For the 2024-2025 academic year, six new faculty members joined the Upper School community. Sacred Heart Greenwich welcomes Ms. Sarah Caro, Mr. Colby Verge, Mrs. Alisa Harrison, Ms. Elizabeth Fancher, Mrs. Julie Zhu, and Mrs. Kathleen Rokis. These educators aim to foster an environment of intellectual curiosity and inspire courage and confidence amongst their students.
Ms. Caro and Mr. Verge are the new learning specialists in the Upper School. In their roles, they focus on supporting students academically in all subjects as an additional resource outside of the classroom.
Ms. Caro received a Bachelor of Science (BS) in Psychology from Fordham University. She then furthered her education at the City College of New York, where she received a master’s in Special Education (Generalist 7-12). Ms. Caro also earned another master’s in Child and Adolescent Developmental Psychology from Capella University. Prior to coming to Sacred Heart, she worked for ten years in middle and high school settings throughout Brooklyn and the South Bronx. Outside of teaching, Ms. Caro loves animals, reading books, traveling, and writing poetry. The Sacred Heart community reignited her passion for supporting the youth, and Ms. Caro discussed how she is eager to work with the Upper School students.
“The culture and community here are unlike anything I have ever experienced, and brings me a lot of joy,” Ms. Caro said. “I hope my students feel comfortable, validated, encouraged, and empowered in our sessions together.”
Mr. Verge earned an undergraduate degree and a master’s degree in Special Education from Springfield College. He also completed a second master’s degree in the same discipline from Quinnipiac University. Mr. Verge played basketball and lacrosse at Springfield and then went on to coach the men’s lacrosse team there for four years. Before coming to Sacred Heart, he worked at Franklin Academy in East Haddam, Connecticut. Outside of teaching, Mr. Verge has five children, loves going to Disney, and is a passionate Boston Celtics and Boston Bruins fan. Mr. Verge reflected on what led him to Sacred Heart and his hope for his students in the Learning Center this year.
“What brought me to Sacred Heart are the culture and traditions that this school has,” Mr. Verge said. “My hope for my students is that they take and utilize all the resources and tools that I use and provide to them.”
Mrs. Harrison is the newest addition to the Upper School Math Department. She is spending her first year at Sacred Heart teaching Algebra II with Trigonometry and Advanced Placement (AP) Calculus BC. Mrs. Harrison majored in Applied Math with minors in Psychology and French at Dartmouth College. She furthered her education at Iona College, where she earned a master’s degree in Teaching. Mrs. Harrison began her teaching career working at a Catholic school in Tuckahoe, New York. She then continued her work for 19 years in public schools throughout Edgemont and Scarsdale, New York. Mrs. Harrison values the community-oriented mission of Sacred Heart, and she hopes to encourage her students to develop confidence in their mathematical skills.
“I hope to encourage girls to take risks in the classroom and have confidence in their ability to achieve,” Mrs. Harrison said. “I am also enjoying meeting my new colleagues, the beautiful facilities on campus, and the delicious lunch every day.”
Ms. Fancher and Mrs. Zhu are the newest additions to the World Language Department. Through sharing the French and Chinese cultures with their students, they hope to impart knowledge that allows students to expand their language and communication skills.
This year, Ms. Fancher is teaching French I, III, and IV in the Upper School. She attended St. Lawrence University, where she studied Education and French. Ms. Fancher then received a graduate degree in French Literature and Cinema from The Ohio State University. Prior to joining Sacred Heart, Ms. Fancher taught at Greenwich High School. She discussed why she chose to work at Sacred Heart.
“I am looking forward to the close-knit community of learners,” Ms. Fancher said. “I hope that my students have a fabulous and fruitful year.”
The newest Chinese teacher, Ms. Zhu, is teaching Chinese II Honors, III Honors, IV Honors, Advanced Topics (AT) Chinese, as well as Advanced Placement (AP) Chinese. Before coming to Sacred Heart, she taught Chinese at an international Christian Institution in Hong Kong. Mrs. Zhu is eager to continue her passion for teaching and hopes to instill in her students a lifelong love for the Chinese language. She discussed how she looks forward to seeing her students grow over the course of the year.
“Seeing the moment a student understands a phrase, grammar point, or cultural [reference] is one of the most rewarding parts of my job,” Ms. Zhu said. “Many of my seniors have dedicated years to learning this beautiful language, and I want to support them in making the most of their hard work. My goal is to create an environment where they feel inspired and confident as they continue honing their Chinese language skills.”
Mrs. Rokis is the newest member of the Upper School Science Department and is teaching Honors Biology. Mrs. Rokis also joins the Athletic Department this year as the new Head Rowing Coach. She is familiar with the Sacred Heart community, as she was previously the Assistant Rowing Coach a decade ago. Mrs. Rokis attended the University of Rhode Island for her undergraduate studies, where she received a degree in Wildlife and Conservation Biology. She then went on to obtain a degree from Sacred Heart University in Secondary Education (Biology). Mrs. Rokis previously worked at Carondelet High School in Concord, California, which is an all-girls high school. She is excited to combine her passions for rowing and teaching. Mrs. Rokis enjoys seeing her athletes in the halls as well as the classroom, and she commented on how she hopes to impact her students.
“I hope my students push themselves beyond their comfort levels and achieve more than they thought possible,” Mrs. Rokis said. “I want them to be proud of the work they do and build confidence in themselves while supporting each other.”
Featured Image by Brianna Timlin ’26
