the Foreign Language in Elementary Schools program.  After college, Lori worked for eight years in international customer service before joining the Heathwood Hall Upper School in 1998.  Two years later, she attended a summer session at the Universidad de Salamanca in Spain.  During her eighteen years at Heathwood Hall, Lori has been a Spirit Club sponsor, a Freshman Team Leader, a Homecoming and Pep Rally Events director and a New Teacher mentor.  Throughout that time, she has been heavily involved in cross-divisional projects and International Week activities.  Currently, Lori is the sponsor for the Spanish Club and the Spirit Angels.  

Kenetta Dash joined the College Counseling team in March 2021. Before Heathwood, she served as a college counselor at the South Carolina Governor’s School for Science and Mathematics, where she provided attentive guidance to students and their families throughout all stages of the college search and admission process.  

Bringing 18 years of college admission and career preparatory experience from a variety of collegiate settings, Kenetta earned a B.S. in mass communications from West Virginia State University and a M.A. in communication studies from West Virginia University. She holds the Global Career Development Facilitator (GCDF) credential and is an Academy Certified Resume Writer (ACRW). Her professional memberships include the Southern Association for College Admissions Counseling (SACAC) and the Association of College Counselors in Independent Schools (ACCIS). Currently, she serves on the 2021-22 Counselor Advisory Board for Washington University in St. Louis.

Prior to working in education, Kenetta enjoyed a career in broadcasting, working for FOX and CBS affiliates, and hosting a weekly DJ slot at WMUL-FM. A proud West Virginia native, she has also called South Carolina home for the last 17 years. In her free time, she enjoys making memories with her family and friends, browsing estate sales, and traveling. She is very close to visiting 100 college campuses across the United States.

Gigi Dawson joined the Heathwood Hall faculty in 2006. Prior to coming to Heathwood, Gigi taught social studies (primarily history and psychology) in Lexington School District Two, at Airport High School, for ten years. She left the classroom for several years to work with schools within the “Corridor of Shame,” developing partnerships between schools and the business community, and identifying and training teachers along the “Corridor” for the State Department of Education and a program called SC Healthy Schools. Her most cherished time outside of the classroom involved working with a non-profit to write and implement a Duke Endowment Grant that funded Smiles for a Lifetime, a school based dental program, and creating and planning a statewide Diversity Summer Training Conference for over 300 students. After her time away from her students and the classroom, she realized that she missed the day-to-day interaction with students and began to look for the right fit again. She found it at Heathwood.

Gigi holds a B.A. from Converse College and an M.Ed. from the University of South Carolina.

Mary Kay joined Heathwood in 2017 as the Assistant Head of Early Childhood and Lower School. Since then, she has become a dedicated Highlander and shows her school spirit at Lower School Town Hall and cheering for The Hall at many sporting events. Prior to arriving at Heathwood, Mary Kay served as a site visitor, workshop leader, and consultant for the Primary Years Programme for International Baccalaureate for fifteen years. She and her family also spent a stint in Michigan where Mary Kay worked with Teach for America and the University of Michigan. For the first fourteen years of her career, Mary Kay worked at Spartanburg Day School as a third and fourth-grade teacher and IB Coordinator. Mary Kay graduated from Furman University with a BA in Elementary Education, and has an MEd from Converse College in Gifted and Talented Education and an EdS in Curriculum Development.

A native of Rochester, NY, Karen joined the Heathwood faculty in the fall of 2020 teaching mathematics in the Upper School. Karen initially earned her bachelor’s degree in Mathematics with a minor in Statistics before pursuing her master’s degree in Secondary Mathematics Education. Prior to moving to Columbia she spent twenty years teaching at Charlotte Catholic High School. While at Charlotte Catholic HS she was recognized as teacher of the year, receiving the Verbesey Award for Excellence in Education in 2010 and again in 2019. In addition to teaching, Karen has taken part in grading the AP Statistics exam for the past ten years through the College Board, serving as both a reader and table leader. In her spare time you will find Karen spending time with family and friends or traveling the country with her husband in their Airstream.

Julie Firetag joined the Heathwood faculty in 2016 to teach courses in government for the Upper School and currently serves as the History Department Chair.  She is a native of New Jersey but relocated to Greenville, SC for high school, where she first developed a passion for government and politics.  Julie served as co-captain of the Mauldin High School debate team, winning district and state-wide awards in congressional debate.  She went on to earn her undergraduate degree in Political Science and her Master’s Degree in Public Administration, both from the University of South Carolina.  

