The faculty at the Griffin School is a diverse, dedicated, and passionate group of scholars. They are expert in their teaching fields and interact with students with great respect, sensitivity, and professionalism. Griffin School teachers are addressed by their first names, a practice that is indicative of the genuine relationships between students and teachers.
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Adam Wilson,
Co-Founder, Head of School
B.A., Mathematics, Vassar College
Working at Griffin since 1996
“One of my favorite quotes is ‘Work is love made visible.’ (Gibran) I feel lucky every day that my work is meaningful and that I get the chance to make a real and positive difference in the lives of our students and families. I am passionate about engaging young people in their own education and personal development, and I hope that my collaboration with our talented, dedicated teachers models a love of work and of learning that inspires our students to develop a life full of meaning and service.”
Susan Graham,
Director of College Counseling
Ph.D., University of Minnesota, M.A. Columbia University, B.A., Northwestern University
Teaching at Griffin since 2021
One of my favorite authors is Maya Angelou who said, "We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty." She also said, "I believe that every person is born with talent." Each person brings their own gifts to the world, but we are all in different phases of metamorphosis. As educators, our work rests in seeing the butterfly within the caterpillar. In turn, we enjoy the privilege of guiding our students through the journey and watching as they realize their true beauty through their many talents.
Akina Adderley,
Music Director
B.A., American Studies, Yale University
Teaching at Griffin since 2016
“Being a music mentor is profoundly meaningful. Music serves a variety of vital functions for individuals and for society: it provides tools for self expression, ignites memory, cultivates connection, promotes cultural awareness, documents history, and speaks truth to power. Surely guiding students through these functions and preparing them to use their voice in this way will contribute to a saner, sweeter, safer world. Helping students to develop artistic fluency so that they can express themselves, comment on their world, communicate and collaborate, listen, gain confidence, and share generously makes me happy and grateful.”
Angé Eaton,
Development Director
M.A., International Communication, American University; B.A., Political Science, University of Pittsburgh
Working at Griffin since 2017
“I have come to learn that teenagers are people, too, and in fact, we adults have as much to learn from them as they have to learn from us! I feel fortunate to work with a community of people who embrace that concept wholeheartedly. One of the most rewarding things for me to witness at Griffin is the predictable process of incoming students beginning to trust the genuine nature of their new school environment and subsequently blossoming more fully into their authentic selves.”
Deborah Overdorff,
Director of Student Support
Ph.D., Duke University; B.A., Psychology, University of the South
Teaching at Griffin since 2022
"Every child deserves a champion, an adult who will never give up on them, who understands the power of the connection, and insists they become the best they can possibly be." Rita Pierson, educator
Louise Hanks,
Director of Social Emotional Learning
M.S.S.W., University of Texas at Austin School of Social Work, B.A., Sociology and Rhetoric & Composition, Oberlin College
Working at Griffin since 2021
“I'm a feminist so I believe in inhabiting contradictions. I believe in making contradictions productive, not in having to choose one side or the other side. As opposed to choosing either or, choosing both.” - Angela Davis
