SJS Welcomes Six New Faculty Members

Mary Kathryn Barry
English Teacher

A new addition in the English Department, Mary Kathryn Barry earned a BAE in secondary English from the University of Mississippi. She is also currently studying for her MA in English at Middlebury College.

“I always knew that I wanted to be a teacher, but really homed in on the desire to be an English teacher thanks to two great mentors—Pam Franklin and Maria Klein,” Mary Kathryn said.

Mary Kathryn has been teaching for the last three years at Gulfport High School in Mississippi, and she served as a student teacher and camp counselor before she graduated. So far, she has enjoyed the hospitality and sense of family the SJS community affords.

“Upon stepping on campus, I immediately felt welcomed,” Mary Kathryn said.

Mary Kathryn is living in Mattingly and is assisting with tennis and in the library in addition to teaching English. In her free time, she enjoys traveling to places near and far and vising friends and family.

Joseph Paradis
Math Teacher

In the Math Department, Joe Paradis is joining us with 16 years of teaching experience, most recently at Darrow for four years and Kents Hill this past year. He has a BS in Earth Science and an MS in Mathematics from the University of New Hampshire.

Though he has experience teaching at both public and private schools, Joe feels boarding schools have an advantage (and a nice commute!).

"I enjoy boarding school as I have found the relationships I build are deeper and more meaningful," he said.
Joe is living in Claggett and is also the Boys' Varsity Soccer coach. He is getting familiar with Saint James traditions and enjoys seated meals.

"I am a creature habit so I appreciate mixing up tables for both dinner and lunches, as I get to know students I might otherwise not ever get to interact with," he said.

In his spare time, Joe likes to work out, listen to music, and watch Marvel movies or TV shows.

Hillery Rolle
Spanish Teacher

Hillery Rolle joins our Language Department to teach Spanish. She graduated from Berry College in Marietta, GA with a BA in Spanish in 2019. For the last two years, she taught English at the Colegio Valdefuentes in Madrid, Spain, which she says is her favorite city and feels like her second home.

“I really loved how collaborative I was with my coworkers and being in an environment where many of the students and teachers were bilingual and I was always hearing both languages,” Hillery said. “I also loved getting to teach English—it was great to see the development of my student's linguistic ability over the last few years and how willing and excited they always were to practice their language skills.”

Hillery said she has enjoyed how willing everyone has been to help her become acclimated to the school.
“The students are so friendly and funny—they make class so fun that I don't always feel like I'm walking into a day of work,” she said.

Hillery lives in the Infirmary apartment and will also help in the Athletics Department. In her spare time, she loves to spend time with friends and to travel—especially in Europe.

Joseph Safo-Kantanka
Math Teacher

Joseph Safo-Kantanka comes to us originally from Ghana, but most recently from Ball State in Indiana, where he is completing an MA in Statistics and Actuarial Science. He also has a BS in Mathematics and Statistics from the University of Cape Coast and an MBA in Finance from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, and he taught Math at the secondary and university level in Ghana for five years.

Joseph said he had a negative attitude toward math while in middle school. He became sick and missed two months of school.

“Upon my return, I danced to the tune of “what will I use this for”, “why must I do this”, “math is boring”, and the likes which drained my energy in understanding,” he said.

His father was worried and banned him from playing sports and encouraged him to have the same passion for math as he did for sports. Joseph said that was a turning point in his math struggles, and he started tutoring fellow students which eventually led him to want to be a math teacher.

Joseph lives in Claggett and assisted with boys’ varsity soccer. His favorite thing about the SJS community is the people. “We are blessed to be in a community where respect and love for one another is a lifestyle,” he said.

Stephen Sheredy
Art & Digital Design Teacher

Stephen Sheredy joins our Fine Arts Department as a part-time art and digital design teacher. Stephen attended the Barbara Ingram School for the Arts (BISFA) and holds his BFA in Animation from the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA).

Stephen was able to combine his professional skills with his hobbies and interests when he became involved with a studio that created content for the YouTube channels of corporate children’s brands. He worked on animation and editing videos for Thomas and Friends for Mattel, Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles for Nickelodeon, and freelance work for Fox Family Entertainment.

"It was a great learning experience and working with creators as well as friends from around the world remotely with the computer to create projects for brands we grew up with, and working to cooperate with producers and corporations to turn out engaging content for a younger audience online," he said.

Stephen has enjoyed his first few months at Saint James, as he helps chart the new Digital Design course. "It feels wonderful that I have helped fill a need the SJS students have to express themselves in ways that prove valuable and essential in their career aspirations, working with digital software to create strong characters, tell stories, and design beautiful pictures," he said.

Colin Williams '18
English Teacher

A graduate of the SJS Class of 2018, Colin Williams comes from Cardiff University in Wales, where he studied International Relations and Economics in a writing-intensive curriculum.

“The best part about studying in Wales was the close relationships I made with people from all over the world, not unlike my time as a student at Saint James,” he said.

While at Saint James, Colin was a very successful student, athlete, sang in the choir and served as Senior Prefect. He said being back on campus feels like he’s home.

“Father Dunnan once said to me: home is anywhere you and your family are striving and struggling together. There is a beauty in struggling together. At Saint James, we ask a lot of our students and faculty which produces people who are more equipped to deal with the challenges that life has in store,” Colin said.

He lives in Claggett, teaches English, and is assisting with football and baseball. Colin said when he’s off-campus, he’s enjoying making up for lost time with his family, who he did not get to see much while in Wales.