As an undergraduate, Julie served as a student senator representing the College of Arts and Sciences and as president of Hillel.  Julie was awarded the 2012 Outstanding Capstone Project Award for her graduate work, and is a member of Pi Alpha Alpha, the National Honors Society for Public Affairs and Administration.  

A former congressional intern, Julie taught at the university level before arriving at Heathwood - teaching both in the classroom and via distance learning at Midlands Technical College and Florence-Darlington Technical College.  Julie and her husband Adam have one daughter, Rebecca (‘27), who is a Heathwood Lifer.

Mary Beth Fry has over twenty years of experience in independent school college counseling, including twelve years at Savannah Country Day School and eleven years at Shady Side Academy, in Pittsburgh.  She is particularly noted for her writing, and has been frequently asked to lead workshops on writing the Counselor Recommendation at regional SACAC conferences.  Mary Beth earned her undergraduate degree from Manhattanville College and her M.A. from the prestigious Bread Loaf School of English at Middlebury College.

A member of Heathwood's class of '95, Elizabeth was excited to join our faculty in 2018 as the Upper School Counselor, PEAK Associate, and Psychology teacher. Elizabeth attributes her love for learning and teaching to the hard work and dedication of her beloved Heathwood teachers from 4k through the 12th grade.  As an upper school student, she was selected to participate in a peer counseling program that first piqued her interest in a counseling profession. The strong sense of community, the relationships between students and faculty, and the creative experiential learning that happens on and off this campus are some of the things Elizabeth loves most about Heathwood. After earning a B.A. in Secondary Education from Clemson University, she then completed her Education Specialist (Ed.S) degree Counseling at the University of South Carolina. Her life has come full circle now as she is also the proud parent of two teenage Highlanders.

Elise Hagstette joined the Heathwood Hall faculty as an Upper School English teacher in 2005.  In 2014, in addition to teaching senior English, she joined Rip Blackstone as the Upper School Dean of Students.  She also serves as the National Honor Society faculty sponsor.  Before coming to Heathwood, Elise worked in higher education, working in the Citadel’s Writing Center and teaching at Trident Technical College and the Art Institute of Atlanta. She holds a B.A. from the University of Georgia and an M.A. from College of Charleston/The Citadel.

James Hane taught English at W.J. Keenan High School and Ridge View High School before relocating to Bogotá, Colombia, where he taught English at the Colegio Los Nogales with the help of his dog Bo, who slept in a corner of the classroom or solicited food and companionship from students.  After seven years in Bogotá, Mr. Hane moved to Pereira, Colombia, where he served as middle and high school principal of the Liceo Inglés until 2014, when he returned to South Carolina to teach at Irmo High School and later Spring Hill High School in Chapin.

James holds a B.A. from Sewanee and an M.A. from the University of South Carolina.

Jessica holds both a B.A. and an M.A.T. from Lander University and has more than 15 years of teaching experience in the visual arts; ten+ in middle school, and four in high school. Jessica taught with the Lexington One District After School Arts Program for eight years and in July 2012 joined the Tri-District Arts Consortium faculty in Columbia, as well as the Aiken County Gateway Summer Programs.

Ben Holladay joined the Heathwood faculty in the fall of 2018 as a chemistry teacher.  Prior to joining Heathwood, Ben taught chemistry, physics, anatomy and physiology, and biology for 12 years in both public and charter schools. After graduating high school in Pelham, Alabama, Ben earned both a bachelor's in Chemistry (2005) and a master's in Science Education (2006) from the University of South Carolina.  

In the autumn of 2022, Rev. Christopher Johnson joined Heathwood Hall as the leader of the campus chaplaincy program, bringing with him a wealth of experience and education. Prior to his tenure at Heathwood Hall, he dedicated 12 years to healthcare chaplaincy, where he nurtured his profound understanding of the spiritual needs of individuals. His academic journey encompasses an undergraduate degree in World Religions from Guilford College ('05), along with multiple Master's Degrees in Pastoral Theology from Saint Joseph's College of Maine ('15) and Divinity from Bexley Seabury Seminary ('23).

Rev. Johnson's intellectual pursuits reflect his deep-seated passions. His curiosity about Sacramental Theology, Meditation practices, and a comprehensive grasp of Global Anglicanism and Church History underlines his commitment to broadening his knowledge and spiritual insights. Engaging with the contemporary landscape of faith is one of his focal points of interest. This includes open conversations about the intricate intersection of faith and the modern world, as well as the paramount role of grace when engaging with individuals who hold differing viewpoints.

