Miss Porter’s School

Josh Bezdek earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the College for Creative Studies in Detroit, MI in 1999, where he studied fine art and art history. In 2003, he received his Master of Fine Arts degree in Printmaking/Drawing from Washington University in St. Louis, where he also studied painting, digital art, and non-silver photography. He has exhibited art in various media throughout the country, and has previously been affiliated with Fort Gondo Compound for the Arts in St. Louis, MO, and Studio 107 Gallery in Austin, TX. Josh has been a devoted art educator since 2007, with a broad range of teaching experience including Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate art courses. In 2012, he received the honor of Special Congressional Recognition for Dedication to Art Education by the U.S. House of Representatives.

Josh is pleased to be a member of the Miss Porter’s School community, teaching photography, filmmaking, and digital art, and serving as advisor to the Photography Club and the Filmmaking Club. He lives on campus with his wife, math teacher Hur-shiu Webb, and their two daughters, Beata and Andromeda.

Ms. Bryk comes to Porter’s from the Tuxedo Park School in New York, where she chaired the science and STEAM department. Her approach to science education was significantly influenced by the work of science writers such as David Quammen and John McPhee, and her classes emphasize cross-disciplinary connections. She loves the absolute academic joy she sees her students take when they make these connections, growing as scientists and as critical thinkers. Around the Porter’s campus, she advises the Jewish Student Affinity group and Hypatia and has also coached the cross country team.

Ms. Bryk graduated from Williams College where she studied English and geology, and she holds masters degrees in chemical oceanography and science education. She lives on campus with her family and cats, and in her spare time she enjoys running, reading (especially literature of the sea), and fiber arts of all sorts.

Dr. John Bryk joined the Porter's community in 2018. He teaches mathematics, AP Computer Science, and an interdisciplinary course on blockchain, the technology behind Bitcoin. He is also an advisor for the Math and Coding Team and has coached Mock Trial. Women continue to be underrepresented in the STEM fields. As such, Dr. Bryk's goal as a teacher at Miss Porter's is to inspire his students to see mathematics and programming as tools that can help them solve the problems about which they are passionate. Dr. Bryk loves the sense of community at Porter's. His wife, Emily, teaches in the science department, and they love raising their children, Sam and Ivy, on campus. Dr. Bryk is a board game enthusiast--the more complex the rules, the better!

My name is Elena Castro, and I teach intermediate and advanced Spanish. I am originally from Spain, and all my professional career has been overseas, in Brazil, South Korea, and, now, Connecticut. I started at Porter’s in 2006, and I have worn many hats throughout these years, mostly as a dorm affiliate. Porter’s is an extraordinary place for many reasons, but there are two that make it unique: our profoundly invested students and dedicated teachers. Porter’s has implemented policies focused on enhancing students’ learning and has reshaped its curriculum to broaden our understanding of a changing world while staying true to our mission statement. At Porter’s, I became a teacher, and I learned the importance of continually revising our pedagogy and teaching methods to serve our students and their needs better. I speak Spanish, Galician, and Portuguese. I love reading, traveling, and hiking, and I am passionate about geopolitics.

Katrina began teaching at Miss Porters in 2018. Her educational philosophy revolves around the idea that anyone can learn anything, and as a teacher she strives to have a fun but educational learning environment for her students. She lives on campus with her wife and has two very ornery cats. At Porters she is a modern renaissance woman. She teaches The History of East Asia and United States History and Government. When she is not teaching, she advises the Spectrum Alliance and Affinity as well she teaches the girls how to throw the shot-put, javelin, and discus for the track and field team. Before coming to Porters, she taught in South Korea for two years, has a master’s degree in Education from the University of Southern California and is currently working on a second master’s degree in History at Central Connecticut State University. Her favorite hobby is reading, and you can and will see her doing it all the time.

Amanda Friedman serves as the Dean of Equity & Community Life, and believes that fighting for more love, more connection, and more justice in this world means fighting for our collective humanity. What does it mean to belong? How do we learn and grow from our mistakes? In what ways do identity, perspective, and experience shape our view of the world and ourselves? These questions, and her journey to find the answers, build the foundation of what inspires Amanda as an educator. Along these lines, what she enjoys most about Porter's is the spirit of curiosity threaded through all aspects of school life. One interesting fact about Amanda is that she loves theater!

Ariana Kolins teaches Ceramics, Sculpture and AIS Art and Social Change. Ariana teaches for many reasons but most importantly she loves to make things with her hands and wants to share that love with her students and the wider world. She believes that art is a way of looking at our environment, community, and other important facets of our lives and tries to open that world to others through the practice of teaching. Her educational goal is always to assist students to reaching their full potential- if that is through making art in the classroom or through informal conversations beyond the walls of the ceramic studio.

In addition to teaching she is the faculty advisor to Bowl-a-Thon, co-facilitates Art Enrichment, and is an advisor. In her spare time, Ariana makes art, explores her surroundings, is in the kitchen or on dog walks. She lives on campus with her partner Will and dog Sweet Dee.

