At Good Counsel, we are blessed to have an experienced cohort of Faculty and Staff members who continue to improve and help the student body daily. This year, the Good Counsel community welcomed 19 new staff members, 8 of whom have their past experiences, desire to work at Good Counsel, and personal interests detailed in this article. These members of the faculty are Mrs. Bowlds, Administrative Assistant for Campus Ministry; Mrs. Brake, Library Assistant; Ms. Williamson, Counselor; Mr. Kuykendall, Security Officer; Mr. Falk, Mathematics Teacher; Mrs. Capabianco, Mathematics Teacher; Ms. Shaffer, Mathematics Teacher, and Ms. Reeder, School Registrar.

Mrs. Natasha Bowlds: Administrative Assistant for Campus Ministry

In college, Mrs. Bowlds first majored in English, switched her major, and graduated with a degree in Music Performance. Mrs. Bowlds entered the workforce as a teacher in the Public School system and eventually became a Youth Minister. She continued her education as a Graduate student and is currently a member of the Campus Ministry Office. At Good Counsel, Mrs. Bowlds is a Mission and Identity Team member. She was attracted to working at Good Counsel because it is an institution that values faith, inclusion, and diversity. Furthermore, Mrs. Bowlds feels proud that she can support members of the faculty who love God and the students of Good Counsel.

Mrs. Susan Brake: Library Assistant

An avid reader and beloved mother of 6, Mrs. Brake chose to work in libraries because of her children and her love for books. Mrs. Brake loves libraries and has visited all 22 Libraries in Montgomery County except the library in the County Jail. Mrs. Brake chose to work as an Assistant Librarian at Good Counsel because of her faith, access to the chapel, and ability to openly talk about God and Catholicism. She is most excited to meet all of the students of Good Counsel and aims to learn the names of 2-3 students daily. Lastly, Mrs. Brake is open to talking with any upperclassmen about Loyola University in Maryland and Penn State University, as she is a graduate of both.

Ms. Lana Williamson: School Counselor

Ms. Williamson was motivated to become a school counselor because of the impact her high school counselor had on her. She is most excited to meet and support the students of Good Counsel and enjoys cheering on the school’s athletes and attending art performances. Additionally, Ms. Williamson’s most memorable experience from her previous job as a Counselor was seeing a group of students become close friends and support systems for one another. Lastly, she was drawn to Good Counsel due to her appreciation for learning about the Good Counsel community.

Mr. Brian Kuykendall: Security Officer

Mr. Kuykendall served 33 years with Montgomery County, 26 of which was on the motorcycle unit that traveled the country escorting dignitaries, providing funeral escorts, Presidential escorts, and significant special events. Furthermore, Mr. Kuykendall held a part-time job as a member of residential security for the Washington Commanders for 15 years, worked for the Department of Defense for 1 year, and has ridden his motorcycle to all lower 48 states from Maryland. Finally, Mr. Kuykendall transitioned to working at Good Counsel due to his excellent reputation and personal decision to transition out of law enforcement. Mr. Kuykendall is excited to learn about Good Counsel’s daily routine.

Mr. Craig Falk: Mathematics Teacher

Beginning his career as a musician, Mr. Falk was a bass professor at the Venezuelan National Youth Orchestra, also known as El Sistema. Shortly after, he moved on to play with the Orquestra Sinfónica Municipal de Caracas and has since begun teaching English as his second language. He also teaches Economics, Geography, and Math. In his past jobs, Mr. Falk found the most pleasure in seeing students gain confidence from learning something new and is proud to have students who make themselves available to help.

Ms. Tracey Reeder: School Registrar

Drawn’ to Good Counsel from her children’s experiences, Ms. Reeder is Good Counsel’s school registrar, ensuring that every student’s high school transcript is accurate. Ms. Reeder has decades of experience working in Finance. She held an accounting position at USA Today for 10 years and at a small Christian school. Mrs. Reeder is most excited to expand her skill set at Good Counsel and support the school’s academics. Lastly, Mrs. Reeder enjoys working at the Front Office.

Mrs. Lisa Capabianco: Mathematics Teacher

Since childhood, Mrs. Capianco has dreamt of becoming a teacher, playing with her stuffed animals, and acting as a teacher. She enjoys working with children and especially seeing her students understand the topic. Mrs. Capabianco is most excited to immerse herself in the high school world, as she enjoyed her time in high school. Furthermore, she wishes to become part of Good Counsel’s Athletics and the Theater community. Mrs. Capabianco misses her coworkers at her previous job, especially their Halloween tradition of dressing in costumes and seeing graduated students visit their classrooms. Moreover, Mrs. Capabianco was drawn to work at Good Counsel because of the unique campus and diversity among the students and staff. Lastly, Mrs. Capabianco loves watching her son play Hockey, coaching her daughter’s Hockey team, traveling with her family to the beach, boating on the weekend, and watching fun shows.

Ms. Aileen Shaffer: Mathematics Teacher

Beginning her career as an Electrical Engineer, Ms. Shaffer had a successful career in power plant operations. However, she switched her career to teaching because she had a newfound interest in education while raising her daughter, who had a learning difference. Ms. Shaffer is most excited to become involved in the Good Counsel community and is amazed at the talent and zeal of the students. A memorable experience of Ms. Shaffer was teaching during COVID and the rapid transition that she needed to take from in-person to virtual work. During this process, she learned many new teaching strategies and was impressed with the students’ resilience. As a teacher, Ms. Shaffer has worked in both public and Catholic schools and enjoyed teaching in Catholic schools because she could practice her faith at work. Moreover, Ms. Shaffer wanted to move on from teaching middle school students. Lastly, Ms. Shaffer has a passion for big game bow hunting and enjoys spending her free time in the woods hunting deer.

We want to welcome the new faculty and staff members who are listed below:

• Tracey Reeder, Registrar;
• Jai Yoo, Assistant Controller;
• Natasha Bowlds, Administrative Assistant for Campus Ministry;
• Jacob Meile ’12, Computer Studies Teacher;
• Christine Cariello, Counseling;
• Lana Williamson, Counseling;
• Sarah Weber ’19, English Teacher;
• Michael Matthews, Head of Maintenance;
• Lisa Capobianco, Math Teacher;
• Craig Falk, Math Teacher;
• Alicia MacFarland, Math Teacher;
• Aileen Shaffer, Math Teacher;
• Susan Brake, Library Assistant;
• Savannah Ackerman, Religion Teacher;
• Patrick Greene, Science Teacher;
• Marlene Didone, Security;
• Brian Kuykendall, Security; and
• Maria Poulos ’14- Social Studies Teacher.

Sources:
Natash Bowlds, Susan Brake, Lana Williamson, Brian Kuykendall, Craig Falk, and Tracey Reeder.