Nadège Keller has been working at Heathwood Hall since 1999. She has held various positions, including ECLC and Lower School and Middle School French teacher and Yearbook advisor, and she is currently the World Language Department Chair. Originally from France, Nadège studied English, Psychology, and Education at the Université de Haute-Alsace, in Mulhouse, France where she earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees. She also studied French at the University of South Carolina where she earned her master’s degree. She taught English when she lived in France.

Mrs. Keller has earned multiple accolades for excellence in teaching, including the Award for Excellence in Teaching by a master’s student from the University South Carolina in 1999 and the SCISA Upper School Teacher of the Year award in 2011. She is a recipient of the Heathwood Hall Q Fellowship (2014). She is also an examiner for the DELF exam, a reader for the AP French exam, an AP mentor for teachers, the secretary for the Alliance française of Columbia, and an active member of their theater group.  

Drew completed his undergraduate and Master's degree in Music Education at Auburn University.  During his time at Auburn, he performed in various ensembles and venues, such as the St. Patrick's Day Parade in Dublin, Ireland and the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City.  He is also an avid golfer and competes in several local amateur golf tournaments.  He taught in Alabama, Virginia, and Georgia, before coming to Heathwood Hall to be the band director for the Middle School and Upper School.  He also serves as the Head Coach for the Boys Golf Team and Assistant Coach for the Girls Golf Team.

Emily Masters  has an English degree from Berea College in Kentucky, and she has a host of experiences with editing and curriculum work.  She previously taught at the Pine Mountain Settlement School as part of her work with Americorps.

Jonathan was raised in Columbia, graduated with a BFA in Musical Theatre from Carnegie Mellon in 2004, and spent over a decade working as a professional actor based in New York. As an actor, he has been seen Off-Broadway, in regional theaters across the country, and in several national and international commercials. As a singer, Jonathan has performed with Liza Minnelli, Leslie Odom Jr., and others. As a teacher, Jonathan has taught middle school drama in Richland One and high school drama with the Trustus Apprentice Company, and has been at Heathwood since 2017. 

Nicole joined the Heathwood staff in 2018. Prior to coming to Heathwood, she was the Director of Kilbourne Park Baptist Preschool and Eastminster Day School. She is a graduate of Southern Illinois University and the parent of two students in the Heathwood Class of 2024.

Andrea Mundo joined the Heathwood family fall of 2019.  She has a Masters Degree in Educational Administration from the University of South Carolina and a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics and Secondary Education from Francis Marion University. With 18 years of experience teaching at the middle and upper school level in public school, Andrea has  served at various times as the math department chair, technology integration specialist, school testing coordinator, curriculum and instructional cohort facilitator, administrative assistant, and team leader. She is Gifted and Talented endorsed and before Heathwood spent 16 years teaching in Lexington School District II at Pine Ridge Middle with a 100% pass rate on the SC End of Course Exam for Algebra I.  Andrea Mundo was a Texas Instruments User Group leader and has presented multiple times at international, national, and regional math conferences including T3 International, National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, South Carolina Council of Teachers of Mathematics, and South Carolina Gifted and Talented. Andrea has also served as a panel member of the middle and high school state textbook adoption committee.  She is a member of Riverland Hills Baptist Church and volunteers in their children’s programs. Andrea’s daughter, Bella, is a second grader at Heathwood.

Jenny Nelson joined the faculty of Heathwood Hall full-time in 2018 as a Mathematics Teacher in the Upper School. Jenny obtained both Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Polymer Chemistry from Georgia Tech. After working for several years in both product development and process engineering for major chemical companies, she changed careers to education.

Jenny taught math and science for ten years at the Cutler Jewish Day School, serving additionally as a private tutor. Drawing from her own engineering experience, she incorporates projects into the curriculum with a hands-on, interactive approach to demonstrate practical application of mathematics. Jenny values the contributions of all students as part of a collaborative and supportive classroom environment, using a variety of approaches and interventions to reach every student.

Lisa Norman joined the Heathwood Hall faculty in 2006.  She has over 20 years of experience in the education field and has taught a wide variety of biological science courses in three independent schools.  She taught and served as department chair at Ashley Hall in Charleston, SC and Mount Saint Mary Academy in Watchung, NJ, before moving to Columbia.  Since coming to Heathwood, Lisa has taught Biology, Honors Biology, AP Biology, AP Environmental Science, Anatomy and Physiology, and Environmental Science. She has also been actively involved in guiding Honors Science students through conducting independent scientific research projects and presenting their research at state and national conferences. Lisa holds a B.S in Biology from Augusta State University and a M.S. in Biomedical Sciences with a concentration in Cell and Molecular Biology and Pathobiology from the Medical University of South Carolina.  She participated as the lead teacher on the educational outreach component of two National Science Foundation grants.  These include the Young Genomics Scientist Program, where her AP Biology students learned biotechnology techniques in an environmental microbial ecology lab at USC and the Marine Ecology of San Salvador Program where Winterim students spent time with scientists learning about field sampling techniques and island biological processes in the Bahamas.  In her spare time, she enjoys spending time on outdoor adventures with her family, cooking, gardening, and reading.  

