Left Ms. Carini counsels Junior Morgan Kane ‘21

Ms. Carini, formerly the counseling coordinator of the mental health program at Strath Haven High School, is now one of the guidance counselors at Merion. In addition to mentoring students, she also teaches the Freshman Seminar course. Ms. Carini said, “I enjoy being a counselor for many reasons, but mostly because I feel I can make a significant impact upon the lives of the students I work with on a daily basis.” She decided to work at MMA because of its strong Mercy Core Values. So far, she has had a wonderful experience and feels fortunate to be a part of the close-knit Merion community.

Ms. Moran is the new teacher of Spanish 2 and World Cultures this year, as well as the co-moderator of student council. She hopes to become involved with Model United Nations and, maybe, start an ultimate frisbee club here! Before coming to Merion, Ms. Moran worked with middle and high school-aged women in youth ministry on-staff at a Church in Georgia. She taught classes there and assisted in outreach for the ministry. She explained, “I like being a teacher for the same reasons I liked working in youth ministry; it is my joy to be involved in the lives and education of young women. I want to be an effective instructor and for my students to grasp academic material, but it is also important for me to know that my students are learning about interpersonal relationships, how to tackle problems in and outside of the classroom, and how to take their individual abilities and run with them.” She decided to work at Merion because of its commitment to educating young women and its emphasis on the value of training young women to be intelligent, adept members of their communities beyond the school. She has thoroughly enjoyed her experience here so far, calling this “her ideal job.”

Dr. Morton, who previously taught at Bishop Eustace Preparatory School for 23 years before coming to Merion, is very involved in the science department. She teaches Chemistry A, Chemistry CP, and a section of SMART. Dr. Morton loves to share her passion for science with her students and inspire them along the way. When she first came to MMA’s campus for her interview, she said everything felt right about it, and she knew she wanted to continue her teaching career here. She stated,“I was really looking forward to coming to Merion, but I didn’t realize how quickly I would feel part of the community. The students and everyone who works here were so welcoming. I was also blown away by the amount of school spirit I saw in the first week of school, and that I continue to see. It’s really nice to see the students have the opportunity to be involved in so many aspects of their school.”

Señora Duffy is the teacher of Spanish levels 1, 3, & 4 at MMA this year, after being a substitute teacher last year. Before Merion, she worked at J. R. Masterman Laboratory and Demonstration School. Aside from teaching, she coordinated the gifted support program, coached the boys’ and girls’ tennis teams, and directed the musicals for 9 years. She took some time off to be home with her children when they were young, but still taught part-time at Meredith Elementary School. Her favorite part about teaching is watching her students grow as intellectually curious learners and seeing their enthusiasm grow about a topic that interests them. When asked about her experience at MMA so far she stated, “It’s amazing! I’m so glad I trusted my intuition and accepted the position. It’s been a wonderful place to teach and learn, and I’m grateful every day to be part of this community of learners. As an educator, I was always interested in the benefits of an all-girls’ education, so it’s been an insightful experience so far.”

Mrs. Pelicone joined the Merion community this year as a teacher of Algebra 1, Geometry, and Calculus. Before MMA, she worked at Father Judge High School, where she also taught math. She previously enjoyed teaching in an all-girls environment and was excited to return to this setting at Merion. She attended an all-girls school herself and believes it molded her into the person she is today; she hopes to provide the same experience to her students. Mrs Pelicone finds working with kids and teaching the subject she loves most –math– rewarding. She feels honored to help shape teenagers into empowered women ready to take on their future endeavors. “I am so happy that I am here at Merion,” she says. “The girls have been an absolute delight to teach. They not only are motivated students, but they are kind and respectful to their teachers and each other. The staff has also been so welcoming, and I enjoy working with such kind hearted people who love working with young people.”

The Merion community is lucky to have amazing educators like these. They have joined the other faculty and staff in enriching the community and impacting the lives of many young women. We are looking forward to what the future has in store and can’t wait to see the incredible things these teachers will guide their students to accomplish!