My name is MJ Moulton and I'm the chair of the Science department and the head Softball coach. Since I teach AP Biology, I'll say that teaching seems to be in my genes. My mother was a high school biology teacher and softball coach, my grandfather was a professor and college baseball coach, and I have many relatives on both sides who taught--stretching back at least five generations. I absolutely love to engage in authentic conversations with young adults about the world around them. Both of my degrees are in Anthropology, and I lean on my knowledge of human nature and science to guide my curriculum development. I came to Miss Porter's School because I, personally, couldn't have achieved success without strong female role models in my life like my mother, my high school math teacher, and my grandmother, and Porter's gave me the opportunity to pay that debt back in some way for the next generation. I believe in our mission and I try to live it everyday. In my spare time, I'm an avid fly fisherwoman and can often be seen on our beautiful Farmington River. Fishing calms my nerves and helps me enjoy nature in a peaceful way.

Sophie Paris is the Director of the Institute for Global Education and the Director of Porter’s Global at Miss Porter’s School. After earning a Bachelor’s Degree with High Honors in Art and Art History from Colgate University, Sophie began a fourteen year career as a Photojournalist for the United Nations, Bill Gates Foundation, Clinton Foundation, newspapers, and the wire services. Fun fact: Sophie also served as Hillary Clinton’s photographer during her first primary run for President. In 2004, the UN sent Sophie to Haiti to photograph the political insecurity, within days her love for Haiti was ignited and she made it her home until moving to Connecticut in 2012 to join the Miss Porter’s School faculty.

Sophie developed and implemented innovative global initiatives at Miss Porter’s including implementing a Global Citizenship curriculum and establishing partnerships with a network of over thirteen leading international institutions around the world to facilitate authentic connection and collaboration for faculty and students and school-to-school exchanges. After launching a Global Studies Certificate diploma designation three years ago, Sophie is currently focused on how to bring girls together from around the world to experience authentic connections online and to feel empowered to make change through exploring relevant and global issues they are facing through the Porter’s Global programs.

She lives with her husband, 10 year old son, Luka, and dog, Rosie, on campus. Her favorite hobbies are reading, doing yoga and fishing with her son. Combining her experience working in the field for the UN and her love for teaching and learning on a global scale, Sophie brings her passions to her various roles at Miss Porter’s School.

Patrick Reardon is the Director of Music. In addition to conducting the concert choir and orchestra, Patrick teaches courses in music theory, history, and composition. He also serves as the music director for our yearly musical production in collaboration with Avon Old Farms, as the advisor to our Senior a cappella group, the Perilhettes, and facilitates our music enrichment afternoon program.

“To achieve this discipline means frustration… intense concentration, and endless patience. It means an addiction to perfection in our service to music--an endless quest for more insight into the beauties of this great art. My function is to serve you in this quest.” --Margaret Hillis (1969), Music Director, Chicago Symphony Chorus

Patrick is honored to serve the students at Miss Porter’s School in their quest for knowledge and meaning through music. Their hunger, insight, and compassion are second to none. Patrick lives on campus with his wife (soprano), three sons (trebles), and two dogs (baritones) in a sometimes cacophonous yet always harmonious home.

My name is Oscar Rollán. I am a Spanish teacher and I also coach JV soccer and ultimate frisbee. Something that I love about being an educator is the possibility of opening new worlds and cultures to my students by learning a new language and expanding their point of view. Porter’s creates an environment where everyone is open to share and celebrate their heritage, culture, backgrounds, etc. I really like the collegiality of my peers and the willingness to work together to always improve. During my free time I enjoy spending time with my family and I love guitars (playing, building, etc.), and Real Madrid, of course!!

Ian Rumsey is a math teacher and coach who has spent 15 years working in independent schools. This year, he will be teaching Accelerated Algebra II and BC Calculus as well as coaching volleyball and skiing. Ian’s educational philosophy centers on the power of problems to challenge and inform students as they grow as mathematicians. To help center problems in the curriculum, Ian places particular emphasis on developing mathematical habits of mind. Ian lives on campus with his wife, Jeannie (Associate Director of Admissions for Financial Aid), two girls, Noni and Ellie, and his mother-in-law, Myungsook. When he is not working or playing with his girls, he can most often be found standing in the Farmington River, fly rod in hand.

Christine is an innovative teacher who sparks a passion for chemistry and science in high school students. She is always excited to make learning intriguing by pulling in real-world applications and hands-on activities. She created advanced interdisciplinary chemistry courses that provide students with choices to investigate what interests them, combined with hands-on experimentation to explore chemistry principles.  Christine is very enthusiastic about chemistry applications in materials science and is working towards a master's degree in Materials Science and Engineering. She loves that Porter's is full of people who love to learn and explore, including students, faculty, admin, and more.  Besides teaching, Christine supervises student clubs, helps out in the dorms, and coaches.

My name is Jennifer Terzian and I teach Art History. I feel grateful to combine my background and passion for art with the opportunity to share my experiences with the students at Miss Porter's. What excites me most about teaching Art History is recognizing the connections with the past, present and future through a visual dialogue. An integral part of my class is hearing from professionals in the field of art. I believe this space for professional engagement creates a tangible connection with the material. My work as a curator and gallery director help shape my way of teaching. A fun fact about me, I lived in London in the early 2000s, while contemporary art was taking center stage and the opening of the Tate Modern. It was truly an exciting time and one that inspired my career. I hope to pass on this enthusiasm to my class at Miss Porter's.