Scotty Peek joined the Heathwood Hall faculty in the Spring of 2012.  Previously, he was an Assistant Professor of Art at South Carolina State University, held positions from Preparator to Assistant Director at several Museums and Galleries, and taught art courses part-time at the University of South Carolina and Midlands Technical College. He received his Master’s in Fine Arts from USC in 2000 and his Bachelor’s of Fine Arts from Austin Peay State University in 1995. Scotty was included in the 2004 Triennial at the South Carolina State Museum and was one of four artists selected for 701 Center for Contemporary Art’s inaugural 2008 exhibit. Scotty's recent work can be viewed on his website: www.scottypeek.com.

Before coming to Heathwood in the fall of 2000, Dr. Sally Harman Plowden taught as a graduate student at the University of South Carolina, where she received the Elliot award for excellence in teaching; Furman University; Wofford College; Columbia College; and the Intensive English program at the University of Miami. Her children’s book, Turtle Tracks, earned the Harry Hampton Woods and Waters Conservation Memorial Journalism Award in 2002. Dr. Plowden also designed and taught a Sunday School class at Eastminster Presbyterian Church on Christianity in Harry Potter. 

Dr. Plowden earned a B.A. from Columbia College and an M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of South Carolina. In 2017, she was named South Carolina Independent Schools Association Upper School Teacher of the Year.

Passionate about the personal and intellectual development of teenagers, Dr. Plowden and the English department believe that reading literature, studying language, and learning to write make us better, more thoughtful, more intelligent, and more caring human beings. Their work is guided by the conviction that within every student there is a story to be written, a journey to be taken, a good life to be discovered, and a rhythm of language yet to be expressed.

Meghan Redel has nine years of teaching experience in both public and private school settings. A native of Charleston, South Carolina, she is joining Heathwood Hall from Ashley Hall where she was a member of the Upper School Math and Science faculty since 2016. During her time at Ashley Hall, she led a volunteer travel program to Blackfeet Reservation in Montana and co-chaperoned a French Immersion program in Quebec. Focusing much of her teaching on experiential learning, at Ashley Hall she created a tiny-house building class in conjunction with The American College of the Building Arts and participated in Ashley Hall’s Offshore Leadership Program, sailing the Atlantic with students for a week in 2021. Meghan earned her B.S. in Math and English Education from The College of Charleston in 2010. In 2021, she completed her M.Ed. in Teaching and Learning, with and emphasis on STEAM Education, from Clemson University. 

Upper School Head George Scouten returned to Heathwood Hall in 2013 after three years at Linden Hall (PA), the country’s oldest all-girls boarding school.  In his previous tenure at Heathwood (1998-2010), George held various positions, including Dean of Students, Director of International Studies, and English department chair.  Originally from Baltimore, MD, George studied English and History at Salisbury, earned his master’s degree from Bowling Green, and completed his Ph.D. in English and Rhetoric from the University of South Carolina.  Since then, George has earned multiple accolades for excellence in teaching, including an Elliott Award from the University South Carolina and the SCISA Upper School Teacher of the Year award.  He earned a Fulbright Award in 2003, a Turkish Cultural Foundation Award in 2008, and a National Endowment for the Humanities teacher grant to study the poetry of Dante in Siena, Italy in 2009.  Most recently, George completed the National Association of Independent Schools Aspiring Heads Fellowship. He also plays competitive lacrosse and coaches the Heathwood Hall varsity boys lacrosse team.

