The Red & White

This fall, our campus community continues to quietly grow—and not just with new students. We’re thrilled to welcome sixteen new faculty members who bring fresh perspectives, passions, and experiences to the hilltop. The Red & White had the precious opportunity to interview several of them and learn about their responsibilities, beliefs, and (many) fun facts.

Mr. Matthew Vivian, St. George’s new AB Calculus and Introduction to Precalculus teacher, Dorm Parent in West Village, and Pickleball Club leader. Drawn to SG by its passionate community (and, he jokes, the free food), Mr. Vivian brings experience from Belmont High School, where he learned to adapt his teaching for all kinds of learners. He hopes his students leave his class more confident in math and more comfortable embracing “productive struggle.” Outside the classroom, he’s a spike ball enthusiast (several of St. George’s students have witnessed his, quoting an anonymous contributor, “terrifying skills”) and time-travel dreamer (as long as he can make it back for class).

Ms. Lilly Furtado is St. George’s new Biology teacher, a Middlesex alumnus, and Mr. Vivian’s designated villain if his life were a movie. With a background in shark research and experience mentoring students from high school to university, Ms. Furtado loves connecting science to the real world. She’s planning plenty of hands-on labs, guest speakers, and even a boat trip investigating biodiversity for her classes. Outside the lab, she enjoys hanging out with her cat Boo, baking chocolate chunk cookies, and sipping vanilla rooibos tea from her favorite local café.

Mrs. Hart-Loi is St. George’s new Honors Algebra 2 and Precalculus teacher, as well as a cross-country and swim coach, and Arden dorm parent. After four years at Poly Prep in Brooklyn, she traded city streets for Newport’s seaside trails and couldn’t be happier to live, teach, and jog among a close-knit community. She hopes her students leave her class proud of doing hard things (and with more math confidence, too). Her mornings start with toast, butter, and Bonne Maman jam, always packed from home in portable sizes, and her bookshelf favorite is Christopher McDougall’s Born to Run, which she has read three times and counting.

St. George’s new Director of Jazz Band and Orchestra, and instructor of Music Technology, Songwriting, and Foundations in Music, is Mr. Karl Grohmann. A teacher with two decades of experience, he approaches each rehearsal with confidence and empathy, enabling students to develop not only as musicians but also as creative thinkers. Now a Wheeler resident and JV Boys Tennis coach in the spring, he is excited to become part of a community that celebrates the arts and individuality in equal parts. Whether cueing up a trumpet solo or a new tune in class, Mr. Grohmann hopes students will leave feeling inspired, nurtured, and just a little more in tune with themselves.

From surfboards to sketchbooks, Mr. Edward Benfield brings creativity and energy to the hilltop as the new Visual Arts teacher, leading Visual Foundations and Introduction to Photography, coaching the Surf Club and JV Boys Lacrosse, and serving as a Thursday-night Dorm Parent in Astor. Formerly teaching 3rd–8th graders at Shady Hill School in Cambridge, he has a knack for helping students discover their artistic voices early in high school. He hopes every student leaves class confident in their creativity, knowing everyone is an artist. Off the clock, he makes homemade hot sauce, frequently checks Surfline for waves, and recently celebrated his wedding on September 20th (go congratulate him!).

Meet Mr. Jacob Bonnell, St. George’s new College Counselor, Eccles Dorm Head, and Varsity Volleyball Coach. With experience at Woodberry Forest School in Virginia and a school outside Tokyo, he brings a global perspective and a passion for connecting with students in all facets of school life. He wants students to know that while the college admission process can be tricky, he’ll help them navigate it with confidence. Beyond counseling, he’s undefeated in ping-pong for the past three years and, as a kid, dreamed of being a Ceratosaurus with the spikes and all. Most importantly, he loves being part of St. George’s welcoming, close-knit community.

Meet Ms. Madelyn Beitler, St George’s new Honors Biology, DNA Science, and Field Ecology teacher, Varsity Field Hockey, Ice Hockey, and Lacrosse coach, and West Village A Dorm Parent. Drawn to SG by its location and tight-knit community, she is excited to live closer to family in Rhode Island while mentoring students in all aspects of school life. With experience at a previous boarding school, she brings hands-on, approachable teaching that makes science feel accessible, fun, and relevant. Outside of her classroom, she runs on iced coffee and dreams of swimming with dolphins, truly blending curiosity in and out of the classroom.

Mr. Nathaniel Waters, SG’s new III Form Humanities and American History teacher, East Dorm Head, and Boys’ JV Hockey coach, is drawn to SG by its intentional approach to place-based learning and the Episcopal tradition. He was equally excited to work alongside faculty he admires and to join a welcoming, vibrant community. After 16 years at his previous school, he brings experience tempered with a “beginner’s mindset,” eager to learn and grow anew. In class, he hopes students leave having laughed, felt connected, and challenged in equal measure. In his free time, he’s mastering omelette technique via Jacques Pépin videos.

Last but not least, three familiar faces have returned to the Hilltop this year—Mr. Isaac McCray, Ms. Chyra Williams, and Mr. Liam Smith—all proud St. George’s alumni who bring fresh energy and occasionally reminiscent perspectives (i.e., challenged to call past teachers by their first names) to the community that helped shape them. Mr. McCray joins the Admission team while serving as Offensive Coordinator for Varsity Football and a Dorm Parent in Eccles, eager to give back to the mentors and traditions that guided his own St. George’s journey. Ms. Williams, now teaching Precalculus and residing in Porter House, brings patience, encouragement, and a belief that every student can find confidence in math. When not in the classroom, you might find her surfing or coaching swimming. And Mr. Smith, returning after time at Tufts University as a yoga sculpt instructor and software engineer, teaches Computer Science 500 and 600, where he challenges students to see coding not just as a skill, but as a way to question technology’s social impact in the very contemporary year of 2025. The community is very fortunate to have them ready to inspire the next generation just as St. George’s once inspired them.