Communication Arts Staff 2007-2008

Kay Morrison first came to Mill Springs Academy nine years ago when she interned with school founder Tweetie Moore.  She was impressed to find a school where the curriculum is designed to meet the student’s learning needs, and a levels program that promotes social growth and responsibility.  “I never fail to be amazed and inspired by my wonderful students”, she states.  She graduated from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga with a double major of art and drama, and later received her master’s degree from Argosy University in Professional Counseling.  Kay is a licensed Professional Counselor in the state of Georgia.  She is married to Cliff Morrison, who is a much better cook than she is.

Her two daughters, Jana and Chelsea, are both college students, and they are much better in math than Kay will ever be.   Kay’s secret desire is to be a cowgirl in Arizona, but the closest she comes to that dream is the annual Communication Arts field trip to Stagecoach Trails Dude Ranch.  Her philosophy of education can best be summed up by Meladee McCarty’s quotation, “The kids in our classroom are infinitely more significant than the subject matter we’re teaching them.”

Carol Adams will never be insulted if you call her a birdbrain, because she is Mill Springs’ resident ornithologist. She is helping the students in her department participate in Project FeederWatch, which tracks the size and distribution of winter bird populations. Carol has taught math at MSA for over four years. She earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in math from the University of Georgia. She then worked for two years toward her doctorate in math at Indiana University, where she later earned an MBA in Operations Research. After college, she worked in the business world for both Bell Labs and Western Electric until her children were born. Carol and her husband Tarpley have two sons. Bennett is attending Georgia Tech, and Alex, a senior at MSA, is heading to UGA next year. Carol is an avid tennis player, a self-confessed Sudoku addict, and loves horseback riding.

Taniah Jones knew Mill Springs Academy was the right place for her when she discovered that her stated philosophy of education was exactly the same as MSA founder, Tweetie Moore, “I have always believed that if a student cannot learn the way we teach, we should teach the way a student learns.” Taniah grew up in Grand Rapids, Michigan, but came South to attend Talledega College in Alabama, where she graduated with a degree in English Education. Taniah was a key player on Talledega’s varsity basketball team, and was recruited to play professional basketball. However, this dream was shattered when she suffered a knee injury. She now serves as one of MSA’s girls’ basketball coaches, and has led the team to two AAC championships. Taniah loves sharing her love of literature with her students, and has training in both the Linda Mood Bell and Orton Gillingham reading programs. Taniah was named “Teacher of the Year” last year. She and her husband, Cory, have two beautiful daughters, Amber and Amari Nicole. She enjoys spending quality time with her family and reading books.

Jay Hudson has dismantled things and put them back together better than they were since his early childhood in Marietta, GA. He was born an engineer at Northside hospital and remains to this day Comm. Arts’ chief fixer-of-everything-broken-or-inefficient. Jay studied science and photography at Berry College in Rome, GA where he worked as an auto mechanic, a life guard, a janitor, a yearbook photographer and a public relations photographer. With all these many hats to wear, Jay managed to squeeze in trips to Peru and Italy. After graduation he moved to Colorado to spend time with his sister and ski double black diamond runs. His other adventures along the way included kayaking, hiking, rock climbing, motorcycling, scuba and sky diving. Jay began teaching at Mill Springs in 1998 and continues to spread his cool geekyness to all of his students. He has since traveled to Belize and Guatemala on his own and to Costa Rica, Panama, India and China with his wife, Vicki. Jay enjoys learning about alternative energy, dancing, hiking and trying new ethnic restaurants with his bride. He always looks forward to his next adventure.

Jonathan Marston was born in Houston, Texas in 1966.  After attending boarding school in Colorado at Fountain Valley School, he headed east where he matriculated at Hobart College, in Geneva, NY.  After four years battling it out with mother- nature on the frozen shores of Lake Seneca, Marston endured and successfully earned a B.A. in history and a minor in political science.  Graduation created an opportunity to return to Texas where Marston embarked on a seven year career in the commercial real estate industry.  While in Florida on temporary assignment, Jonathan felt a call to return to graduate school and pursue a master’s degree in history at the University of South Carolina with the intent to pursue a career in education at the conclusion of the program.  After spending two and a half years in the scenic “city” of Columbia, SC, Jonathan arrived at Mill Springs in 2001 and has worked in the Communication Arts Department teaching world history, Georgia History, United States history, Economics, Social Studies, and Political Science.  Along with Kay Morrison, Jonathan heads up the Comm. Arts. Festival, which takes place at the end of the fall term and is also the Head Coach of the Boys Soccer Team.  Marston has led the Mustangs to the playoffs 2 out of the last three years, culminating in a 2^nd place finish in 2004.  In his spare time, Jonathan enjoys spending time with his bride (Michele), attending church at St. David’s Episcopal Church in Roswell, and coaching youth soccer at Roswell Soccer Club in Roswell, Georgia.  In 2007, In 2007, Jonathan will complete a 4 year religious studies course (Education for Ministries).  EFM is affiliated with the University of the South.  Jonathan currently sits on the board of directors of the Roswell Soccer club.  When spare time is available, Jonathan likes to spend it reading about theology, attending soccer coaching clinics, and traveling with Michele.

Matthew “Mateo” McConnell was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee on July 22, 1976, and grew up in Marietta, Georgia. After graduating from Lassiter High School in 1994, he made the conscious decision to leave Georgia and never, ever move back. Mr. McConnell studied French Horn Performance at Manhattan School of Music, obtaining his Bachelor of Music degree in 1998. He worked for four years as Principal hornist of the Orquesta Filarmónica del Estado de Querétaro in México, where he played with the symphony, gave presentations in the local schools on classical music, and never learned to avoid the deadly but delicious street foods available en todos lados. He also worked for Querétaro’s public radio station, giving interviews and writing theme music for some of the station’s programs.

An avid hiker, Mateo took a leave of absence from his job in 2000 to fulfill a lifelong dream of hiking the entire 2169 mile Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine. The hike took five months, but the recovery much longer. He was unable to sit Indian-style for years afterwards.

Upon returning to the United States, Mateo made the conscious decision to move to Georgia, working as a freelance musician and as a Spanish language interpreter for a medical services company. He has been working at MSA since autumn of 2004, teaching everything from Spanish to science. He is also coach of MSA’s golf team, a perfect fit since he is obsessed with the sport and is known to carry golf clubs with him all over the school.