Rev. Jeri-Katherine Sipes joined the Heathwood Track & Field coaching staff in Spring 2020, and she began full-time employment at Heathwood as an assistant chaplain, religion teacher and coach in Fall 2021. Before coming to Heathwood Jeri-Katherine served in United Methodist Churches across the Midlands for eleven years, and she coached cross country and track for ten years at Dreher High School, growing the program from a dozen runners to over sixty runners, taking the program from an unranked team to consistently competing as one of the top 5 teams in the state and coaching many state champions and future collegiate runners from the 400m to the 5k. Jeri-Katherine’s interests include the Hebrew Bible, Ecotheology, Theology & the Body, Wesleyan Theology, and Social Justice/Advocacy. She has a passion for learning and sharing her love of God, learning and running with all ages. She is currently enrolled in a Youth Ministry program at Princeton Theological Seminary, hoping to learn and grow into her new role as a youth religious educator. “Heathwood gives me the opportunity to do everything I have been made to do: learn, teach, pastor, coach, run and enjoy God’s beautiful first incarnation–creation. The community and campus at Heathwood are life-giving.” She and her husband, Hiram, have three boys, Hiram Clyde (‘33), Grady (‘35), and Obie (‘37).

Elisha Sircy joined the Upper School Faculty in 2014 after teaching English courses at the University of South Carolina where he earned his Masters in English Literature and his Ph.D. in Renaissance English literature. He majored in English and philosophy at Centre College, and he continues to teach creative writing and literary studies for the Kentucky Governor’s Scholars Program in the summer. He was a Bruccoli Fellowship recipient at USC and also spent time researching at the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, D.C. Elisha is saved from an ascetic life of esoteric reading by his wife, daughter, church family, as well as the students and staff of Heathwood Hall.
 

Jack Sutton joined Heathwood in the spring of 2022 as the Head Librarian. He received a B.A. in English from Clemson University and his M.L.S. from Indiana University. He previously served as the Digital Librarian at the Charleston Library Society. Jack is an alum of Heathwood as part of the class of 2014.

Eliza joined Heathwood's faculty in 2020. After graduating from Heathwood in 2011, Eliza attended the University of Georgia, where she studied fisheries and wildlife biology. She then completed a dual master's program in Charleston while working for the Department of Natural Resources, working in environmental education. Immediately prior to Heathwood, Eliza worked in watershed management. In addition to teaching 8th grade science, Eliza serves as the chair of the Heathwood Alumni Council and coaches cheerleading.

Willis has served on the faculty and staff at Heathwood for 16 years. His duties include teaching courses in the Upper School (Global Issues, Multicultural Studies, and Public Speaking), managing the school's community service efforts, and coordinating multicultural initiatives. Willis, who received All-Conference and All-American honors on the University of Missouri’s cross country and track teams, is also the head girls’ cross country coach and track coach.

Willis has three years experience in academic counseling and personal counseling at the university level and twelve years experience in family counseling. He also has over 25 years experience managing community service projects for high school and college students. Mr. Ware, who received a Chamber of Commerce Civic Award for community service as an undergraduate student, served as the president of the United Way of the Midlands Blueprint for Leadership class of 2005. He also served on the American Red Cross Diversity Leadership Council, the Youth Corps Board of Directors, the Hope Worldwide S.C. Board of Directors, and served as chair of the Palmetto Association of Independent Schools Diversity Leadership Committee. He has completed training in the National Association of Independent Schools Summer Diversity Institute and was recognized by Palmetto Association of Independent Schools for his leadership in the development of the first PAIS Inclusivity Conference. He currently serves as a Diplomat for the Columbia Chamber of Commerce and has recently completed training in Brown University’s Choices Program’s Engaging Students in Inquiry and Discussion on International Issues.

Willis’ daughter, Lydia, is a Heathwood alum ('09) and a graduate of the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill ('13).

Stan Wood has been a faculty member at Heathwood since graduating from the University of South Carolina in 1983 and has served as Director of the PEAK program since 1997. He previously served as Athletic Director and was head coach of several varsity sports including boys basketball and track. Stan graduated from the University of South Carolina in 1983 with a degree in Physical Education, and is a 1986 and 1998 graduate of the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS). Stan was recognized by the Richland County Conservation District as Conservation Teacher-of-the-Year in 2001 and was awarded the Jim Gasque Award for Teaching Excellence in 2010. He is an experienced kayaker, mountain and road biker, backpacker, mountaineer, and adventure racer. Stan is also a master SCUBA diver and a certified rescue diver.

Adrianne Woods is a native of Charleston, SC. She completed a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish with a minor in Biology at Charleston Southern University, during which time she spent five months living in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She completed a Master of Arts in Spanish with a focus on Golden Age Peninsular Theatre from the University of South Carolina. Adrianne is currently ABD on her PhD in Spanish, writing a dissertation focused on Baroque theatre and the Catholic Church. She has taught at the college, middle school, and now high school levels. Stricken with wanderlust, Adrianne has traveled to over half the states and extensively throughout Western Europe. In her spare time, she continues to travel, plays on a local women's rugby team, and actively participates in her church.