TTC Apprentices 2024-25

Ban Almahfodh-Graime (“Ms. Graime”) has an undergraduate background in English Language and Linguistics. Ban holds an MA in International Development from Brandeis University, as well as being a parent to two daughters in kindergarten and second grade. He holds a professional certificate in Early Education. This year, Ban is a graduate student at Lesley University, working towards a specialization in Early Childhood Education and looking forward to teaching and being a part of the Shady Hill Community. 

For the past three years, Teddy Benfield has taught at Shady Hill where he was the primary sixth grade studio art teacher as well as the 7th/8th grade instructor of "Painting in a Series"- a portfolio building class encouraging students to create a series of paintings with the end goal of creating a cohesive body of work. Prior to Shady Hill, he was an assistant studio art teacher to Maria Iacoi at Pine Point School in Stonington, CT as well as a graduate assistant in the photography department at The School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts University. Outside of the classroom Teddy is a professional artist in the city of Boston with gallery representation from Abigail Ogilvy Gallery of Los Angeles, and he maintains a personal art studio in the South End of Boston.

Glen Cherry will be a TTC apprentice and M.Ed. candidate at Lesley University this upcoming school year. He completed his undergraduate degree at Boston University ('23), earning a Bachelors of Arts in Biology. Since then, he took a gap year to decide on his future, and ultimately settled on becoming a teacher. He is very excited about the upcoming year, and if anyone has any pressing biology questions, he's your guy!

After a year of Americorps service as a college and career counselor at Somerville High School, Ellayna (El-lay-nuh) Dietz is eager to join the Shady Hill School community! Born and raised in Central Pennsylvania, Ellayna attended Bryn Mawr College and graduated in 2023 (studying international studies, economics, and Spanish). She moved to Cambridge after graduation and has enthusiastically joined the Cambridge and Somerville academic and activist community!

Roisin Duffy will be a TTC apprentice and M.Ed. candidate at Lesley University this year. She completed her undergraduate degree at Bryn Mawr College (’24) in Mathematics and Psychology. She is excited to be returning back to her home state of Massachusetts to join the Shady Hill community!

For the past three years Aidan has been substitute teaching and tutoring, and now wants to pursue a career in education. His experience working with children stretches back to his high school years where he began by coaching and assisting with youth programs at Central Rock Gym Watertown. He graduated from The University of Vermont with a degree in Mathematics, and a minor in political science. Aidan also loves to play Ultimate Frisbee and has both played and coached Ultimate since he was in middle school.